How one can Plan a Journey to St. Petersburg, Florida

As a longtime Tampa resident, I usually discover myself casting an envious eye throughout the glittering expanse of Tampa Bay at neighboring St. Petersburg (additionally referred to as St. Pete). Town takes itself rather less critically, is aware of the best way to get together, and punches above its weight with museums, breweries, and nice eating places, in addition. Additionally, among the Gulf Coast’s finest seashores are only a brief drive away (simply don’t confuse downtown St. Pete — a vacation spot of its personal — with neighboring St. Pete Seashore and Clearwater Seashore).

“I believe the world has one of the best of each worlds, with the seashores and downtown,” says Kenny Tufo, government chef at St. Pete’s City Stillhouse, who moved to the world a decade in the past from New York Metropolis. “You might be in Clearwater, Sarasota, and Tampa actually shortly, however St. Pete additionally occurs to be completely lovely and with a lot to do by itself.”

From a chef’s perspective, the world has actually blossomed not too long ago. “The culinary scene has grown to have the ability to stand on a nationwide degree,” says Tufo.

St. Pete has additionally grown into one in every of Florida’s cultural heavy hitters, grounded by The Dalí Museum, devoted to works by the Spanish surrealist and showcasing short-term exhibitions, too. “St. Pete is the proper mix of a little bit of cosmopolitan and Previous Florida attraction, with cultural influences from elsewhere, too,” says Amber Brinkley, who chairs Studio@620, an area for rising artists that’s been a artistic cornerstone locally for 20 years.

“We pack loads for our weight. Folks at all times appear pleasantly stunned by the density of cultural alternatives we have now in a comparatively small downtown,” Brinkley says.

Learn on to study extra about the best way to expertise one of the best of St. Pete in your subsequent go to to Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Greatest Resorts and Resorts

The Vinoy Resort & Golf Membership, Autograph Assortment

Downtown St. Pete’s grande dame resort is that this historic, cotton candy-hued magnificence simply steps from the bay and the entire eating, bar-hopping, and procuring alongside Seashore Drive. Lately refreshed,  The Vinoy Resort & Golf Membership, Autograph Assortment is thought for its distinctive Mediterranean Revival structure and has 354 fashionable and comfy rooms, an amazing outside pool overlooking the bay, and wonderful onsite eating places that embrace French patisserie Lottie and Paul’s Touchdown. The latter is my favourite in good climate for sipping a cocktail by a hearth pit on the patio and tucking into wings, tuna nachos, oysters, and the smoked fish dip.

Moxy St. Petersburg Downtown

New on the downtown St. Pete resort scene in 2024, the Moxy St. Petersburg Downtown has an amazing rooftop pool deck overlooking the encircling Edge District, a enjoyable foyer bar that opens onto the road, a podcast studio visitors can use, and 163 snug and up to date rooms and suites.

The Birchwood

Fronting Seashore Drive and with step-out entry to eating places, bars, and procuring, The Birchwood is the place you need to keep when you’re searching for a centrally positioned boutique property with a ton of attraction. The resort options Twenties-inspired decor, and among the 18 rooms even have clawfoot tubs. The rooftop bar, Birchwood Cover, overlooks the bay and is standard for sundown drinks and partying nicely into the evening.

Hollander Resort

With free parking and a pool the place it’s at all times a celebration, Hollander Resort attracts a younger and full of life crowd for an inexpensive keep inside a fast stroll of St. Pete’s finest breweries, eating places, and procuring. There’s a poolside bar, and the onsite Faucet Room restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is thought for stable cocktails and nice steaks.

Greatest Issues to Do

Go museum hopping.

St. Pete is a cultural heavyweight and punches above its class in relation to the variety of museums you possibly can go to in its compact downtown. Essentially the most well-known amongst them is The Dalí Museum, house to the most important assortment of works (over 2,400!) by Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí exterior of his native Spain. A brief stroll away, The James Museum, inside a dramatic constructing that appears like a pink rock canyon, homes Western and wildlife works. Close to the waterfront, The Museum of Fantastic Arts’ assortment has masterpieces by the likes of Rodin and Monet.

Stroll the St. Pete Pier.

From Seashore Drive proper in downtown St. Pete, there’s no higher wander than a stroll out to the St. Pete Pier, a stupendous and fashionable development that’s a lot greater than a spot to solid out a fishing line into Tampa Bay. There’s a seaside with Adirondack chairs the place you possibly can lounge, public artwork, a rooftop tiki bar (Pier Teaki), a conservation customer heart, a pirate-themed playground, a number of eating places, and a market promenade the place artisans usually promote handcrafted gadgets.

Go to the Saturday morning market.

One in every of Florida’s perfect weekend markets takes over the car parking zone by Al Lang Stadium each Saturday morning as locals and guests descend to browse contemporary flowers and produce, pattern worldwide road meals, top off on handmade soaps, and browse scores of stalls promoting a lot extra. There’s at all times reside music so as to add to the festive vibe, too.

Try all of the murals.

A whole lot of colourful murals line St. Pete’s buildings, alleys, and public areas, and you’ll discover them by yourself or head out on strolling excursions within the Central Arts District with Florida CraftArt on Saturday mornings. Each fall, the St. Petersburg Artwork Alliance places on the SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Pageant, inviting artists to make use of town’s partitions and streets as their canvases.

Go kayaking by way of mangrove tunnels in a nature protect.

Downtown St. Pete doesn’t have any Gulf of Mexico seashores (they’re only a brief drive away in spots like St. Pete Seashore, Move-a-Grille, and Clearwater Seashore). However you possibly can lease kayaks and get out on the water and deep into Florida’s distinctive landscapes in Weedon Island Protect. There are 4.7 miles of strolling trails right here and two self-guided paddling trails that wind by way of mangrove tunnels and the open bay. You’ll see all method of wading birds and will even come throughout dolphins and manatees.

Greatest Eating places

City Stillhouse by Horse Soldier

Helmed by government chef Kenny Tufo, this beautiful restaurant in St. Pete’s Warehouse District is a stupendous house decked out in velvet, marble, leather-based, copper, and wooden, impressed by the liquor model homeowners’ favourite spots in Kentucky, Scotland, Montana, and Canada. Come for the elevated ambiance, a taking place bar and brunch scene, and scrumptious seafood, steak, bourbon cocktails, and extra.

Juno & The Peacock

Only a brief stroll from The Vinoy, this Seashore Drive newcomer has a full of life patio scene and does decadent uncooked bar platters, dry-aged steaks, and flatbreads. You’ll by no means go unsuitable with a blackened grouper sandwich in these components, both.

Allelo

The area’s Greek historical past runs deep on this a part of Florida, and you’ll settle in for elevated Mediterranean and Aegean fare at this Seashore Drive hotspot recognized for its elegant bar backed by an unimaginable mural of Florida birds and for dishes like grilled octopus, truffled arancini, and shakshuka.

Bodega

For one thing informal and scrumptious alongside Central Boulevard, it’s arduous to beat a Cuban sandwich or lechon platter with rice, beans, and plantains served with an ice-cold michelada from this Latin American-inspired sizzling spot.

Wild Youngster

A beloved neighborhood hangout within the Grand Central district for cocktails, a enjoyable brunch scene, and date-night dinners, Wild Youngster dishes up worldwide delights like ceviche, Korean fried rooster sandwiches, and a imply cheeseburger (on brioche with home made pickles).

Greatest Bars

Pluma

Basic cocktails from Mexico, Peru, and Brazil draw lovers of aperitifs and nightcaps to Pluma, a sublime and newly opened spot alongside Seashore Drive. The Dip Child Dip cocktail (with scotch, mole negro, chocolate, ancho, and amaro) comes with its personal scratch-made tackle the Tootsie roll.

Pier Teaki

Typically you simply need one thing over-the-top and fruity to have fun being in a Sunshine Mind-set. Head to the St. Pete Pier and Pier Teaki’s rooftop for expansive views overlooking the bay and downtown St. Pete, finest toasted with a mai tai, goombay smash, or rum runner (ideally in a memento cup).

Enigma

Friday evening drag reveals, DJs, and a killer sound and lighting system draw crowds that like to bounce to this LGBTQ+-friendly bar within the Edge District.

The Mandarin Disguise

Tasty craft cocktails and retro speakeasy vibes maintain this beloved bar — that’s been a staple alongside Central Avenue since 2010 — perpetually popping.

Inexperienced Bench Brewing Firm

Breweries have popped up throughout St. Pete lately. However you’ll by no means go unsuitable with grabbing a chilly one within the Edge District at Inexperienced Bench Brewing Firm, one of many city’s authentic breweries that is recognized for a stable collection of IPAs and sours. There’s a big outside patio that’s dog- and family-friendly, too.

Greatest Time to Go to

Florida’s year-round balmy temperatures make St. Pete an always-on vacation spot for enterprise and pleasure. The winter and spring months — from November by way of early Could — deliver probably the most nice temperatures. Needless to say Florida’s hurricane season runs from June by way of the top of November. Town hosts massive occasions year-round, together with June’s Pleasure competition (St. Pete Pleasure, the most important in all of Florida) and the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March.

How one can Get There

Most vacationers fly into Tampa Worldwide Airport, about 20 miles northeast of downtown St. Pete. It’s also possible to examine flights arriving on the less-trafficked St. Pete-Clearwater Worldwide Airport (13 miles north) and Sarasota Bradenton Worldwide Airport (35 miles south).

How one can Get Round

Should you plan to spend a while on the sand at among the space’s seashores or go to close by downtown Tampa, you may need to lease a automotive. However St. Pete has dependable public transportation, too, together with the Downtown Looper bus and Central Avenue Trolley (no cost to experience) to get round city. You possibly can hop on the high-speed Cross Bay Ferry to succeed in downtown Tampa from St. Pete (it takes about 50 minutes to make the journey throughout Tampa Bay). St. Pete additionally has a motorbike share program you possibly can entry by way of the Lime app.