North River Shores - Stuart, FL

In the late 1800s, this area centered around pineapple and citrus farming as well as commercial fishing before it became a popular spot for a second home in the early 1900s. The North River Shores neighborhood officially began in the 1950s. It sits within the northern part of Martin County, previously owned by St. Lucie County, while Palm Beach County once encompassed the southern section. In 1925, these sections came together to form this new county, named after the Florida governor of the time, John W. Martin.

While this residential area doesn't include its own museums or arts scene, its location puts it near the Stuart Heritage Museum, the Elliott Museum and the Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast. The area's artistic amenities include Jensen Beach's galleries as well as Stuart's performing arts and art boutiques. Annual area events include the Jensen Beach Fine Art & Craft Show and the Downtown Stuart Art Festival.

No matter what type of food you crave, you can find a restaurant to satisfy your hankering in Stuart. The area houses chain and ethnic restaurants as well as water-themed seafood restaurants with a casual beach vibe and small places with long waiting lists that take their food very seriously. You don't need to travel far to reach the area's restaurants because many reside in Stuart along Federal Highway or just over the bridge in downtown Stuart.

Call for a reservation at the Riverwalk Cafe & Oyster Bar to ensure you get a table because its dining room only holds a limited number of people. Once you have a seat, order fresh oysters from the raw bar or a juicy New York strip steak with a brandy peppercorn demi-glaze.

Key West Diner gives the extensive menu and diner favorites that you expect from the Northeast, with twists that show its Florida location. If you feel like munching on regular diner fare, order an egg platter or an open-faced turkey sandwich. To pay homage to your locale, choose the grouper sandwich.

For a seafood special near the water, head to Kona Beach Cafe. The menu features plenty of meals with fresh seafood from local waters, including fish tacos with mahi mahi or Kona Beer Battered Mahi in place of the regular fish and chips dish.

When you want to go out at night, you can find plenty of venues in downtown Stuart and by the water in Jensen Beach. Most of Jensen Beach's seafood restaurants, including Kona Beach Cafe, have a bar and live music. Downtown Stuart has the Crafted Keg for craft beer fans and bars with live music, such as the tiki bar at Terra Fermata.

North River Shores provides sidewalks for walking and casual biking, but the size of the neighborhood prevent residents from walking the entire thing. The streets don't have bike lanes, but they aren't necessary for a safe ride in this private residential community. Jensen Beach provides free parking by the beach.

Most locals find that they need a car for shopping, dining and getting to work. However, to use public transportation instead, buses stop just outside the neighborhood on Federal Highway. You also have the option to call a cab company for a pick-up or to use Uber. Residents reach North River Shores from Federal Highway, which they take that to Kanner Highway to connect with Florida's Turnpike and I-95.

This neighborhood features private parks accessible only to the people who live in the North River Shores subdivision or neighboring subdivisions. The parks encourage kids and dogs to play, and they provide limited exercise facilities. The neighborhood hosts some annual events in the parks, including its Snowstorm event at Lake Park.

Fish from the pier, play the game of horseshoes, play fetch with Fido in the grassy open space and let your children loose in the playground of Lake Park. Nosaw Park includes a boat ramp on the river and a basketball court. Half Mile Lake Park and North Shore Park provide opportunities for walking within nature. These parks maintain a clean, natural atmosphere by providing only limited amenities, such as benches.

Living in North River Shores costs more on average than living in the city. Here, the average rent for a one-bedroom place costs $1,183. A bus pass to the city center costs $1.50, and a beer at a local pub costs $2 to $3. Drivers pay 4 percent more than the national average for gas in this neighborhood.

When you leave this neighborhood, go left on Federal Highway to reach chain stores and the area's mall, the Treasure Coast Square mall. Go right to find Stuart's downtown for high-value thrift stores and high-end boutique stores.

In downtown Stuart, the boutique store April Daze sells unique women's clothing and accessories as well as shore-themed home decor items. You can also find nautical jewelry and other one-of-a-kind baubles at Bella Jewelry and Gifts.

For food shopping, residents of this neighborhood take advantage of the chain supermarkets Publix and Winn-Dixie. Jensen Beach also has gourmet food choices at the Picky Gourmet Supply Company, and the Jensen Beach City Discount store focuses on food deals. You can also order fresh fish from the New England Fish Market & Restaurant to cook at home any way you like it.

If you want some fresh fruits and vegetables, Jensen Beach has the Barbours Produce farmers market. Alternatively, you could visit the Stuart Green Market, which sells produce and handmade goods in booths.