Featured image: Fisherwomen Erika Almond says of the local waters, “Our fishery is amazing.

Think fishing is a man’s hobby? Think again. More women pick up the recreation every year, for fun and for sport. As an avid fisher myself, I got curious about stories from some of our own local fisherwomen. I had the privilege of interviewing four area women passionate about fishing about what drew them to the seas, why the waters around St. Pete are the best, and how camaraderie makes the sport that much better. 

Marlo K. Alleva: A Stand-Up Fisherwoman 

Marlo K. Alleva learned how to freshwater fish during summers with her grandparents, “climbing down the high creek banks behind their piano shop,” she recalls. She… Read More

The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art recently held an exhibit celebrating the work of acclaimed photographer and ethnologist Edward S. Curtis. Best known for his monumental early 20th-century publication of the North American Indian, Curtis took photos of indigenous Americans over 23 years beginning in 1907. The publication includes twenty volumes, features more than 100 native nations and tribes, and contains over 2,200 images. The original work is exceedingly rare with fewer than 300 sets printed. In 2021 a set sold for $950,000.

While this work is an important archive of the culture of native peoples at the beginnings of the last century, it is also a reflection of Curtis’s artistry and mastery of photographic mediums.… Read More

Featured image: The Woodson Warriors scholarship program celebrated community and camaraderie at December’s Holiday Mid-Term Luncheon.

Although the Woodson African American Museum of Florida is temporarily closed as renovations continue – doors are expected to reopen later this spring – the museum’s mission has not faltered.

“Through exhibitions, educational programming, community engagement and scholarship initiatives, The Woodson serves as a living repository of Black heritage, honoring the past, illuminating the present, and inspiring future generations,” said Executive Director Terri Lipsey Scott.

One way the museum inspires future generations is through The Woodson Warrior Scholarship, which reflects the mission of the museum itself “to preserve, present, interpret, celebrate, and educate the public about African American history and culture.” … Read More

Featured image: Lodwick created publicity stunts like the “Purity League,” which had Mayor Frank Pulver measuring the length of ladies bathing attire to assure it complied with a (fictitious) city ordinance, image c 1922. Courtesy of St. Petersburg Museum of History

Babe Ruth is rightly credited with putting St. Pete on the national map, as early St. Pete Mayor and baseball booster Al Lang reflected, “The Yankees with Babe Ruth and their stars meant millions to this town.” But there was another promoter diligently working to do the same. His name was John Lodwick.

Lodwick was born in 1890. He began his career as a messenger boy at age 13 for the Associated Press in Cleveland, Ohio.… Read More

Featured image: For generations, Williams Park has served as St. Petersburg’s original city square. Image via Florida Memory.

On a recent Saturday during Localtopia, Williams Park didn’t feel like an afterthought. It felt like a destination.

Families filled the walkways. Food trucks lined the park’s edge. Neighbors lingered beneath 82 shade trees while music drifted from the bandshell. For a few hours, St. Petersburg’s first public space looked exactly like what it was meant to be in 1888: a town square.

That description isn’t accidental. “It was the first platted public space for the city,” said Shaun Drinkard, vice president of the St.… Read More

City Councilmember Corey Givens, Local Mural artist Laura Spencer, and PTB Executive Director Manny Leto in the new PTB space.

When Preserve the ‘Burg cut the ribbon on its new headquarters on November 8 in the Warehouse Arts District, the moment marked far more than an office upgrade. For the nearly 50-year-old organization, founded in 1977, and long operating without a walk-in space for the public, the opening represents a new era of presence, accessibility, and community engagement in St. Petersburg. 

“We’ve never had a public-facing office, a place where people could come and interact with us,” says Executive Director Manny Leto.… Read More

Jeff Schorr, who is moving on after 23 years running the Craftsman House, says the property made an impression on him from the first minute he saw it.

On December 10, 2025, the Craftsman House hosted a joint holiday and farewell party, marking the end of an era. For 23 years, this historic property in Grand Central District has been owned and tended by Jeff Schorr as a gallery, café, pottery studio, music venue, and community space. Now, as Schorr embarks on his next chapter, so will the house.  

As Craftsman House transitions into its next iteration, we’re taking a look back at 2955 Central Avenue’s storied century.… Read More

Want a New Year’s resolution that doesn’t require a diet? Perhaps consider getting to know and appreciate some of our city’s historic buildings a little better. Only one percent of the city’s buildings is designated a local historic landmark, however many residents and visitors know little about them. Let us take you on a virtual tour of a few.

Detroit Hotel (215 Central Avenue) 

It is said that the history of a city may be read on its buildings. That is certainly the case with the Detroit Hotel, the first building constructed in the city.… Read More

Featured image: Founder Michelle Sasha, left, and artist Jazzy Erickson are helping to lead the Love Thy Neighbor Project.

While street murals highlighting diversity and inclusion have been removed from the roadways around the region, those who still believe in that sentiment are finding new ways to express it. From flags to art to hand-painted signs in windows, neighbors are showing that love and tolerance still have a public face in our city. And at least one artist-driven movement, Love Thy Neighbor Project, is working to bring murals of empowerment and diversity to homes across Pinellas County.

Driveways, mailboxes, and doorsteps are being altered to host murals designed to, according to the project’s website, “celebrate inclusivity and honor marginalized communities.” The… Read More

St. Pete’s Historic Old Northeast neighborhood is a bland suburban HOA’s worst nightmare – in the best way possible. Few houses are alike. Many feature personalized touches like lawn ornaments, large artworks, fountains, or lush gardens – every block seems to have its own character.

One thing many residents do share: Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association (HONNA) flags hanging proudly from porches. The flags, and all HONNA branding, come in varying colors and designs, but with no unified theme – until now.

“We’re the oldest neighborhood in the city, and everyone knows who we are, so that made us a little lazy [about branding],” HONNA President Nick Bell said, laughing.… Read More