Seeing the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club trophy wall on Netflix feels like a glitch in the Matrix. Cindy Smith-Maglione, a Redington Beach resident and the former vice president of merchandising for Abercrombie & Fitch, gave an interview under the iconic white-and-green shuffleboard club sign in White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch on Netflix. It’s not just any documentary – it was one of the top shows on the streaming service.

Staff members at St.… Read More

St. Petersburg was once known largely for its senior population, but that demographic did not begin to develop until about 1950. Between 1930 and 1940, the proportion of those 65 and older ranged from 10% to 15%, although this was still substantially higher than the total US population. In 1960, the percent of those 65 years and older was 28%, and peaked at 31% in 1970. As of 2019, the percentage was a fraction over 20%, still above the national average around 17%.

St. Petersburg has a long history of its senior population supporting the city, and the city offering a helping hand to seniors who need it.… Read More

What do a wealthy real estate speculator, a Confederate veteran, and a holocaust survivor have in common? They all called the same corner of the Old Northeast their home. 

The house at 1630 Locust Street had been in Dave Bennett’s family since his mother bought it in 1974. Back then, it still featured two apartments on the second floor, remnants of its years as a guest house. Dave and his wife, Pam, bought it in 1996 when the large home became too much for his mother to care for. They’d done some cursory research as they renovated the home over the years, but like many residents in St.… Read More

Emily Elwyn’s on a mission, and she won’t be stopped. Not by a pandemic, not by the summer heat, and certainly not by the elusive nature of what she seeks – the nightblooming cereus. You may have seen one, but probably not in bloom.

Unbloomed, the nightblooming cereus looks like a cactus and a vine had a spiky love child. When it blooms, though, it’s a spectacle of light and majesty, a post-twilight celebration. The white chalice-shaped blooms unfurl from the spiny cactus vine that can climb 30 feet into the air. For only a few hours – on just one night each year – they turn trees, telephone poles, and fences into summertime Christmas trees.… Read More

In the pre-dawn hours, before the onslaught of morning commuters, the Snell Isle Bridge rests. Long before the first rays of morning sun hit the tops of the tallest palms, figures emerge in the dark distance, one by one. Ghostlike, they come from every direction, gaining focus as streetlights reflect off the silver strips of their shoes and tank tops.

Who gets up this early?

It’s the morning runners. And they do mean runners; call them joggers at your peril. If you don’t know them, you might not understand. But if you know one, you probably know most of them – this tight-knit group of elite competitors for whom “going on a run” can mean 15 miles or more.… Read More

As you run, stroll, skate, or bike along the picturesque two-mile path bordering Coffee Pot Bayou across from Bird Island and Snell Isle, you may occasionally see a cluster of rapt spectators peering into the water across from a magnificent flowering tree at the intersection of 23rd Avenue NE and Coffee Pot Boulevard. Visitors excitedly nudge each other and wonder, “Can you see them? Are they there?” in hushed tones usually reserved for a sacred space.

What is going on? Passing traffic stops, children squeal, and adults quickly snap pictures on their phones as great whiskery snouts and paddle-like tails breach the water’s surface.… Read More

It must have been quite a sight to drive by the Museum of Fine Arts and see 120 Boston Terriers and their owners posing for a photo on the museum steps. Definitely a reason for a double-take. But this is St. Petersburg and we love our fur children so, it’s not really that surprising.

The occasion was the 4th annual Boston Terrier Pet Parade, held in December on the weekend closest to the anniversary of the Revolutionary War-era Boston Tea Party. Last year was the 248th anniversary of the infamous day when the ‘Sons of Liberty’ boarded a British ship and tossed a shipment of tea into Boston Harbor as a protest.… Read More

When the grandaddy of independent bookstores in St. Petersburg, Haslam’s, closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, no one thought it would be forever. A staple for local readers since the Great Depression, Haslam’s current 30,000-square-foot building is also prime real estate on Central Avenue. 

While rumors abound, dogged persistence by Tampa Bay Times reporters revealed in June that the famous Haslam Bookstore cats have been rehomed – at least for now. And third-generation owners Suzanne and Ray Hinst are “undecided” about the future.

The shuttering of Haslam’s leaves a sizable hole in the independent bookstore scene, but there’s still a lot for book lovers in the Bay Area to love, from traditional new and used sellers to hybrid shops and pop-ups.… Read More

In 1961, local Black civic leaders and civil rights activists Dr. Ralph Wimbish and Dr. Robert Swain sent shockwaves through the baseball world. They refused to continue the practice of opening their homes and hotels to Black players who were not permitted to stay with their white teammates in local St. Petersburg hotels.

Their actions weren’t meant to discriminate against the Black players – just the opposite. Their stand effectively ended segregation of baseball’s spring training, and brought on the integration of hotels in St.… Read More

St. Petersburg is experiencing a building boom such as has not been seen since the 1920s and 1950s. Based on current growth rates, City planners project a need for between 1,000 and 1,500 new homes or ‘dwelling units’ per year. Mayor Kriseman has made recommendations for changing neighborhood zoning as part of an effort to meet this need. The proposals – a type of “upzoning” or increase in density – if approved by the City Council would be perhaps the most significant changes affecting neighborhood zoning in a decade.

There are basically two-types of neighborhoods in the city – Traditional Neighborhoods and Suburban Neighborhoods.… Read More