March 10, 2025

Home of the Week: A 1920s Great Gatsby-era waterfront estate in Old Southeast

March 10, 2025/ Brian Zucker

This week’s featured Home of the Week is a five-bedroom, five-bathroom Great Gatsby-era estate at 1925 Beach Drive SE in Old Southeast, a neighborhood known for historic hex-block sidewalks and brick streets lined with palm trees and laurel oaks.

Just minutes from downtown St. Pete, this 1920s waterfront residence offers 5,762 square feet of living space, boasting water views from every room and seamlessly combining historic charm with modern luxury.

The home has been completely renovated and sits on an expansive 100’ x 156’ double lot in Flood Zone X.

The main level, which contains travertine tile floors and high ceilings, includes an office ensuite and a chef’s kitchen with quartz countertops, a Viking gas range, Bosch paneled refrigerator, Thermador appliances, and a porcelain farm sink.

March 07, 2025

City of St. Pete awarded $159.8 million, launches initiative to support recovery efforts from recent hurricanes

March 07, 2025/ Brian Zucker

Today, the City of St. Pete launched a new initiative, called Sunrise St. Pete, to determine how to spend $159.8 million the city was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support long-term recovery efforts from Hurricane Idalia (August 2023) and Hurricane Helene (September 2024).

On January 7th, HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for communities across 24 states and territories.

St. Petersburg was the only city in Tampa Bay to receive funding. However, Pinellas County received $813,783,000 and the State of Florida received $925,394,000.

March 07, 2025

Trails Crossing, a new linear park under I-275 in downtown St. Pete, moves forward after City Council vote

March 07, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Four blocks of underutilized space beneath Interstate 275 in downtown St. Pete could be transformed into a new linear park featuring public art and event spaces, creating a destination for pedestrians and cyclists.

In a 7-to-1 vote, City Council approved an agreement on Thursday to contribute $150,000 toward hiring Colorado-based LandDesign, Inc. to kick off the master planning process for Trails Crossing, a walkable, activated park under I-275 that will embrace micro-transit and connect urban neighborhoods—an idea that has been in discussion for years.

“For too long, our community has been physically, socially, and economically divided by infrastructure that was never designed with connectivity in mind,” said John Barkett, a local developer and co-founder of the nonprofit group Friends of Trails Crossing, during Thursday’s meeting.

March 06, 2025

Seymour’s is now open, serving up scratch-made NY-style eats in downtown St. Pete

March 06, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The team behind Pete’s Bagels has opened their latest venture—a warm and welcoming Jewish-inspired cafe and coffee shop in downtown St. Pete.

Seymour’s quietly debuted last week at 407 Central Avenue, inside the historic 99-year-old Snell Arcade and directly across from the Residences at 400 Central, which will be the largest residential tower on Florida’s Gulf Coast once complete. The space was previously home to Samurai Cat Japanese Café and Bakery, and before that Beans and Barlour .

Seymour’s—named in honor of owner Steven Peterman’s grandfather—offers a menu of New York deli-style cuisine for breakfast and lunch and coffee courtesy of local roaster Look Alive Coffee.

“My grandfather was a typical guy from New Jersey with an upbeat attitude,” Peterman said in a recent interview with St. Pete Rising. “He was born in 1928 in Newark, NJ. He liked his bagels scooped, ate his pickles on the side, and loved a good rye bread sandwich.”

March 05, 2025

Glamper, a camping-themed bar, opens this week in downtown St. Pete

March 05, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Burgers sizzling on the grill, beers chilling in coolers, and friends gathered to watch the big game—this is the endless summer vibe that the new Glamper bar and restaurant wants to bring to downtown St. Pete.

Inspired by backyard cookouts, Fourth of July celebrations, and other summertime traditions, Glamper is set to open this Thursday, March 6th, at 217 Central Avenue, starting at 9 p.m.

The space was formerly home to Caddy’s on Central, which closed in 2020 after COVID-19 shuttered restaurants and bars across Florida. It was later slated to become Nauti Duchess, a nautical-themed bar and seafood restaurant, but those plans never materialized.

The new establishment is being brought to St. Pete by Ohio-based Forward Hospitality Group—known for ’70s-themed club Good Night John Boy, country bar Welcome to the Farm, and retro martini bar My Rich Uncle.

March 05, 2025

Irish party bar Dublin Drop debuts in downtown St. Pete

March 05, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Get ready to raise a pint of Guinness, St. Pete—there’s a new Irish party bar in town.

Dublin Drop opens today at 6 p.m. at 129 1st Avenue North in downtown St. Pete.

The new bar is from Michael Jennings of The Drink St. Pete Group, the team behind other popular downtown bars, such as One Night Stand, Tequila Daisy, Whiskey Exchange, and Pour Judgement.

Although the 3,000-square-foot bar will feature Irish beers and whiskies, Jennings doesn’t consider it a traditional Irish pub.

“It’s a party bar,” said Jennings. “We won’t serve Irish food or play Irish music. Think more along the lines of Irish Kevin’s in Key West.”

March 04, 2025

Local furniture store Gibson’s on Central opens in the Grand Central District

March 04, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

St. Pete residents hunting for a new couch or dining set and resorting to shopping at giant retailers outside of the area now have a new local option.

With a keen eye for decor, flipping rooms into modern-style spaces with a blend of traditional architecture, local interior designer Tara Gibson has opened her own storefront selling furniture and home accessories in the Grand Central District.

Imported chairs and sofas, Himalayan blankets, rugs, and light fixtures fill the space at 2646 Central Avenue named Gibson's on Central.

The shop, currently open with a planned grand opening on March 8th, was formerly occupied by Salty Roots Salon and Boutique and is directly next to Bandit Coffee.

March 03, 2025

Amorino and its flower-shaped gelato is coming to the EDGE District

March 03, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The first Florida brick-and-mortar location of French chain Amorino Gelato is headed for downtown St. Pete.

Opening at 1246 Central Avenue in the EDGE District, Amorino serves its gelato via spatula, famously shaped into a flower — with the option to add a macaron to the center.

The 1,800-square-foot shop will front 1st Avenue South, directly across from Tropicana Field, inside a 110-year-old building that will also house Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine.

The newly renovated building is part of the EDGE Collective, a mixed use development that will also include a 20-story tower with 360 apartments and 24,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.

February 28, 2025

Vintage Marche to expand with new cafe, more inventory in Skyway Marina District

February 28, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Customers hunting for their next prized vintage treasure at St. Pete’s Vintage Marche will soon be able to enjoy a cup of coffee while browsing the expansive warehouse.

Tampa Bay’s largest monthly vintage market, which opens on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of every month, will be taking over the neighboring wig shop at 2906 34th Street South in the Skyway Marina District.

Permits have been approved, and construction is already underway to renovate the 3,000-square-foot space that will house the new café.

February 27, 2025

Inside the 2025 Downtown Development Guide: Grappling with growth amid market headwinds

February 27, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

New zoning changes, the sweeping rise of commercial and residential development, and the promise of revitalizing neighborhoods are molding the ever-evolving identity of the Sunshine City.

This Tuesday, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership released its 2025 Downtown St. Pete Development Guide, an annual resource tool providing a snapshot of the latest economic and commercial activity to encourage public and private stakeholders to spur healthy growth in the area.

"The data, trends, and projects on the horizon really comprise the blueprint for how we continue to grow with purpose, intention, and resilience," Mayor Ken Welch said during the Partnership's Development Summit hosted at the new EDGE Collective office building next to the Moxy Hotel.