The Brass Dagger, a make-your-own jewelry shop, is coming soon to south St. Pete

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The Brass Dagger, a make-your-own jewelry shop, is coming soon to south St. Pete

Looking for a fun, unique, and hands-on activity you can enjoy with a group of friends or your significant other? Look no further! Get ready to unleash your creativity at The Brass Dagger, opening in October at 1435 4th Street South.

The make-your-own jewelry shop is the brainchild of owners Brianna Alfaro, who was born and raised in south St. Petersburg, and her husband, Fredo, a tattoo artist who has owned and operated Fredo Ink & Co. in St. Pete for more than a decade.

“I love the south side of St. Pete. I've lived here my entire life and I’ve always hated the stigma,” said Brianna in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “With Brass Dagger, I feel like we're just contributing to its greatness.”

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Habitat for Humanity moves forward on 64 affordable townhomes in south St. Pete

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Habitat for Humanity moves forward on 64 affordable townhomes in south St. Pete

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties is moving forward on a trio of projects in south St. Petersburg that will bring much needed homeownership opportunities to residents who have been priced out of the market.

The developments add up to a total of 64 units that will be priced for households making up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).

On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council has unanimously approved the sale of a 0.55-acre parcel at 1805 18th Avenue South to Habitat for Humanity for the development of The Grove, which will contain at least 10 affordable townhomes.

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St Pete Pier to become Tampa Bay’s newest waterfront outdoor music venue

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St Pete Pier to become Tampa Bay’s newest waterfront outdoor music venue

This winter, the St. Pete Pier will become Tampa Bay’s newest waterfront outdoor music venue.

Throughout November, December, and January, Rise Up St. Pete will host at least 12 concerts at Spa Beach Park featuring national headliners like Lauv, Chelsea Cutler, G Eazy, QUINN XCII, and more.

More big names could be on the way too. Although not booked yet, organizers are in discussions with several other top tier national artists to play at the St. Pete Pier.

Situated on the waterfront with the downtown St. Pete skyline as a backdrop, the new concert series is set to deliver an unparalleled live music experience by transforming the iconic St. Pete Pier and Spa Beach Park into Florida’s next premier concert destination.

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Downtown St. Pete to host inaugural Orange Belt criterium cycling race in October

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Downtown St. Pete to host inaugural Orange Belt criterium cycling race in October

Whether you’re a cycling fanatic or a casual cruiser, the upcoming CRIT Championship Tour has something for you.

Orange Belt, a new organizer of cycling events based in St. Petersburg, is excited to host the CRIT Championship Tour, a criterium bike race in the heart of the EDGE District to be held on October 21, 2023.

A criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit. “Think of a criterium like NASCAR,” said Michael Rideout, who co-founded Orange Belt with Nathan Stonecipher. “We’re doing a set number of laps.”

This year’s CRIT Championship Tour takes place in the heart of The EDGE District between 11th and 15th Streets.

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Pete’s Bagels to open drive-thru location at historic gas station in south St. Pete

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Pete’s Bagels to open drive-thru location at historic gas station in south St. Pete

St. Petersburg’s oldest gas station will soon become a drive-thru café serving St. Pete’s finest bagels and coffee.

Pete’s Bagels has leased the historic Harbordale Standard Oil Station located at 2439 4th Street South adjacent to the historic Driftwood neighborhood in St. Pete. Owner Steven Peterman hopes to open the new drive-thru sometime in early 2024.

“We are tentatively calling it Pete’s Drive-Thru. It's going to be an express version of Pete’s Bagels,” said Peterman in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “We will be very coffee-focused too, especially because there isn't a lot of coffee down there.”

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Vertical construction begins on 40-unit Castille Urbana in downtown St. Pete

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Vertical construction begins on 40-unit Castille Urbana in downtown St. Pete

A construction milestone has been reached on Castille Urbana, the latest project by NJR Investment & Development Company.

The five-story building at 600 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Petersburg will feature 40 condominiums with two- and three-bedroom floor plans, ranging from 1,158 to 1,650 square feet.

 The developer has announced the completion of the building’s podium and says vertical construction will begin ahead of schedule. The one-story podium will contain the building’s parking garage and lobby area and will be topped by four floors of condominium residences.

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Drive-thru only Starbucks proposed for 9th Avenue North in North Kenwood

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Drive-thru only Starbucks proposed for 9th Avenue North in North Kenwood

Another week, another new coffee shop planned for St. Pete!

But unlike recent news of locally owned coffee shops like The Blend opening in Magnolia Heights and Sage’s Playground opening in downtown St. Pete, this time it’s a new location by Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks. 

Plans have been filed for a new Starbucks at the northeast corner of 9th Avenue North and 34th Street in St. Pete’s North Kenwood neighborhood. The site was formerly an Exxon Mobile gas station. The parcel is owned by Catfish Real Estate, LLC.

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The Oyster Bar is relocating to the Grand Central District

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The Oyster Bar is relocating to the Grand Central District

St. Petersburg’s booming Grand Central District has enticed The Oyster Bar, a staple of the downtown dining scene since 1999, to pull up stakes and leave its longtime home at 249 Central Avenue.

The eatery, known for its seafood menu and happy hour specials, closed its doors on Sunday, August 20th, but will reopen this October at 2245 Central Avenue, a 3,200-square-foot space formerly home to Zoie’s, an LGBTQ-owned restaurant that opened in 2022.

The business sale is currently under contract and expected to close later this week. Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial is representing the previous tenant and Joe Esposito of KW Commercial is representing The Oyster Bar in the business sale transaction.

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Women’s clothing boutique Vogue Society opens this weekend in downtown St. Pete

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Women’s clothing boutique Vogue Society opens this weekend in downtown St. Pete

A women’s fashion boutique that’s owned and operated by a mother-daughter team is coming soon to downtown St. Petersburg after finding success at Sarasota’s University Town Center. 

Vogue Society Boutique will be located at 212 2nd Street North, next to the newly opened Dirty Shirley restaurant and bar and across the street from the Sundial retail, dining, and entertainment complex. 

Founders Sharon and Kait Yoniski are planning a Saturday August 26th grand opening and they’re stoking interest in the debut of their second location with an Instagram contest that will award the lucky winner free clothes for a year.

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Tesla plans to build new Supercharger on 22nd Avenue in St. Pete

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Tesla plans to build new Supercharger on 22nd Avenue in St. Pete

Good news for electric vehicle owners! Tesla is planning to open a new Supercharger in St. Pete!

According to documents filed with the City of St. Petersburg, the Tesla Supercharger is planned for the parking lot of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at 2365 25th Street North.

The site is also home to a Wawa gas station that fronts 22nd Avenue North. Tesla has previously partnered to build its supercharging stations at other Wawa locations. 

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