It was a flower. It was alive and wonderful. It gave the gardener hope and made him want to work even harder. And so he does – he toils day and night, tirelessly tending to his jungle of a garden.

– The Little Gardener, Emily Hughes

Bill O’Grady is a plant whisperer. Show him a plant and most likely he knows the plant’s common name, botanical Latin name, and country of origin. A passion for gardening runs deep. He’s also an avid collector. Which plant or flower of his favorite? “That’s like asking a parent which is his favorite child,” says Bill.… Read More

Much has been made of the success of the current ferry service operating between St. Petersburg and Tampa. But long before the current Cross-Bay Ferry, there was another ferry called the Bee Line Ferry.

St. Petersburg’s development has long been tied to transportation. Our city was the result of the Orange Belt Railway being enticed by local property owner John C. Williams to come to what is now St. Petersburg. Our early streetcar grid did much to expand the city beyond the downtown. In 1914, we experimented with an airline – the World’s first – between downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa.… Read More

Last November, a small celebration of a pretty cool historic St. Petersburg event took place at the Baseline Bistro, the Racquet Club of St. Petersburg’s excellent onsite restaurant. Members, staff, teaching pros, and their families celebrated the 50th birthday of the private family-oriented tennis and swim club at 170 47th Avenue NE.

The history of the club and how the surrounding area of Northeast St. Petersburg developed is an interesting story. A half-century ago, this part of Northeast St. Petersburg looked very different than it does today. This was 16 years before the upscale, gated community of Placido Bayou went up just east of the club; and five years before Winston Park, the large, over-55 complex of 700+ condos were constructed across from the club on 47th Avenue NE and 1st Street NE.… Read More

St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum might be the only museum in the country where a Southeastern Guide Dog helps out during docent tours. Patricia Allen is a docent at the Dali, and since Dave, her guide dog, goes everywhere Patricia goes, he’s part of the tour every Tuesday afternoon at 12:30pm. “When I ask if there are any questions, Dave knows to stand up and get ready to move on to the next painting,” says Patricia. “He knows the routine. If I make a mistake and go the wrong way, he’ll bark.”

A retired risk manager for a national insurance company, Patricia had already been a docent at the Dali for many years when her eyesight began to fail, a result of diabetic retinopathy.… Read More

When Kyle Taylor moved into a house on our block in the Old Northeast neighborhood, I figured he must be the college-age son of the new owners. He was that youthful looking, full of energy, friendly, and engaging. I soon learned it was not his parents who were the new homeowners, but it was Kyle himself, and he was building his business in St. Petersburg.

The Penny Hoarder began as Kyle’s hobby of finding different ways to earn money, and it has since grown to employ more than 100 people (and still growing) in a lively, fun-filled, sophisticated workspace in downtown St.… Read More

Habitat for Humanity focuses on affordable homeownership for families. Great Explorations Children’s Museum focuses on children. So it was only natural that when Habitat launched a new program creating playhouses for children, Great Explorations was the first organization to get involved.

Last fall, you might have noticed a small painting party underway in the parking lot on 4th Street North which Great Explorations shares with Sunken Gardens. Great Explorations’ staff, board members, and even some of the children from the museum’s after-school program joined in the fun to assemble and paint a playhouse under the guidance of the local Habitat team.… Read More

How far would you go to help a stranger? Old Northeast resident Mark Rankin didn’t hesitate when it came to offering someone he didn’t know the most generous gift one can imagine. He donated his kidney to give a Clearwater grandfather of four a second chance at life.

Mark is a criminal defense attorney and a partner in the law firm of Shutts & Bowen in Tampa. He’s also a former assistant federal public defender for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. Practicing law is a passion. “Few things are more important in a society than our legal system and making sure that the punishment is just and that everyone follows the law,” says Mark.… Read More

It’s only mid-October, but Bruce Harting already sits at a table at 3 Daughters Brewing fixing a Department 56 Tinkertown Toy Factory. Starting in mid-November, he’ll be ready to display the factory and over 300 other collectibles from Department 56. The Christmas Village spans the length of the popular craft brewery’s tasting room and sits on eight 4-by-8 tables. There are people, stores, houses, trees, a circus, the North Pole, three trains, ballerinas dancing the Nutcracker, Santa with his reindeer, and even a tiny replica of 3 Daughters Brewery.

When people see the display the first time, Bruce – a Shore Acres resident and father of 3 Daughters Brewing owner Mike Harting – says the reactions are “amazed” and “enjoyment.”… Read More

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. – USPS Motto

Among the many unique features of the Old Northeast, one of the longest continuous traditions is bicycle mail delivery. St. Petersburg is one of three remaining cities in the country where the United States Postal Service still delivers mail by bicycle.

Built in 1917, the Open Air Post Office at 76 4th St. N was the product of a joint effort among three prominent figures in St. Petersburg. Modeled after Edwin H. Tomlinson’s earlier post office on Central Avenue, the open-air concept was designed to provide postal customers with 24-hour access to their mailboxes.… Read More

When Robin Reed, a board member of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association, told me her friend Elaine Normile had recently retired as the historian for the Vinoy Renaissance Resort, my first thought was, “wait – the Vinoy has an historian on staff, how cool is that?”

A petite, bright, articulate 70-something, Elaine retired from the Vinoy at the end of May after an exciting 26-year career; 20 years as the iconic hotel’s in-house historian. This summer, just a week after her retirement, I visited with Elaine at her home in the Old Northeast to learn more about what it was like to be on the Vinoy staff during such a pivotal time in the hotel’s history.… Read More