November 16, 2018

Icon Central Fills Missing Retail Link on Central Avenue

November 16, 2018/ Anthony Close

People often point to the western creep of shops and restaurants down Central Avenue as an indicator of downtown’s growth — a symbol of pride that shows just how far the area has come. After all, the biggest draw to downtown 15 years ago was Beach Drive, a restaurant row that fronts numerous city parks and the famous St. Pete Pier. Today, not only is Beach Drive still bustling with activity, but you can meander down Central Avenue and experience nearly two and a half miles of continuous retail all the way to 31st Street. Arguably the longest stretch of walkable retail in Florida, stores along Central Avenue range from local coffee shops to art galleries and even a wig shop.

But there are a few exceptions along this stretch, most notably, the 800 block of Central Avenue. For years the area of Central between 8th Street and 9th Street had been a dead zone with no retail or street level interaction on either side of the street. The 800 block is ideally flanked between two booming neighborhoods, the core of Downtown St. Pete with the thriving 600 block and Central Arts District, and the trendy EDGE District. The dead zone between these two areas has served as a psychological barrier that deters people from venturing to the other side.

November 15, 2018

Recharge Your Mind, Body, and Spirit at Serene in Downtown St. Pete

November 15, 2018/ Brian Zucker

Having spent her childhood in Cuba, Jen Miranda was always accustomed to locally grown products. When she was seven, her family moved to Tampa, and that’s when the American diet started to have a negative effect on her health. Ever since, Jen has had a fascination with health and wellness.

Her journey through nutrition is what inspired her to develop Serene, a wellness bar which quietly opened last month at 1113 Central Avenue in the EDGE District, formerly home to the Openhouse event space that has recently hosted a variety of pop-up concepts. Luckily for us all, Serene is NOT a pop-up!

Serene encompasses nutrition in every single way with a menu that features smoothies, smoothie bowls, and wellness lattes. “I want Serene to be a space where you can have a healthy, guilt-free meal,” says Jen. “I don’t want you to come here and have to count calories because I’ve already done that for you.”

November 09, 2018

No Car? No Problem In Downtown St. Pete

November 09, 2018/ Anthony Close

As Downtown St. Pete continues to grow in popularity, many residents and visitors are finding it harder to find parking near their destination. And while there is still plenty of parking in most parts of downtown, certain areas can be challenging at peak hours or during events. But thanks to a number of new transportation options, getting around has never been easier. Check out these five ways to ditch your car, but still get to your destination!

October 18, 2018

Community-Driven Weekly Market Launches in Downtown St Pete

October 18, 2018/ Brian Zucker

Lauren Segedin and her husband, Matthew, have lived in St. Pete for six years, and she admits, “We both think this is the happiest place we’ve ever lived.” I’ve only been talking to Lauren for a minute, but I can tell she’s caught the bug. I contracted it a while ago. Most of my friends and my wife have it too. After all, it’s highly contagious. I’m referring to the St. Pete bug.

It’s a narrative I’ve heard over and over. Someone moves to St. Pete, they fall in love with the city, and then they don’t want to leave. But why? What makes St. Pete so special? Lauren believes it has to do with the community. I’d have to agree.

For Lauren, just loving the city wasn’t enough. She felt the need to give back. Her first gift to St. Pete came by way of Chicago, where her college roommate started the American Bocce Company. After witnessing how bocce ball was building community and social engagement in the Windy City, Lauren felt she had to bring the concept back to St. Pete.

And so last year, Lauren and her husband started St Pete’s first and only bocce ball league. The league still meets every Monday night, where everyone enjoys drinks, friendly camaraderie, and two games of bocce ball.

October 11, 2018

Local Architecture Firm Proposes Modern HQ Expansion on St. Pete's Mirror Lake

October 11, 2018/ Anthony Close

One of St. Petersburg’s most recognizable architecture firms is expanding its downtown headquarters with the construction of a 34,000 square foot mixed-use building adjacent to its current headquarters.

Wannemacher Jensen Architects, which was founded in 1992 by Lisa Wannemacher, has been located on Downtown St. Pete’s Mirror Lake since 1998. And over time the company has grown from three to 23 employees, including the addition of Principal, and part namesake, Jason Jensen in 2002.

The firm has also expanded its offerings, which now includes interior design, design-build, development, and even entertainment services such as designing stage lighting and set installation. They also have a construction company: WJ Create.

October 09, 2018

Opening Date Revealed for Downtown St. Pete's Dr. BBQ

October 09, 2018/ Brian Zucker

It’s been over two long years since we first broke the news of Dr. BBQ coming to Downtown St Pete. And now the day has finally come. We have an opening date — October 17th. Located in the trendy EDGE District of St. Petersburg at 1101 1st Avenue South, Dr. BBQ is a New American smokehouse that celebrates regional and international ingredients by combining diverse flavors from around the world into classic barbecue dishes with a twist.

Dr. BBQ’s menu features dishes influenced by barbecue techniques seen not only across the country, but also across the globe. Diners can expect a range of flavors, including sauces like Korean gochujang and North African harissa. While Dr. BBQ will have a wide variety of meat including Certified Angus Beef and Compart Duroc pork, the menu will also be inclusive for guests of all diets, offering vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes beyond the usual salad and mac and cheese.

October 01, 2018

11-Story Boutique Hotel Unveiled for St. Pete’s EDGE District

October 01, 2018/ Brian Zucker

I have to admit, out of the entire Tampa Bay area, I spend most of my time in the EDGE District of Downtown St. Petersburg. And I’m definitely not alone. Take a stroll down Central Avenue and you’ll notice locals enjoying lattes at Intermezzo, cubans at Bodega, shopping at Ashe Couture Boutique and much more.

In fact, there is usually more activity in the EDGE District than in any other downtown neighborhood, including the downtown core. Most impressively, the growth of the area has been organic and smart, rather than overly manufactured or master-planned. It has nearly everything you’d want in an urban, walkable neighborhood. With so much character and personality, it’s no surprise that the EDGE District is on the verge of evolving from a locals-only hangout to an out-of-towner destination.

September 10, 2018

Saint James Townhomes Planned for 8th Street in Downtown St. Pete

September 10, 2018/ Anthony Close

With demand high for townhomes in Downtown St. Petersburg, it is becoming more common for projects to sell out, sometimes months, before completion. But if you’re currently in the market, you might be in luck as a new boutique development will soon be under construction on the southeast corner of 8th Street South and 3rd Avenue South.

Located just three blocks south of Central Avenue, the Saint James Townhomes will feature eight, three-story units each consisting of 1,700 square feet with 3 beds and three and a half bathrooms. The project is being developed by local developer Jay Miller, President of J2 Developers, who also developed Quattro Beach Drive and the Trader Joe’s on 4th Street.

September 05, 2018

Roll It or Bowl It at Downtown St Pete’s Newest Eatery

September 05, 2018/ Brian Zucker

After 18 months of careful planning and preparation, Pacific Counter has finally opened their doors to the public. The eatery is the latest addition to the 600 block of Central Avenue, adding poke bowls and sushi burritos to an area of town becoming increasingly known as a culinary destination.

But lets back up for a second. What is poke? By definition, ‘poke’ means ‘to cut’ in Hawaiian and it refers to diced raw, marinated fish that is tossed with veggies and umami-loaded sauces and then served over a bed of rice. You can think of it as deconstructed sushi. Or if the trend continues to rise in popularity, you could consider poke the future of sushi in America.

Pacific Counter is the brainchild of three heavy hitters in the Tampa Bay restaurant scene — Tanner Loebel, Chitthasack Noythanongsay (known as Chef Tock), and Eric Bialik. And although poke and sushi burritos are available at a few Tampa Bay restaurants, the partners at Pacific Counter take these chef-driven dishes to an entirely new level.

August 24, 2018

A midrise condo building is planned for 5th St S in Downtown St. Pete

August 24, 2018/ Anthony Close

Downtown St. Pete continues to be one of the hottest neighborhoods in Tampa Bay with nearly 1,700 residential units currently under construction and an additional 1,900 units proposed in the greater downtown area. Even with those mind boggling stats, supply is still struggling to keep up as more and more people are finding out about Downtown St. Pete.

One street that has seen significant change in the past few years is 4th Avenue South near USF St. Pete and the Innovation District. Since 2014 multiple new developments have sprouted up along this corridor including: Campbell Landings, Camden Pier District (formerly known as AER), Urban Landings, and The Sabal. Additionally, an Alabama developer is planning a 20 story condo tower on the corner of 4th Avenue S and 3rd Street S.