St. Petersburg

 

 

 

St. Petersburg is an artsy city on the Tampa Bay boasting a vibrant culture and laid-back atmosphere. St. Petersburg averages 361 days of sunshine each year and holds the Guinness World Record for logging the most consecutive days of sunshine of any city in the world at 768 days.

 

Sunshine City is one of the best street art cities in the world and one of America’s hottest cities in which to live and visit. Attractions include world-class art galleries and museums plus North America’s third-largest number of public waterfront parks. To St. Petersburg’s west, white sand beaches line the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

St. Petersburg’s neighborhoods include the thriving Downtown district, with many high-rises, cultural attractions, and a bustling central business district. Just north of Downtown, the gorgeous historic neighborhoods of Old Northeast, Snell Isle, and Venetian Isles feature many classic Coastal and Mediterranean-style properties, and breathtakingly luxurious waterfront homes.

 

Ft. DeSoto Beach, located off of St. Petersburg’s southern tip, has been named the number one beach in the United States. To the west, are St. Pete’s gorgeous beaches made up of Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, and St. Pete Beach, which are some of the most beautiful and sought after beaches in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Petersburg is the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area and the fifth-largest in Florida. Its population is diverse, historically attracting many retirees. However, it has also been seeing a substantial increase in the number of younger residents over the past two decades. There are many employment opportunities in Downtown’s Central Business District and the Gateway area to St. Petersburg’s north, with major local employers in the healthcare, online and televised retail, and professional and financial service industries.

 

 

 

Downtown St. Petersburg contains a wealth of high-quality places to shop, dine, and drink. Sundial St. Pete in the heart of Downtown is a beautifully-designed shopping complex based around a courtyard with a lagoon water feature and a sculpture of a sundial that is nearly two stories tall. Sundial’s centerpiece retail and dining destination is the 20,000-square-foot Locale Market, featuring artisanal groceries and chef-driven food offerings. Sea Salt at Sundial is a stylish dining space with a 22-foot-tall wine cellar containing 4,000 bottles and a menu of fresh seafood prepared with 130 distinct salts from across the globe.

 

Beach Drive has evolved into the de facto hub for upscale culture and nightlife in St. Petersburg. Beach Drive’s location, world-class restaurants and museums, and mature, yet playful vibe make it a destination in itself. The Canopy on the rooftop of the Birchwood Hotel serves excellent cocktails and appetizers in a chic space dotted with fire pits and enjoys incredible Bayfront views. Standout seafood dining options on Beach Drive include a decadent Sunday brunch buffet at 400 Beach Seafood and European-inspired meat and fish dishes plus ocean-fresh raw items at Alto Mare Fish Bar.

 

Other Beach Drive dining hotspots include Tuscan-style Italian dishes at BellaBrava, Spanish-style tapas and flamenco shows at Ceviche, globally influenced dining at Tryst, and delectable steaks and seafood paired with an extensive wine selection on the sprawling patio at Parkshore Grill. Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro has a wide-ranging menu of meat and seafood dishes plus wines and cocktails with an outdoor deck taking in great views across the Bay. Red Mesa Cantina on Third Street is a lively modern spot for Cal-Mex cooking and tequila-based cocktails.

 

 

 

St. Petersburg is home to two of Tampa Bay’s main sports teams, with Major League Baseball’s Rays playing at Tropicana Field and the USL Championship’s Rowdies playing soccer at Al Lang Stadium.

 

Jannus Live is an iconic outdoor music venue in Downtown St. Petersburg that regularly hosts performances from top touring bands and DJs. Other concerts and events are held throughout the year at Vinoy Park, an 11.6-acre green space with scenic trails and spectacular views on the Tampa Bay waterfront.

 

A few blocks south of Vinoy Park is St. Petersburg Marina, the largest city marina in the southeast with 611 boat slips. Downtown’s cultural amenities include the Salvador Dali Museum, showcasing the largest collection of the famed surrealist painter’s works outside of Europe, along with the Museum of Fine Arts and St. Petersburg Museum of History. To the south and southwest of the city, Fort De Soto Park is a sprawling expanse of beaches and camping grounds covering over 1,130 acres and five connected islands.

 

Major events taking place in St. Petersburg include the IndyCar Series’ Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and St. Anthony’s Triathlon, both of which bring thrilling races to the streets of Downtown.

 

 

 

Public schools within St. Petersburg are operated by the Pinellas School District. Highlights include: