St. Petersburg, Florida


St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2019 census estimate, the population was 265,351, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the largest in the state that is not a county seat.
St. Petersburg is the fifth-largest city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. Together with Clearwater, these cities comprise the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area, the second-largest in Florida with a population of around 2.8 million. St. Petersburg is located on the Pinellas peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and is connected to mainland Florida to the north.
St. Petersburg was founded in 1888 by John C. Williams, who purchased the land, and by Peter Demens who brought the railroad industry into the area. A coin toss bet was held between Williams and Demens to name this newly-formed community. Demens won the bet and subsequently named the land after Saint Petersburg, Russia. Williams was then granted the right to name the first hotel built. Both named their winnings after their personal hometowns. St. Petersburg was incorporated as a town on February 29, 1892 and re-incorporated as a city on June 6, 1903.
The city is often referred to by locals as St. Pete. Neighboring St. Pete Beach formally shortened its name in 1994 after a vote by its residents. St. Petersburg is governed by a mayor and city council.
With an average of some 361 days of sunshine each year, and a Guinness World Record for logging the most consecutive days of sunshine, it is nicknamed "The Sunshine City". Due to its good weather and low cost of living, the city has long been a popular retirement destination, although in recent years the population has moved in a much more youthful direction. American Style magazine ranked St. Petersburg its top mid-size city in 2011, citing its "vibrant" arts scene.

History

Early Spanish Exploration

The Pánfilo de Narváez expedition landed on the shores of Boca Ciega Bay at the Jungle Prada Site on April 14, 1528. It was the first inland exploration of North America. Of 300 men on the expedition only four survived. One of the survivors of the expedition, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, wrote the first book describing the peoples, wildlife, flora and fauna of inland North America in his Relacion, published in Spain in 1542.

Early settlement: 18751899

The city was co-founded by John C. Williams, formerly of Detroit, who purchased the land in 1875, and by Peter Demens who was instrumental in bringing the terminus of the Orange Belt Railway there in 1888. The first major newspaper to debut in Tampa Bay was the St. Petersburg Times which established in 1884. St. Petersburg was incorporated as a town on February 29, 1892, when it had a population of 300 people.
A local legend says that John C. Williams and Peter Demens flipped a coin to see who would have the honor of naming the city. When Demens won the coin toss the city was named after Saint Petersburg, Russia, where Peter Demens had spent half of his youth, while John C. Williams named the first hotel after his birthplace, Detroit. The Detroit Hotel still exists downtown, but has been turned into a condominium. The oldest running hotels are the historic Pier Hotel, built in 1921, formally Hotel Cordova and The Heritage Hotel, built in 1926.
Philadelphia publisher F. A. Davis turned on St. Petersburg's first electrical service in 1897. The city's first major industry was born in 1899 when Henry W. Hibbs, a native of Newport, North Carolina, established his wholesale fish business at the end of the railroad pier, which extended out to the shipping channel. Within a year, Hibbs Fish Company was shipping more than of fish each day.

Early 20th-century development: 19001949

St. Petersburg was incorporated as a city in June 1903. With this transition, the development of the downtown waterfront had dredging of a deeper shipping channel from 1906 to 1908 which opened St. Petersburg to larger shipping. Further dredging improved the port facilities through the 1910s. By then the city's population had quadrupled to a population of 4,127 citizens. F. A. Davis was instrumental to bringing the first trolley service in 1904.
In 1914, the Tampa Bay area was one of the first Floridian cities that liked baseball tracing because of its origins from Tampa and St. Petersburg. The former mayor of St. Petersburg, Al Lang, had invited the St. Louis Browns to move their spring training into the city.
St. Petersburg's first library opened on December 1, 1915 which still operates to this day as the Mirror Lake Library. pictured taking off for the first time on January 1, 1914
In 1914 an airplane service across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa and back was initiated, generally considered the first scheduled commercial airline flight. The company name was the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, and the pilot was Tony Jannus flying a Benoist XIV flying boat. The Tony Jannus Award is presented annually for outstanding achievement in the airline industry.
The 1920s in St. Petersburg was big due to its major growth brought by tourists. Tourists came from all over by automobile, yacht, and railroad. Travel time from across the bay was cut due to the Gandy Bridge's opening in 1924, helping St. Petersburg increase in tourist numbers and helped grow it into the largest city in Pinellas County. The city also adopted the Mediterranean-style architecture brought by Snell Isles, founder of Perry Snell. An attraction that brought on a great number of tourists and citizens was the Million Dollar Pier which was built in 1926.
Tourism declined by the late 1920s and early 1930s due to the Great Depression. The city recovered later in the 1930s with the help of the Public Works Administration, including a $10 million investment plan in 1939 which helped build the St. Petersburg City Hall.
By the 1940s, the city received population growth due to World War II. St. Petersburg was a training ground area for the U.S. Coast Guard which had a training base and used the city's Bayboro Harbor, and for the Army Air Force which was selected by the War Department to use the city as their technical service training station. With both stations occupying the city, more than 100,000 troops occupied all hotels in St. Petersburg. After the war, most troops who were stationed in St. Petersburg returned as residents or tourists.

Modern expansion: 1950present

In the 1950s, St. Petersburg experienced another population increase with residents. The development of transportation was important with the increase of tourists, more automobiles were used in the city and subsequently the public street cars were removed. In 1954 the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge opened its first span to link St. Petersburg with Manatee County. A year later in 1955, Highway 19 opened in the city creating a large influx of traffic. By the end of the 1950s, tourists and retirees increased in the area.
by the Hartman Litho Sales Company
The development of major transportation continued into the 1960s with the completion of the Howard Frankland Bridge in 1960, creating another connection between St. Petersburg and Tampa. St. Petersburg also received its first stadium named the Bayfront Center which hosted the first professional hockey league in Tampa Bay. A new municipal marina and the Museum of Fine Arts were also built downtown. St. Petersburg is home to one of the world's largest reclaimed water systems that was built in the 1970s which flows 37 million gallons of water per day to provide for customers located throughout the city.
From May to August 1968, 211 of the city's sanitation workers struck for higher wages. The strike began approximately one month after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee while supporting that city's sanitation workers strike.
In 1984, a full-scale flying replica of the Benoist XIV flying boat was constructed by Florida Aviation Historical Society for the 70th anniversary of the flight. This aircraft is now on loan to the St. Petersburg Museum of History in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Development of the first Major League Baseball team to be located in the Tampa Bay area began in St. Petersburg throughout the 1970s. The city tried to encourage numerous teams through the United States to make St. Petersburg their new home. With the need of a major league baseball team, designs for a ballpark were first presented in 1983 and construction for a permanent dome stadium began in 1986. The stadium opened in 1990 as the Florida Suncoast Dome, later named the Thunderdome in 1993. After many attempts to attract tenants to the new stadium, Major League Baseball gave St. Petersburg a franchise in 1995. In 1996, the dome was renamed a third time to Tropicana Field after naming rights were established with Tropicana Dole Beverages. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays was then established in 1998 after the stadium's renovation and the new team played their first game on March 31, 1998, giving the Tampa Bay area their first professional baseball team.
The city population continued to multiply during the 20th century, booming in the 1940s and 1950s and through the 1970s as the town became a popular retirement destination for Americans from midwestern cities, reaching 238,647 in the 1980 census. By that time, however, the population had leveled off, and has grown by only 10,000 since then. In the decade from 2000 to 2010, the population of the city dropped by approximately 4000 residents, while in the same period the population of Florida increased by over two and a half million residents.

Geography

Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of. of it is land, and of it is water. St. Petersburg is bordered by three bodies of water, the Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay, all of which form the Tampa Bay.

Downtown

Downtown St. Petersburg is the Central Business District, containing high rises for office use. The Tampa Bay Times newspaper is headquartered in the downtown area. The Poynter Institute, which owns the paper, is located on 3rd Street South.
The Mahaffey Theater complex, the Morean Arts Center, dozens of other art galleries, Haslam's Bookstore, The Coliseum, Palladium Theatre, and Jannus Live are among the galleries and cultural venues featured downtown. Several prominent museums are located in the perimeter. Many of them have received notable accolades, including the Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Salvador Dalí Museum, the now-closed Florida International Museum, the St. Petersburg Museum of History, and the Florida Holocaust Museum. The city hosts many outdoor festivals throughout the year.
St. Petersburg's downtown has been rated among the best in the South. The area's beaches are a drive from downtown. Jutting a half mile into the bay was the St. Petersburg Pier, a major tourist attraction that offered various activities. "The Lens" design which was chosen by the International Design Competition Jury and accepted by City Council later had its contract terminated by a citywide election during the summer of 2013. Following this, the "Pier Park" was chosen out of the 16 new design teams that submitted work in late 2014 and in 2015 the Pier Park was set for construction in early 2017. Downtown also contains the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and a downtown branch of St. Petersburg College. The downtown perimeter includes several parks, most of which are waterfront or lakefront. Straub Park is nearly a half mile long, boasts a waterfront location, and is home of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Because of the number of parks in the downtown area, The Trust for Public Land ranks St. Petersburg 1st in Florida and 15th out of 100 of the largest cities in the U.S. The Vinoy Park Hotel has a bayfront location, a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, and an AAA Four-Diamond rating. It fronts Vinoy Park, which holds music festivals, including the Warped Tour. Nearby is the historic Tramor Cafeteria building, now part of the Tampa Bay Times. The city is connected via the Looper Trolley.
Most of the dining and nightlife can be found downtown on or near Central Avenue or Beach Drive along the waterfront. Venues include Jannus Live and the State Theatre. The active nightlife scene is credited to recent demographic and regulatory changes. In 2010, the city council voted to extend bar hours until 3 A.M., identical to cross-bay "rival" Tampa.
Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, is located in the western part of downtown. Until 2008, the team played its spring training games at nearby Progress Energy Park. This setup was unique, making St. Petersburg the first city that played host to its baseball team during spring training as well as the regular season since the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics. At the end of 2007, there was a debate over a new stadium to be built on the downtown waterfront at the current Progress Energy Park site. Tropicana Field would be demolished and replaced with prime residential and retail space. Completion of the stadium was planned for 2012; however, the proposal has been tabled indefinitely while a community-based organization investigates all alternatives for new stadium construction.
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When the Wikimedia Foundation was founded by Jimmy Wales in 2003 it was originally located in downtown St. Petersburg. The foundation adopted its articles of incorporation in the city in 2005. On September 25, 2007, the Foundation announced its move in late 2007 from St. Petersburg to the San Francisco Bay Area.
St. Petersburg has the third-largest dedicated public waterfront park system in North America, with a waterfront park system that stretches and is used year-round for public events, festivals and other activities. In the early 20th century, citizens and city leaders engaged in a long and boisterous debate over the future of the young city's waterfront space, with one side advocating for commercial, port and industrial development and the other side advocating for a long-term commitment to parks and public access to the waterfront. The public access and park contingent won the debate when, on Christmas Eve 1909, the city announced the acquisition of the waterfront land that is encompassed by the waterfront park system.
The city is also becoming one of the largest destinations in Florida for kiteboarding with locations such as Fort De Soto Park, Pass-a-Grille, and Ten-Cent.
The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club was established in 1924 and gained attention as the "World's Largest Shuffleboard Club" with 110 courts and over 5,000 members in the 1950s and 1960s.

Cityscape

Neighborhoods

St. Petersburg is home to more than 100 neighborhoods, with most of the historic districts located near the bay. In the eastern center of the city is Downtown St. Petersburg, which includes the city's residential and commercial skyscrapers, art galleries, museums, and parks. The downtown area is home to the central business district and to many start-up companies, corporation branches, banks, law firms, and restaurants. Apart from downtown's business and cultural aesthetics, the area also includes a branch of St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The downtown district is home to two professional sports teams, the Tampa Bay Rays, which resides west of downtown at Tropicana Field, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, which is located downtown at Al Lang Stadium.
North of Downtown St. Petersburg lie Historic Old Northeast and Snell Isle, which both have Mediterranean style historic and waterfront homes, parks, and recreational areas. Old Northeast is also home to a shopping district, city landmarks, beaches, and small shops as well as small residential high rises. Snell Isle was founded by C. Perry Snell who bought up the land to develop upscale properties in the 1900s, and helped create some of St. Petersburg's resorts such as the Vinoy Park Hotel and the St. Petersburg Woman's Club, both of which are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The far north consists of the Gateway area which overlaps part of Pinellas Park, home to major employers such as Home Shopping Network and currently the site of much construction of residential and business facilities and of new toll roads.
The western side of St. Petersburg includes the Grand Central District and Historic Kenwood. The Grand Central District houses the cities cafes, art galleries, restaurants, and bars all owing to the Renaissance style architecture. Historic Kenwood is filled with art studios and galleries similarly to the Grand Central District. Kenwood was named "Neighborhood of the Year" in 2020 by Neighborhood, USA for revitalization and beautification.
Southward to St. Petersburg is Historic Roser Park, which houses Mediterranean style housing, parks, and museums. The neighborhood is divided by Booker Creek which flows into Bayboro Harbor.

Climate

St. Petersburg has a humid subtropical climate, closely bordering a tropical savanna climate, with a defined rainy season from June through September. St. Petersburg, like the rest of the Tampa Bay area, is occasionally affected by tropical storms and hurricanes. However, the last time a hurricane directly struck the city was in 1946. Many portions of St. Petersburg, especially along the bay and in south St. Petersburg, have tropical micro-climates. Due to this, royal palms and coconut palms, as well as other tropical plants can be found throughout the city, and the city is home to the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum, a 2-acre park which houses over 500 palms and cycads, including a pair of large Jamaican Tall coconut palms which predate the freeze of 1989.

Demographics

2010 Census

According to a 2010 census, the city contained 244,769 people, making St. Petersburg the largest city in Pinellas County, and 129,401 households. The population density was 3,964.4 per square mile.
The racial makeup of St. Petersburg was 168,036 White, 58,577 African American, 7,779 Asian, 723 Native American, 135 Pacific Islander, 3,474 from other races, and 6,045 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race numbered 16,214, with 5,272 Puerto Rican, 2,855 Mexican, 2,835 Cuban, and other Hispanic or Latino people making up 5,252 of the population.
With the city having 129,401 households, 108,815 were occupied while 20,586 were not occupied. With 108,815 of the population in households, 3,888 lived in non-institutionalized group-quarters and 2,719 were institutionalized. There were 108,815 households, out of which 23,304 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 37,847 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 16,425 had a female householder with no husband present, 4,849 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 9,453 unmarried partnerships. 39,397 households were made up of individuals, and 28,267 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19. Out of 108,815 occupied households, families made up 59,121 while non-families made up 49,694 ; the average family size was 2.88. The median age of the city was 41.6 years.

2000 Census

As of 2000, 23.85% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.295% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no adult living partner present, and 43.8% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.865.
In 2000, the city's population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.24 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $34,597, and the median income for a family was $43,198. Males had a median income of $30,794 versus $27,860 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,107. About 9.2% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. In 2010, 17.8% of the population was under the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

Languages

As of 2000, those who spoke only English at home accounted were 88.53% of residents, Spanish was spoken by 4.43%, German by 0.78%, French by 0.72% of speakers, Vietnamese by 0.67%, Serbo-Croatian by 0.52%, and Laotian by 0.51% of the population.

Crime

St. Petersburg has the 6th highest rate of violent crime in Florida. It is the 58th ranking city in the United States when it comes to violent crime. It is less safe than 95% of cities in Florida. Evidence of the social unrest and the schism within the city, particularly between South St. Petersburg and the rest of the city came with the St. Petersburg, Florida riots of 1996. Police Officer David Crawford was murdered in February 2011 by then-teenager Nicholas Lindsey.

Economy

Much economic activity is concentrated in the Gateway area, which overlaps St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park. The median household income is $55,134. Health care, retail and professional services are the largest industries.

Largest employers

According to the City of St. Petersburg, Florida's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
#EmployerEmployeesIndustry
1 Raymond James4,700 Investment
2 Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital3,700 Healthcare
3 Home Shopping Network2,200 Retail
4 St. Anthony's Hospital2,100 Healthcare
5 Publix Super Markets2,000 Retail
6 Fidelity National Information Services1,900 Financial sector
7 Jabil Circuit1,800 Electronics manufacturing services
8 Bayfront Medical1,500 Healthcare
9 The Continental Group1,200 Realtor
10 Spectrum1,100 Communications

According to the City of St. Petersburg, Florida's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
#EmployerEmployeesIndustry
1 Raymond James4,100 Investment
2 Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital3,500 Healthcare
3 Home Shopping Network2,200 Retail
4 St. Anthony's Hospital2,100 Healthcare
5 Publix Super Markets2,000 Retail
6 Fidelity National Information Services1,900 Financial sector
7 Jabil Circuit1,700 Electronics manufacturing services
8 Bayfront Medical1,500 Healthcare
9 Bright House Networks 1,200 Communications
10 Power Design1,000

Budget
The city's budget runs on a fiscal calendar beginning October 1 and ending the following September. In order to approve the budget, the city's mayor submits a proposal to the city council who will make decisions proceeding two public hearings which are in compliance with "Truth in Mileage." A finalized budget that complies with statues is then posted within 30 days as required by the state of Florida.
In 2017, the city of St. Petersburg has an operating budget of about $514.1 million. The budget contributed to various areas of the city including water resources, Police and Fire Departments, and Emergency Medical Services.

Arts and culture

The city of St. Petersburg incorporated a Community Cultural plan to continuously develop a climate of diversity and inclusivity among its citizens. Together, the city uses arts and culture to illustrate diverse expression, opportunity, and vibrancy. The main intent behind this project is to highlight St. Petersburg's dedication to diversity and inclusion.

Events

One of the first of many major events of the year that takes place is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, in January. The parade hosts a Battle of the Bands, and drum line extravaganzas that have been duplicated in other cities.
In March the city hosts the annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. This is located in downtown St. Petersburg and is the first round of the IndyCar Series. It usually lasts three days with practice rounds, qualifications, and two main races.
Bluesfest, hosted in the Vinoy Park, hosts multiple live blues artists, offers views of the Tampa Bay waters from the park, and provides drinks and free food.
One of the many art festivals, called the Mainsail Art Festival, is a free entry art exhibition at the Vinoy Park, which offers art sold by local artists. It also provides live music, awards, and food courts.
Every year, the Shine Mural Festival occurs around the city of St. Petersburg. This event includes an art exhibition of colorful murals throughout the city, which include different themes each year. This event is hosted by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.
The downtown triathlon event is hosted by St. Anthony's Hospital and involves a 1.5k swim through Tampa Bay, a 40k bike along the waterways, and a 10k run through the neighborhoods.
The Green Thumb Festival, which originated in 1986 to promote tree beautification and planting in the city of St. Petersburg, is currently held in Walter Fuller Park.
A major event that takes place in June is the St. Pete Pride weekend, when the LGBT community and supporters celebrate in the streets with festivals, the 27/82 concert, and an LGBT pride parade. The weekend also hosts a variety of block parties, food stands, DJ stands, art festivals, local hosted parties, and the LGBT welcoming center.
In July, the 4th of July firework celebration invites the citizens to downtown St. Petersburg.
Every year in October, an annual folk festival known as SPIFFS is held at Vinoy park. This event includes different ethnic cultures that share their food, crafts, and music. During the event, there is a parade that each country participates in, along with performances by their folk dance groups.
In November, the annual Ribfest is held at Vinoy Park. It includes family fun zones, drinking vendors, and two stages hosting many country music artists.
From the end of November through December are holiday events. A tree lighting ceremony starts the celebrations. The Santa Parade is followed by Snowfest with "glice" skating, toboggan slides, and Kiddyland. Kids meet Santa and ice skate in the North Straub Park. North and South Straub Park are decorated with holiday lights and decorationsm while the Vinoy Park is decorated with large greeting cards created by the recreational centers in St. Petersburg.
In mid-December, the city hosts an annual NCAA football game in Tropicana Field entitled the St. Petersburg Bowl.
On December 31, St. Petersburg has the year's last event, First Night St. Petersburg, where people celebrate the arts from venues across the city.
The American Stage in the Park hosts many different shows at the Demens Landing Park throughout the year.
St. Petersburg hosted the Miss Florida Pageant eleven consecutive years from 2004 to 2015, until the pageant was moved to Lakeland.

Demonstrations and protests

St. Petersburg consistently plays home-base for peaceful protests and demonstrations revolving around an array of social issues to bring awareness to the community.
Pride month takes place annually throughout the month of June to celebrate and recognize the identities of LGBTQ+ persons. The city of St. Petersburg hosts a variety of events to celebrate Pride Month including the annual Pride Parade. Nearly 5,000 people participate in the parade down Bayshore Drive in St. Petersburg with thousands participating on the sidelines. Due to COVID-19, the city decided to cancel this year's parade, however, intend on continuing large celebrations in 2021.
The annual Women's March in the month of January typically takes place in Williams Park where thousands of individuals gather to march for female rights and equality. The last documented Women's March in St. Pete dates back to 2018 following the resurgence of the #MeToo Movement.
More recently, in 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement has swept through the state of Florida, specifically in St. Petersburg where protests and demonstrations continue to take place. On June 19, 2020, Terri Lipsey Scott along with sixteen artists unveiled a "Black Lives Matter" mural on the street across from the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum. Demonstrations and protests began following the death of George Floyd to raise awareness of systematic racism and demand social justice.

Tourism

The city has a children's museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement was expected to open in 2017. The St. Petersburg Museum of History has a full-size replica of the Benoist XIV seaplane and is located near the approximate spot by the St. Petersburg Pier where the first scheduled commercial flight departed. St. Petersburg is home to the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum which highlights the life of Carter G. Woodson who founded the Associated Publishers and is the author of nearly 30 books still prevalent today. Past exhibits and events featured in the museum include the Ray McLendon Exhibit, a discussion of race and politics series,and a seminar on the conviction of Michael Morgan. The city also has the Holocaust Museum, and the Salvador Dalí Museum, which houses the largest collection of Dalí's works outside of Europe, including a number of famous and large-scale paintings such as The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. The Chihuly Collection, located at 400 Beach Drive, houses some of the magnificent glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly. There are various other smaller art galleries and entertainment venues, especially in the downtown area, which has seen a boom in development since the mid-1990s; these include the Mahaffey Theater complex, American Stage, The Coliseum, Palladium Theatre, Midtown Royal Theater, the Arts Center, and the Florida Craftsmen Gallery.
There are seven distinct art districts in St. Petersberg, offering artists a place of refuge to work and create. The Waterfront Museum District features many independent galleries and museums alongside some of St. Petersburgs most popular dining and shopping destinations. The Central Arts District has a very unique profile. It is known for its thriving music scene featuring local and national talents. The Grand Central District is surrounded by historic neighborhoods, bringing unique galleries, antique stores, and specialty retail stores to one area. This district is also known for hosting one of the largest LGBTQ parades in the country every June. The Edge District is one of the more developed districts and has a variety of murals, historic buildings, restaurants, and the largest collection of mid-century modern furniture. The Warehouse Arts District has become the local hangout for artists requiring a larger space for their pieces. The emerging Deuces Live District is home to the city of St. Petersburg's African American heritage. There are many locally-owned art galleries and other specialty businesses in this area. The emerging M.L. King North District is rapidly growing, home to many restaurants and cafes where the local artists and writers go to become inspired.
The St. Petersburg Pier was a popular tourist attraction which closed in May 2013. The Bounty, a replica of that was used in the 1962 Technicolor remake of Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando, was permanently docked near the pier for many years until the ship was sold to Ted Turner in 1986. The Bounty, however, sometimes visited St. Petersburg for the winter in the following years before its sinking in 2012. In 2010, the St. Petersburg City Council voted to demolish and rebuild the pier. The new pier will be opening "in phases" in 2020. A ceremony celebrating the opening is scheduled for the 4th of July.
The city had a Madame Tussaud Wax Museum between 1963 and 1989.
The downtown Sundial shopping complex opened in May 2014. It contains an IMAX Muvico 20-screen movie theater, as well as many chain restaurants and retail shops, catering to a middle- and upper-class audience. The Sundial St. Pete has nightlife destinations, as does the block surrounding Jannus Live. Restaurants serving ethnic and domestic culinary specialties can be found throughout the downtown area.
Every Saturday morning from October to May, the downtown area hosts a farmers' market in the parking area of Al Lang Stadium. Local vendors sell the fruits of their labors alongside artists of all kinds including live music.
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West of downtown on Central Avenue is the 600 Block Arts District, which contains Bohemian art and clothing stores. The eve-N-odd gallery is located in the historic Crislip Arcade built in 1925. The refurbished shopping arcade is one of 13 original city arcades built in the city. Only three are left, and only the Crislip arcade is still being used as a place for small businesses to set up shop. Further west is the Grand Central District located within Historic Kenwood District. It is known for its artistic community, LGBT presence, and the annual St. Pete Pride parade. Haslam's Bookstore can also be found in the Grand Central District. It is the largest independent bookstore in Florida, with over 30,000 square feet. As its name implies, Old Northeast is adjacent to downtown from the northeast. It is known for its historic status and eclectic architecture.
St. Petersburg boasts two historic neighborhoods: Roser Park, located just south of the downtown area, and Grenada Terrace, in the Old Northeast Neighborhood. Both are known for stately architecture, and together comprise the urban core of St. Petersburg.
with bandshell, one of the many public green spaces in the area
North of downtown is the Great Explorations Children's Museum, an interactive museum featuring a Children's Village with giant pretend stores, fire house and pet vet clinic, and preschool, science, music, art, and water exhibits. It is located next to Sunken Gardens.
4th Street as a whole, from Downtown up to Gandy Boulevard, is home to many restaurants and bars running the gamut from fast food to haute cuisine. This area is called the "Garden District", although as of 2010 this name is not widely in use.
Boyd Hill Nature Park, located on Lake Maggiore, is a preserve where one can see many of the endangered plants and rare wildlife of Tampa Bay. A bird exhibit houses bald eagles, owls, hawks, and other species.
St. Pete is well known for its canoe and kayak trails. The CityTrails BlueWays is an environmental and occasionally historic opportunity while visiting the city. Ramps, wash stations and kayak/canoes racks are available as well as nearby attractions.
St. Petersburg is well regarded for its beaches. In 2005, Fort De Soto was rated the number one beach in America by the annual Dr. Beach rankings. TripAdvisor ranked it number one in the nation for 2008. Also noted for its arts community, St. Petersburg regularly places top 25 in the nation among arts destinations. St. Petersburg has become known and regarded as one of America's most livable cities.
The area's main shopping mall is Tyrone Square Mall, constructed in 1972 and is located in the northwestern part of the city.

Cinema

St. Petersburg has been used as a filming location for films over the years, including Once Upon a Time in America, Summer Rental, Cocoon, Ocean's Eleven, Loren Cass, Dolphin Tale, Magic Mike, Spring Breakers, Dolphin Tale 2, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
Other movies that have used St. Petersburg as their filming location include: Bernie the Dolphin, Love in the Sun, and True Love Blooms

Libraries

The St. Petersburg Library System consists of seven branch locations:
The Mirror Lake Library, built in 1915, is one of only two Carnegie libraries still operating in Florida.

Sports


ClubSportLeagueVenue
Tampa Bay BuccaneersFootballNational Football LeagueRaymond James Stadium, Tampa
Tampa Bay LightningIce hockeyNational Hockey LeagueAmalie Arena, Tampa
Tampa Bay RaysBaseballMajor League BaseballTropicana Field, St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay RowdiesSoccerUnited Soccer LeagueAl Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg
Bay Area PelicansRugbyUSA Rugby UnionSawgrass Park, St. Petersburg
Grand Prix of St. PetersburgAuto racingIndyCarDowntown Waterfront
Tampa Bay CannonsUltimate FrisbeeUltimate Disc LeagueJohn M. Sexton Athletic Fields, St. Peterbsurg


The Tampa-St. Petersburg area is represented by teams in four major professional sports. Two teams, the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball and Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League, play in St. Petersburg proper, while the other two teams play across the bay in Tampa. As their names suggest, all of the teams represent the entire Tampa Bay area and seek to draw fans from both sides of Tampa Bay.
The Rays began play in 1998, finishing last in the American League's East Division in nine of the first ten seasons they played, including their last year known as the "Devil Rays": 2007. In 2008, their 11th season, they held off the Boston Red Sox and won the AL East Division Championship for the first time. In the playoffs, they again faced the Red Sox in the ALCS. They defeated Boston and won the American League Pennant. However, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series.
shown from the upper deck during the first game of the 2010 Tampa Bay Rays season
From their inception until 2008, the Rays played their regular season games at Tropicana Field and their spring training games at historic Al Lang Stadium, formerly Progress Energy Park, giving them the unique distinction of being the only team in Major League Baseball that played its spring training games in their home city in more than 70 years. Beginning in 2009, the Rays have held spring training at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, ending a 94-year streak of springtime baseball in the city. Tropicana Field, the home venue of the Rays, played host to the 1999 Final Four. Despite not having a team in the city since 2000, St. Petersburg is home to Minor League Baseball's main headquarters.
St. Petersburg is also home to the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the inaugural race was held in April 2005. The circuit itself is made of downtown streets passing Al Lang Stadium, the marina, and a runway in Albert Whitted Airport, and streets are temporarily blocked off for the annual Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series race. The race was postponed in 2020 due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and was rescheduled as the final race of the season, rather than the first race. In 2012, the road intersecting Turn 10 was renamed Dan Wheldon Way in memory of Dan Wheldon, who won the 2005 race thanks to a move made on that turn. Wheldon was killed in an accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the 2011 season finale.
for the Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League began play in Tampa in 2010 and moved to Al Lang Stadium in 2011. The long-time baseball venue is named after Al Lang, a former mayor of St. Petersburg who was instrumental in bringing spring training to the city in 1914. The Rowdies initially shared Al Lang Stadium with various amateur baseball events, but eventually took over operation of the facility and has converted it into a soccer-only facility The Rowdies' ownership has expressed interest in moving up to join Major League Soccer and a 2016 referendum gave the club permission to build a larger privately funded stadium at the site of Al Lang Stadium if the move takes place.
St. Petersburg is the home of many past and present sports icons. WBC and IBF Light Middleweight Champion Ronald "Winky" Wright, and IBF, IBO, and WBO Champion Jeff Lacy hail from the area. Ernest Givins, Stacey Simmons, William Floyd, and Pat Terrell are some of the famous retired National Football League players from the city. Shaun King, Marquel Blackwell, Aveion Cason, Darren Howard, Tim Carter, Kenny Heatly, and DeAndrew Rubin are some players currently in the NFL from the city. Major League Baseball pitcher Doug Waechter is also from St. Petersburg, as well as Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser. Indy Racing League driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon resided in St. Petersburg prior to his death in October 2011.
The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club has made their home in St. Petersburg since 1977. The Pelicans play in USA Rugby's Division II competing against teams throughout Florida and the United States. Throughout its history, the teams have won honors as Florida Cup Champions as well as berths in National Championship Tournaments.
The International Shuffleboard Association was founded in St. Petersburg in 1979.
St. Pete's Shuffleboard Club was founded in 1924 after Phineas T. Ives visited the city and urged for courts to bebuilt in Lake Mirror Park. Six players organized the St. Petersburg Mirror Lake Park Shuffleboard Club which was the first shuffleboard club in the world. The club still exists today and is governed by a Board of Governor who oversee club functions. It is considered the largest club in the state and members continue to participate in casual games as well as competitions.

Government

The city of St. Petersburg has been governed under a strong mayor form of government since 1993. The Mayor of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg City Council members are elected for a four-year term and are limited to two consecutive terms. Currently the mayor of St. Petersburg is mayor Rick Kriseman who took office on January 2, 2014 with the legislative body consisting of the eight City Council members representing each of their designated city districts.
Since becoming mayor, Kriseman led the city to be recognized as Florida's "best-managed and fiscally strongest city." Additionally, the New York Times continues to recognize St. Pete as one of the top places to visit in the world. Kriseman's primary focus throughout his time as mayor include growing the economy and expanding sustainability efforts throughout the city.
St. Petersburg is in Florida's 13th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Democrat Charlie Crist.

City Initiatives

PAWS
PAWS is a local initiative ensuring pets are welcomed to a safe, secure and healthy environment. The city's mayor offers a pet-friendly business program where local-businesses can participate and receive recognition for this service, a window decal, social media graphics, and information for housing pets. The goal of this program and others concerning this "pet-friendly" initiative aim to create a pet-centric environment in the city and its businesses. Pet owners must follow certain regulations which include ensuring pets are on a leash unless in designated areas and the leash may be no more than six feet long.
Baseball Forever
Baseball Forever is an initiative developed by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Pete. The initiative includes a plan to remodel Tropicana Field which currently plays as the home-base for Rays baseball. This came after Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill announced the team's potential move to a brand new stadium which would be located in Ybor City.
Entrepreneur in Residence Program
Entrepreneur in Residence is a two-year pilot program designed by Mayor Rick Kriseman to give local entrepreneurs the opportunity to serve as a liaison between businesses and the city's government. The goal is to unite the two factions to create a more innovative and empowered city.
Healthy St. Pete
Healthy St. Pete was designed to encourage individuals to make healthy decisions, therefore, creating a healthy city. The initiative encompasses eating, shopping, lifestyle and entertainment projects to better St. Pete.
Community Assistant Liaison
The Community Assistant Liaison, or CAL, was designed by Mayor Kriseman and Chief of Police Anthony Holloway in response to the public's demand for reform. This program will consist of 20 social and mental health workers who will answer non-criminal related calls. The organization will be receive a $3.1 million grant originally intended to contribute to the hiring of new officers. Additionally, the city itself will contribute nearly $4 million to the continuation and growth of the program.
Fighting Chance Fund
The Fighting Chance Fund is an initiative designed by the City of St. Petersburg to assist in providing emergency grants to small businesses suffering from COVID-19. The fund is expected to assist 1,000 retail destinations and the nearly 3,000 employees that support those businesses.

Environment

In 2015, St. Petersburg's mayor established the Office of Sustainability and Resiliency with a goal of creating an environmentally-friendly and progressive community. The organization works closely with other offices within the city's government including the Health, Energy, Resiliency and Sustainability Committee. Additionally, the city contributed to the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition to focus on climate change and prepare to combat the environmental emergency. In 2008, St. Petersburg was recognized as the first "Green City" in the state for its efforts in promoting sustainability within the community.
Regulations were instated on January 1, 2020 to progress towards the city's zero waste goals. In order begin this process, the city implemented single use plastic reduction for businesses throughout St. Petersburg. Part of this initiative includes the removal of plastic straws and any distribution of Styrofoam on public property.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Public primary and secondary schools in St. Petersburg are administered by Pinellas County Schools. Public high schools within the city limits include:
Private high schools include:
High schools located in unincorporated St. Petersburg:
The non-profit Science Center of Pinellas County educates more than 22,000 school children annually through field trip classes and offers winter, spring and summer workshops for 2,000 more.

Higher education

St. Petersburg is home to several institutions of higher education. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is an autonomous campus in the University of South Florida system. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg serves 6,500 students. Eckerd College, founded in 1958, is a private four-year liberal arts college. St. Petersburg College is a state college in the Florida College System. Also in St. Petersburg is the Poynter Institute, a journalism institute which owns the Tampa Bay Times in a unique arrangement. Stetson Law School is located in Gulfport, which is adjacent to St. Pete between the south beaches.
Other colleges and universities in the wider Tampa Bay Area include the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa located in Tampa and Hillsborough Community College, with campuses across Hillsborough County.

Media

The city's main daily morning newspaper is the Tampa Bay Times as well as its free weekly sister publication tbt*. The free weekly alternative newspaper Creative Loafing is also available in the area.
Cable television service is provided by Spectrum and Wide Open West, as well as fiber optic service provider Frontier Communications.
St. Petersburg is in the Tampa-St. Petersburg television and radio markets. WTSP channel 10 and WTOG channel 44 are licensed to St. Petersburg, with studios in unincorporated Pinellas County in the Gandy Boulevard area just north of the St. Petersburg limits. Spectrum Bay News 9, the local cable TV news service, is based in northeast St. Petersburg. Independent station WTTA is licensed to St. Petersburg, with studios in Tampa. Official city government programming, known as StPeteTV, can be found on Spectrum on Channel 641, WOW! Cable on Channel 15 or Frontier Channel 20 as well as online. City government programming previously aired on city-owned WSPF-CD channel 35 until 2012, when the city sold the station to private interests. Cox Media Group has several brands with headquarters in the St. Petersburg area including 97x, Hot 101.5 and Magic 94.9.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads

The city is connected to Tampa by the east by causeways and bridges across Tampa Bay, and to Bradenton in the south by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which traverses the mouth of the bay. It is also served by Interstates 175 and 375, which branch off I-275 into the southern and northern areas of downtown respectively. The Gandy Bridge, conceived by George Gandy and opened in 1924, was the first causeway to be built across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa cities without a circuitous trip around the bay through Oldsmar.

Airports

Nearby Tampa International Airport provides air transportation for most passengers. Smaller airlines, with destinations to smaller cities and towns, operate at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, with most tenants providing only seasonal services. Albert Whitted Airport provides general aviation services near the heart of downtown St. Petersburg.

Mass transit

Mass transit in St. Petersburg is provided by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. A sightseeing trolley, called The Looper, also travels to key downtown destinations daily such as USFSP, Sundial, Vinoy Hotel, and the multiple museums around the city. The Looper costs only 50 cents to ride and provides free drop off points throughout the transit.

Railroads

operates a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad branch line which sees daily rail traffic from north Tampa though Safety Harbor, Clearwater, and Largo. As of March 2008, the portion that ran into downtown St. Petersburg and the adjacent western industrial areas was abandoned. There is a small rail yard to the northwest of downtown St. Petersburg at the new end of the rail line with several spur lines serving industries in the area.
The former Seaboard Air Line branch from the western coastal portion of the county was abandoned in the 1980s and converted to a popular recreational trail called the Pinellas Trail.
Notable former stations include the St. Petersburg ACL station, which became an Amtrak station from 1971 to 1983, St. Petersburg Seaboard Air Line Passenger Station, and the St. Petersburg Seaboard Coast Line station.

Port and marinas

One of the main sea transportation areas in St. Peterburg is the Port of St. Petersburg, which is located in downtown St. Petersburg. Boat marinas in downtown St. Petersburg are also available such as the Municipal Marina which located in the Southern and Central Yacht Basins, and Harborage Marina located in the Bayboro Harbor.

Utilities

The city of St. Petersburg's major electricity system is provided by Duke Energy, the city's major gas system is provided by TECO Energy in the industrial and commercial parts of the city, and the city's water services are provided by the city of St. Petersburg.

Notable people

International relations

Sister cities

The city of St. Petersburg, Florida is currently a member in the Sister Cities International group that was created in 1956.