By David Harris
As years pass, “POST IKE” Bolivar Peninsula has seen many changes, mainly the rebuild of a Peninsula that some called home but many used as an escape for weekend living and getaways. A place families gathered every year for vacation with generations following in the footsteps of parents and grandparents. Change is inevitable and it is starting to take place; you can’t hold back the undiscovered beauty of Bolivar Peninsula.

Starting with Restaurants and Bars, we all enjoy getting out when we are on Bolivar, running into old friends and making new ones. Both take place at the local restaurants and bars on Bolivar, and table capacity is growing for the better. Expansion happened last year as Stingaree Restaurant built a fabulous deck with tables and chairs and a Palapa Bar overlooking East Galveston Bay. The sunset view over the bay is awesome. Steve’s Landing rebuilt and opened their doors under new ownership since IKE, with plenty of window seating along the intracoastal canal.

Now this year comes more growth and expansion on Bolivar. Ocean Grill is expanding seating for those wishing to eat on location. We also have two NEW eateries joining the list on Bolivar for 2015. Jose’s is back and will be serving up Mexican Style dishes as before IKE, with a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu to please all. Located on Hwy 87 at Monkhouse Drive, they hope to be open by Spring Break 2015. Another joining the ranks is HardHeads Ice House & Grill, an open ice house concept with washer pits, volleyball court, horseshoe pits, and this summer, Movie Night and Live Music. The grill will be serving up everyone’s favorites from Burgers, Taco’s and Poor-Boys, a great addition to Bolivar. As you can see, the Bolivar eateries list is growing along with table count for the peninsula.

New Real Estate Development…NewCoast Properties is making a splash in the local real estate market with the recent acquisition of Laguna Harbor; and with their plans to develop a luxury, beachfront subdivision called Seagrass Beach, that will make its debut this Summer. NewCoast Properties has ambitious plans to bring exciting new amenities to Laguna Harbor including a full-service marina, fuel dock and a waterfront restaurant. Seagrass Beach will feature 35 homesites, a resort style pool with 6 poolside cabanas, a beachside fire pit and a fishing pond. “We are excited about bringing new development to Bolivar Peninsula and getting involved in the community however we can,” said Brad Ballard, NewCoast Properties’ founder and principal.

With the building of new homes and ample listed homes, buyers wanting to spend time on Bolivar have many options to choose from.

I think in 2015, we could start to see a change take place which will be for the better for all of us, both full-time and weekend residents along with our vacationers throughout the year. I know I enjoy my time on Bolivar – I enjoy every day.