Featured Destinations
St. Petersburg
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly and cruisers gotta stop at St. Petersburg. With an entire urban waterfront essentially dedicated to pleasure boating, plus scads of handy diversions readily accessible, it’s no wonder everyone from lofty superyachts to glorified dories pause here and take in Tampa Bay’s boating hotspot.
The city’s new, signature St. Pete Pier was completed in the summer of 2020 and has been drawing rave reviews ever since — for the architecture, the art installations, the adjoining tropical park, the dining options and the ambiance. We think St. Pete residents deserve kudos for completing a project that confirms their deep boating roots, which have been growing here since 1889. That’s when the first incarnation of the St. Pete Pier jutted out into the harbor to greet visiting boats and also give terrestrial visitors an easy means to admire their watery surroundings.
With free public transit close at hand, it’s easy to become enthralled in the vibrant downtown or head all the way out to the beaches west of the city. The deep, protected waters of Tampa Bay are pretty irresistible too. In fact, on any given sunny day (St. Pete holds the world record for the most consecutive sunny days at an incredible 768!), the number and variety of sail and power boats plying the waterfront and beyond easily puts this municipality near the top of Florida’s popular boating cities. We think it belongs on any boater’s must-see list when on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Surprisingly, though, this growing city of 272,000 started out as a modest vision of Midwestern entrepreneurs in 1875, with only about 300 lucky souls in residence. Indeed, the city was named more or less by happenstance when one of the developers won a bet that gave him naming rights. Because Peter Demens was a Russian immigrant and railroad magnate who grew up near the Baltic Sea’s St. Petersburg, the Florida city was named after his hometown.
By 1888, a railroad to the proposed city was completed. The wonderful weather and easy transportation links eventually made St. Pete (officially incorporated in 1892) a gathering place for retirees who, by mid-20th century, turned it into a lovely but slow-paced dowager community. All of that has changed now.
The new St. Petersburg has been energized by high-rise condominiums, office buildings and cultural attractions. Moreover, in the last decade or so, a booming economy has attracted young singles and families who have made it a more youth-oriented place. Best of all, the waterfront remains the centerpiece of the renaissance, with a string of parks lining the harbor and lots of access to the water. Several facilities, including one of the best municipal marinas in the U.S., are steps from downtown. Cruisers are welcome, to say the least.
And yes, there are beaches galore here. From untapped Fort De Soto Park to St. Pete Beach, the white sands are noteworthy for their cleanliness and accessibility. From skyline to shoreline, there’s a lot to like and do in this city. The only problem we see is convincing your crew that one day you’ll want to head for some other destination.
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Things to See and Do
Cruisers tell us St. Petersburg has so many activities and attractions that it’s hard to keep track of it all. One good clearinghouse for the possibilities is the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce (100 2nd Ave. North; 727-821-4069), which is in a location handy to downtown marinas. Your dockmaster can give you simple walking directions to cover the few blocks between the offices and the water.
For getting around greater St. Pete, the Looper Downtown Trolley (727-540-1900) is an excellent service run by the municipality of St. Petersburg and offers a stress-free introduction to the city. Every 15 to 20 minutes, it circles the downtown area, seven days a week. It is frequently connected to various festivals around town, plus the pro baseball spring training opportunities in the area. The downtown loop is free to all passengers while anything outside the zone is a modest additional fare that give you access to other cities, beaches and the like. Check out www.discoverdowntown.com for details.
The Looper’s route includes the St. Petersburg Museum of History (335 2nd Ave. NE; 727-894-1052), near the marinas and well worth a long look before you head elsewhere. The trolley also passes the Salvador Dali Museum (1 Dali Blvd.; 727-823-3767), featuring works of the master surrealist. For a wider variety, check out the Museum of Fine Arts (255 Beach Drive NE; 727-896-2667). Downtown’s arts district is anchored by the Morean Arts Center (719 Central Ave.; 727-822-7872), where the world-renowned sculptures of the Chihuly Collection are among the many visually stunning displays and ongoing workshops. If 20th century history is your interest, don’t miss the Florida Holocaust Museum (55 5th St. S.; 727-820-0100), which details one of the central horrors of World War II.
Downtown St. Pete offers a wide variety of shopping, dining and entertainment possibilities, including local and national brand retailers. Centralizing much of this activity is the Mall at Sundial (153 2nd Ave. N; 727-800-3201), anchored by an award-winning, three-story working sundial and fountain. Shoppers and foodies flock to this conglomeration of outlets, where you’re encouraged to relax and enjoy the people-watching too.
The mecca of Central Avenue extends 12 blocks inland from the waterfront to the area of Tropicana Field (1 Tropicana Drive; 888-326-7297), home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays. The entire avenue is another hub of activity, with pubs, restaurants, shops and galleries along most of its length. Check it out on the first Friday of the month, when live music turns Central Avenue into party central. Baseball fans will enjoy the home plate-shaped plaques all along the street that tell the story of St. Petersburg as home base for the area’s MLB’s spring-training games, including the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater and the New York Yankees in Tampa.
In case you are wondering about the stunning pink Mediterranean-style building just north and inland of the marinas, that’s the four-star Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club (501 5th Ave. NE; 727-894-1000), built in the heyday of the 1920s and carefully restored in the 1990s. The hotel has four restaurants, a heated swimming pool, tennis courts and an 18-hole golf course. The rooms, naturally, can be pricey, but visiting boaters can get a deal and the marina accepts transients. Boaters get full use of the resort facilities at a rate that’s half of what a hotel room would be.
Featured Marinas
Gulfport Marina
727-893-1071Port of St. Petersburg
727-893-7678St. Petersburg Marina
727-893-7329
Restaurants and Provisions
Hundreds of eating possibilities exist all over downtown but perhaps the nearest and best is Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro (300 2nd Ave. NE; 727-894-4429), which is a lively eatery overlooking the marinas and serves fine food and beachy adult beverages. There’s often live music on the patio and a limited number of slips are available nearby for short-term use by dining boaters.
If you’ve taken advantage of the Sundial Mall, check out Locale Market (179 2nd Ave. North; 727-523-6300), which is a gourmet mecca in a one-of-a-kind culinary marketplace. You can get fine artisan foods, meats and seafood with an emphasis on what’s regionally available. Or check out the restaurant that uses all these delectables, FarmTable Kitchen, part of the 20,000 square-foot building dedicated to food.
Within easy walking distance of the marinas, you find dining ranging from sub shops to sushi, Cuban to Chinese and more, lining Central Avenue and the neighboring downtown streets. Choosing among them will build your appetite and give you an idea of the eclectic possibilities for dining out in St. Pete.
You’ll find many attractive dining options in the “200 section” of the street. The recently renovated Oyster Bar (249 Central Ave.; 727-897-9728) provides a full menu and brunch with an impressive oyster selection. In the same vicinity is Oak & Stone (199 Central Ave.; 727-565-4064), which has an impressive array of local brews and pizza — including gluten-free options. If it’s a delicious Cuban sandwich you’re craving, take a healthy westward walk to Latin American powerhouse Bodega on Central (1180 Central Ave.; 727-623-0942).
A short stroll from the marinas is Birchwood Canopy (340 Beach Drive NE; 727-896-1080), which is a popular rooftop lounge that’s part of the Birchwood Inn. This outdoor hotspot boasts expansive views of the St. Pete waterfront while offering good bar food and generous drinks. It’s across from the north yacht basin. Not too far away is Bella Brava (204 Beach Drive NE; 727-895-5515), a casual dining experience with all the usual Italian dishes and some fairly inventive options too.Not far from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Ceviche Tapas Bar (322 Beach Drive; 727-209-2299) features Latin American, seafood and vegan dishes, all creatively presented and often to rave reviews. Over at Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club (501 5th Ave. NE; 727-824-8022), five distinctly different restaurants range from a bar-and-grill approach to upscale evening dining, along with breakfast and casual lunch options.If you’re enjoying the amenities at Waterview Harborage Marina, it’s just a third of a mile’s walk south to their high and dry storage, where you’ll find The Big Catch at Salt Creek (1500 2nd St.; 727-289-8080) and a menu with fancy drinks and entrees featuring fresh catches, many of which come directly off the boats that day. There’s a pub menu too.For gear for the boat, head out to West Marine (2010 Tyrone Blvd. North; 727-342-8001), which is well west of downtown but on the bus routes at the Crossroad Shopping Center. West Marine merchandise can also be ordered at the Municipal Marina with next-day delivery.On Salt Creek, Sailor’s Wharf Yacht Yard (727-823-1155) is a full-service boat yard for marine hardware, maintenance, painting, repairs, marine electronics installations and other services.Provisioning in downtown St. Petersburg has become easier in recent years. Publix (250 Third St.; 727-822-1125) and other shopping options are on the Looper route.If you want the shopping experience to take on a festive flair, the open-air, European-style Saturday Morning Market (101 First St. SE; 727-455-4921) continues operating at the Al Lang Stadium parking lot downtown, also on the Looper route. Open October through May, this market sells fresh produce, gourmet baked goods, plants and handcrafted wares, with live music each week.
