Image: Egret and white peacocks on Jungle Country Club Creek.
The Azalea Neighborhood Association is celebrating 74 years of active community involvement. The neighborhood was once the Jungle Country Club hotel and golf course, developed by Walter P. Fuller during the 1920s land boom. Admiral Farragut Academy purchased the hotel and course in 1945, and in the early 1950s the golf course property was sold to Azalea Homes Development, which transformed the former fairways into the Azaleaville community.
The association is dedicated to enhancing our community, promoting civic improvements, and creating opportunities for neighbors to connect. From neighborhood meetings to social events and beautification projects, we work together to keep our neighborhood a great place to live.
We also support charitable efforts in our community. Each year, Azalea neighbors participate in the West St. Pete Food Drive and organize Margie's Toy Drive, adding to a larger effort that brings holiday cheer to local families.
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The Journal Is Now Online
The latest issue of The Journal, the Azalea neighborhood newsletter, is now available. Inside you’ll find neighborhood news, upcoming events, meeting highlights, local history, photos, and updates on projects affecting Azalea.
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Azalea Neighborhood Snapshot
St. Petersburg, FL · Based on Google AI model results
The Azalea neighborhood is bounded on the West by the right of way between Robinson Drive North and Country Club Road North, bounded on the North by Twenty Second Avenue North, bounded on the East by the Pinellas Trail and bounded on the South by Fifth Avenue North to Park Street North.
Demographics & Lifestyle
- Population: 1,685
- Feel: Sparse urban
- Homeownership: 85.1% owned · 14.9% rented
- Median Age: 44
- Average Household Income: $115,260 (above national average)
- Median Household Income: $116,132
- Political Leaning: Conservative-leaning
Housing
- Number of Homes: 750
- Market: Somewhat competitive
- Median Sale Price (June 2025): $480,000 (+18% YoY)
- Median Days on Market (June 2025): 35 days (up from 9 last year)
- Median Sale Price (12 months): $485,700 (+4%)
- Median Home Price: $497,350 ($331/sq ft)
- Homes for Sale: 13 homes ($375,000 – $800,000)
- Architecture: Mid-century modern & ranch, with some Mediterranean
- Rental Market: 6 rentals ($2,200 – $3,200)
Education
Azalea Elementary School
- Grades PK–5 · Enrollment: 507
- Proficiency: 54% math · 50% reading
- Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 (better than district)
- Minority enrollment: 41% · 60% economically disadvantaged
Azalea Middle School
- Grades 6–8 · Enrollment: 678
- Proficiency: 36% math · 29% reading
- Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 (district average)
- Minority enrollment: 70% · 74% economically disadvantaged
Education Levels
- High school diploma or higher: 93.6%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher: 37.5%
Safety & Crime
Azalea is considered safer than the average U.S. neighborhood, with a crime score of 3 out of 10.
Things to Do
- Parks: 6 neighborhood parks (including vicinity)
- Restaurants & Cafes: Plenty of options nearby
Transportation
Azalea is considered car-dependent but has some transit options.
Walter P. and H. Walter Fuller were the visionaries behind The Jungle’s transformation from wilderness to paradise destination. The golf course was world famous as one of Babe Ruth's favorite courses and Al Lang was president of the Jungle Country Club. The Jungle Prada shopping complex opened in 1924 and was home to The Gangplank speakeasy. The Jungle Hotel opened in 1926 and St. Pete's first airfield opened later that year. In 1943, an Army tent city was erected on the golf course for basic training of 10,000 trainees. The hotel and golf course were sold to Admiral Farragut Academy in 1945 and the Azaleaville residential development was built over the golf course in the 1950s.
The People Who Built Azalea and the Jungle
Five visionaries helped shape the Jungle Country Club and the surrounding community. A sixth figure, Babe Ruth, helped make the Jungle nationally famous during his annual spring visits to St. Petersburg.
F. A. Davis
The Father of St. Petersburg
Two names that loom large in Azalea history ‒ H. Walter Fuller and Walter P. Fuller ‒ owe their fame to F.A. Davis, who hired H. Walter Fuller to manage many of his business operations. When Davis' empire collapsed due to an economic downturn, an investment company bought the foreclosed businesses and put Fuller in charge. Fuller and his son went on to complete many of the projects that Davis had started or envisioned.
H. Walter Fuller
The Jungle's Founding Father
Henry Walter Fuller (1865–1942) was the visionary who first promoted the Jungle as a special place to live. After moving to St. Petersburg, Fuller began acquiring land near Boca Ciega Bay in an area he called “The Jungle.” As manager of the local trolley line, he helped extend streetcar service westward to his property, making the largely undeveloped area more accessible.
In 1915, Fuller joined a group of investors, including future St. Petersburg mayor Al Lang, in clearing land for the Jungle golf course.
Walter P. Fuller
Jungle Visionary
Walter P. Fuller (1894–1973) helped transform his father H. Walter Fuller’s early vision for the Jungle into one of St. Petersburg’s most ambitious developments. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1915, Fuller returned to St. Petersburg and became involved in journalism, business and real estate.
During Florida’s great land boom, Fuller developed the Jungle Prado shopping complex in 1924 and followed it with his crowning achievement, the Jungle Country Club Hotel, which opened in February 1926. The Jungle became a fashionable destination associated with golf, prominent visitors and winter tourism.
Handsome Jack Taylor
Forgotten Visionary
“Handsome Jack” Taylor was a charismatic promoter and developer whose money, ambition and persuasive personality helped ignite the 1920s building boom on St. Petersburg’s west side. In 1922, Taylor purchased 1,800 acres south of the Jungle from the Fullers and launched Pasadena-on-the-Gulf. The investment provided Walter P. Fuller and his partners with capital to move forward with the Jungle projects. Much of the historic character of Pasadena and the Jungle can be traced to the burst of development that he helped set in motion.
Al Lang
Florida’s Baseball Ambassador
Al Lang (1870-1960) was one of the best-known figures in the city during the first decades of the twentieth century. He lived in the Jungle during his most productive years in St. Petersburg.
Lang served as president of the Jungle Country Club for most of the club’s existence and lived nearby on Park Street, directly across from the clubhouse. His presence helped give the Jungle considerable prestige.
Among his greatest successes was attracting the New York Yankees to St. Petersburg for spring training.
That brought Babe Ruth and other Yankee stars to the city and helped establish a baseball tradition that lasted for generations.
Babe Ruth
Golfer, Jungle Country Club
Babe Ruth was one of the most popular golfers of the Roaring Twenties. Golf was an important part of his pre-season conditioning, giving him a way to stay active and competitive while preparing for another baseball season. During his spring visits to St. Petersburg, Ruth played well over 100 rounds on the Jungle course, which became one of the country’s most renowned golf courses largely because of his presence there every spring. Ruth became a familiar guest at the Jungle Country Club and Jungle Hotel, where his birthday was celebrated each February. His appearances attracted fans, sportswriters, and considerable national attention to the Jungle. When later asked to list his favorite sporting achievements, Ruth included the double eagle he scored on the 17th hole of the Jungle golf course.
Famous Figures Who Set Anchor in Azalea
Before their names were known around the world, astronaut Charles Duke and musician Stephen Stills spent formative years at Admiral Farragut Academy in Azalea.
Charles M. Duke, Jr.
Stephen Stills
Learned to Play Guitar Here
One of the greatest guitarists of all time learned to play while attending Admiral Farragut Academy. In 1957, 12-year-old Stephen “latched on to his roommate's guitar and plunked around until his fingers bled.”
By 2003, Stills was number 28 in Rolling Stone's list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Crosby, Stills and Nash was at one time the most popular rock group in the world and they were called the “American Beatles.”
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AZALEA UPDATE
Azalea Update reports on the status of ongoing projects such as the Azalea Gateway Apartments, the Science Center, and the Jungle Pier. |
