Welcome to Our Neighborhood
The Azalea Neighborhood Association is a volunteer-run group of neighbors who meet, share information, and help keep our community informed and beautiful.
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.
A Unified Voice for Azalea
The Azalea Neighborhood Association is a recognized channel of communication with the City of St. Petersburg. When residents stay informed and engaged through the Azalea NA, our neighborhood has a unified voice in matters that affect us.
Supporting Our Neighbors
Each holiday season, Azalea neighbors come together for Margie’s Toy Drive, a tradition that helps ensure local children have something special to open. Working alongside St. Pete Fire & Rescue, toys are coordinated through local schools, where counselors help identify families who could use a hand, making sure donations go directly to the children who need them most, right here in St. Petersburg.
Throughout the year, we participate in the West St. Pete food drive, joining other neighborhoods to support Love Thy Neighbor, a local nonprofit food pantry serving families in need. These efforts provide support and strengthen our community.
Confused about the identity of our neighborhood? Is it Azalea? Azalea Park? Azalea Jungle? Azaleaville? Azalea Homes? Maybe even Jungle Country Club?
Community Guests and Partners
Azalea monthly meetings regularly welcome representatives from St. Petersburg Police, City Council offices and other city departments. These visits give neighbors a chance to ask questions directly, stay informed, and build constructive working relationships with the people who help keep our community running. Pictured at Azalea meetings: Councilman Copley Gerdes, SPPD Community Service Officer Stefani L'Esperance, and Mayor Ken Welch.
The Jungle Country Club
Azalea was once home to the historic Jungle Country Club golf course, which opened in 1916 and became a centerpiece of early St. Petersburg development. Under the leadership of its president, Al Lang, the club helped put the area on the map during Florida’s early growth years. Visiting golfers and professional ballplayers wintering in St. Petersburg, including Babe Ruth, played hundreds of rounds across the very ground that now forms our neighborhood.
The fairways and greens that once welcomed visitors eventually gave way to homes and streets. The overlay map shows how the original course fits into the present-day neighborhood.
Azalea Wildlife
From egrets along the creek to turtles sunning on the banks, wildlife is part of everyday life in Azalea and one of the reasons so many neighbors value the character and beauty of this community.
Outdoor Family Movie Night
Every month, neighbors Loren and Veronica host a block party and movie night with free food, friends, film, and fun.
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
- Upcoming Events:
- St. Pete CommUNITY Festival — March 7, 2026
Transportation
Azalea is considered car-dependent but has some transit options.
Our Jungle Country Club History:
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.
Honoring Our History
Over the past several years, Azalea neighbors have taken steps to reconnect with our 1920s roots and the legacy of the Jungle Country Club. What was once largely forgotten is now part of everyday conversation in our community.
From the official recognition of Jungle Country Club Creek, to new “Welcome to Azalea” identity signs, to the construction and placement of a Babe Ruth statue at the St. Pete Museum of History, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to preserving and honoring our neighborhood’s story.
This work could not have been accomplished without the support and participation of the Azalea Neighborhood Association and residents who believe our history matters.
Annual Membership
$25 per household
Membership supports neighborhood communication with the City, civic improvements, charitable outreach, and preservation of our historic identity.
