September 21, 2023

Florida-based coffee shop Qargo Coffee to expand to downtown St. Pete

September 21, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Qargo Coffee, a small but quickly growing coffee company that’s headquartered in Miami, is coming to the EDGE District of downtown St. Petersburg, with plans to open a café at 924 Central Avenue, inside the 930 Central Flats apartment building, by the end of the year. The space is currently home to My Choice Marketplace.

It will be Qargo’s second location in the Tampa Bay region — the other is a kiosk-style café at the International Plaza and Bay Street mall in Tampa.

The St. Pete location, according to Qargo Coffee Marketing Director Sebastian Garcia, will be about 1,200 square feet in size and will offer around 20 seats inside and additional seating outside. Its menu will feature espresso-based beverages, drip coffee, cold brew coffee, and tea in addition to specialty beverages that are unique to St. Pete.

September 20, 2023

St. Pete named one of the happiest towns in America

September 20, 2023/ Anthony Close

St. Petersburg is known as the Sunshine City for its average temperature of 74 degrees and an average of 361 days of sunshine per year, but could it also be the Happiest City?

According to Outside Magazine, St. Pete made the list of The Happiest Towns in America.

To create the list, Outside Magazine looked at things like outdoor access, affordability, a safe environment, diversity, and freedom for residents to be who they are.

These happy lifestyle traits were boiled down into technical metrics such as percentage of parkland, percentage of residents who live within a ten-minute walk of a park, and Municipal Equality Index Score, among other factors.

September 19, 2023

It's Official: The Rays are staying in St. Pete

September 19, 2023/ Brian Zucker

This morning, the Rays held a press conference to confirm yesterday’s reports of their intent to stay in downtown St. Petersburg for decades to come.

An agreement has finally been reached between the Rays, The City of St. Petersburg, and Pinellas County to move forward with a new state-of-the-art ballpark and a transformational development on the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District site where the team’s current stadium sits.

“This will be a transformative project for the Rays, St. Petersburg, and Pinellas County,” said Tampa Bay Rays Principal Owner Stu Sternberg. “We have proudly served as Tampa Bay’s Major League team for 25 years, and we are thrilled to be in position to do so for decades and generations to come.”

September 18, 2023

The Rays expected to announce new stadium deal in downtown St. Pete

September 18, 2023/ Brian Zucker

The Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement to build a new baseball stadium in downtown St. Petersburg, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

An official announcement is expected on Tuesday.

The new stadium would be constructed as part of the redevelopment of the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District, where the current stadium resides, and open for the 2028 season.

Last year, the City of St. Petersburg published a request for proposals (RFP) for the Historic Gas Plant District. The Rays submitted a proposal for the site in partnership with Hines, one of the largest privately held real estate investors and managers in the world.

September 15, 2023

18-story condo tower Reflection tops out near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete

September 15, 2023/ Anthony Close

Downtown St. Pete’s newest condominium building has reached a construction milestone. Reflection, the 18-story condominium tower under construction at 777 3rd Avenue North in downtown St. Petersburg, has topped out.

Reaching a height of 200 feet, Reflection is the tallest building in the Mirror Lake neighborhood and will have 88 condominium residences and 2,800 square feet of retail space at completion.

Reflection is being developed by the principals of HP Capital - Fred Hemmer, Angelo Cappelli, Nick Hansen, and Chris Hemmer - along with the DeNunzio Group led by Dustin DeNunzio.

September 14, 2023

Art and fashion collide as SaltLight Art set to join the Grand Central District

September 14, 2023/ Brian Hartz

A new incarnation of SaltLight Art, a women’s boutique with plenty of artistic flair, will open in October at 1916 Central Avenue, at the eastern end of the Grand Central District.

The shop will carry a huge selection of products, such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, and artwork, created by artist and designer Mary Long, who co-owns SaltLight Art with her husband, William. The boutique will also offer clothing, bags, shoes, and gifts.

The couple aren’t from St. Petersburg originally but got to know the city well because their daughter graduated from Eckerd College. In an interview with St. Pete Rising, Long said the plight of the city’s homeless population inspired them to move to St. Pete in 2015.

September 13, 2023

Everything you need to know about next month’s SHINE Mural Festival in downtown St. Pete

September 13, 2023/ Brian Zucker

Downtown St. Pete is home to several world-class museums. The Dali Museum, The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, and the Imagine Museum are all incredible assets that could be in any major city in the world.

However, one of my favorite local collections of art isn’t in a museum. And it’s open 24 hours a day and completely free. I’m referring to the 650+ murals that are sprinkled throughout our beautiful city.

Over the past decade, artists from around the world have traveled to St. Pete to add color and character to our walls and many of those artists have come to the Sunshine City via the annual SHINE Mural Festival, which has contributed over 100 murals to our streets since its inception in 2015.

September 12, 2023

New coffee shop, juice bar, and fitness center coming to the Grand Central District

September 12, 2023/ Brian Zucker

St. Pete is experiencing a caffeinated renaissance, evolving into a city where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the air on every corner.

Last week, signs went up at the corner of Central Avenue and 18th Street advertising two new businesses coming soon to the Grand Central District.

Under Grounds Coffee & Juice Bar and Journey into Fitness will share a space on the ground floor of 1701 Central, a 243-unit, 5-story apartment building that opened in 2020.

Details are sparse, however according to the new signage, Under Grounds will feature all of your favorite espresso-based beverages, such as americanos, lattes, and cappuccinos, in addition to fresh-squeezed juices. The coffee shop will also contain patio seating fronting Central Avenue.

September 10, 2023

Pour-your-own wine and beer bar The Study to open in Kenwood

September 10, 2023/ Brian Hartz

The Study, an intimate pour-your-own wine and beer lounge, is opening Friday September 15th at 3100 3rd Avenue North at the Shoppes of Kenwood in Historic Kenwood.

Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial represented the seller and Melinda Kulpa and Joe Esposito of KW Commercial represented The Study in the business sale transaction.

Owner Jeff Velazquez originally hails from San Diego, California, and is a former Marine Corps firefighter who saw action in Afghanistan and Iraq. After retiring, he moved to St. Pete — a decision that would pave the way for The Study.

September 08, 2023

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

September 08, 2023/ Brian Hartz

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.”