Cities rich in history have a patchwork of buildings, old and new, historic and modern architectures, side by side. How do cities like Rome or Paris become treasures of the world today? Time. Quality. Care.

Organizations like St. Petersburg Preservation – recently rebranded as Preserve the ’Burg – are doing just that: serving as champions for making sure future generations can enjoy the ’Burg’s interesting and eclectic heritage.

It was a beautiful evening at Nova 535, an historic event space on 9th Avenue North, as Preserve the ’Burg celebrated its 40th anniversary this past January with a party and panel discussion featuring local experts talking about the organization’s accomplishments, as well as the direction for the future.… Read More

James and Julie Branaman like to think outside the box – way outside the box. They once lived in a camper van for 13 months on a cross-country trip when they moved from Seattle to St. Petersburg. They’ve traveled deep into the swamp in the Florida Everglades with the mosquitoes, the gators, and the snakes. And they were high up in the lookout tower in a remote area of the Rocky Mountain State Park at 1am taking pictures and watching the star-studded sky while an unknown critter with bright green eyes was watching them.

Self-described visual storytellers, journalists, and explorers, the 40-something Old Northeast couple are always up for the next adventure, even with their 17-month-old daughter Teagan in tow.… Read More

By day, the streets of the Old Northeast proudly exhibit homes in architectural styles ranging from Craftsman Bungalow to Queen Anne Victorian built during the construction boom of the early 1900s. Beautiful, historical, and stately, these homes are works of art themselves. Brick-paved roads, magnificent palms, and grandiose live oaks add to their charm. As the sun sets, and especially during the holidays, the neighborhood takes on a different persona, transforming into a magical Floridian-Winter Wonderland. People passing by can enjoy the elegant lights, classical bold red bows, and romantic luminaries that adorn the neighborhood from the streets. But once a year, during the annual Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association’s Candlelight Tour of Homes, the public is invited inside.… Read More

Greetings from St. Petersburg’s version of the North Pole: the Christmas Toy Shop. From the outside, you would never suspect the treasure chest of toys inside. Cars zip by the nondescript beige building on 16th Street close to downtown, not far from Tropicana Field. The only hint as to the shop’s mission is the slogan below the building’s logo: “We exist so no child will be without Christmas.”

The Marine Toys for Tots program might get more national recognition, but on the local level, the Christmas Toy Shop deserves credit for making a powerful difference for families in need. “We’ve had young adults stop by and say their mother got toys at the Christmas Toy Shop, and now they’d like to come back and volunteer with us,” says Sharon Jackson, a former president of the nonprofit charitable organization.… Read More

The Real Life Adventures of Ken Wilson

Old Northeast resident, Ken Wilson, is a Vietnam veteran, pilot, world traveler, motor-scooter enthusiast, blogger, and humanitarian. Ken has been traveling the world since he was six months old when his parents crossed the Atlantic via a military transport ship with Ken in tow. His lifelong obsession with travel and adventure has taken him across oceans – by boat and plane – and North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa on a Vespa scooter! Ken also is a passionate volunteer dedicated to a number of local and international charitable causes. I sat down with Ken to learn more about his story, adventures, and how he is paying it forward.… Read More

How does an Old Northeast resident – who is an Aussie immigrant with an acclaimed tenor voice, but who only sings as a hobby – bring the United Nations to Tampa Bay? Well, Robert Kruithoff, who has only lived here for three-and-a-half years, has done all that and then some.

A Melbourne native, Kruithoff (or Robbie, pronounced Rowby, as everyone knows him) is the fundraising and events director for the United Nations Association of the United States of America, Tampa Bay (UNA-USA TB). Wow! And he’s not even a citizen yet.

Robbie spearheaded the UNIFIED event held recently at the Morean Center for Clay.… Read More

Rowdies center back Tam Mkandawire is our man! Meaning really ours… he lives in the Old Northeast! Tam and his family moved here from Tampa just a year ago. That was a small move compared to their trek across the pond – the Atlantic Ocean that is! And, there may be another leap for Tam and soccer fans in the not-too-distant future – more on that later!

The Mkandawires (pronounced makandaweary) hail from Great Britain. Tamika and his wife, Leah, met ten years ago in London. Tam was a star football player (or what Americans call a soccer player) with the Leyton Orient Club, and Leah was a commercial model for several well-known organizations, and then an assistant in the business development department at Christie’s, the well-known auction house.… Read More

In 2012, Nancy Ballard and Kelly Townshend put their worldly possessions in storage, rented out their home in Houston, Texas, got their two dogs vet-approved for sea travel, and set sail for Florida, the Caribbean, and the Chesapeake Bay on their CT-56′ sailboat. After sailing for three years, they decided their boat was too big, and it was time to downsize. This led them to downtown St. Petersburg which would turn out to be their ‘second act.’

Nancy had been sailing for 28 years, but after only two years in, Kelly said, “Let’s go cruising,” something that Nancy had always wanted to do.… Read More

A tale of three brothers

Once upon a time, there were three brothers who, like many, experienced a series of unfortunate events and found themselves part of our local foster care system. Separated from one another in different foster homes, they held onto hope that one day they would all be together in a ‘forever’ home, all one family again.

Their wish came true. A remarkable young woman by the name of Nicole Marchman began fostering Brent and Aaron when they were ages four and two, respectively, and later fostered Preston, and over the coming years, began the formal adoption process for all three boys.… Read More

Buying local takes on a whole new meaning at Brick Street Farms, St. Petersburg’s cool, new eco-friendly farm where exotic greens like Salanova escarole, Spretnak Bibb, purple kale, and tatsoi grow in an unusual, sheltered environment – shipping containers.

Like most transplanted northerners who come to Florida hoping to grow Big Boy tomatoes, green beans, and lettuce in the backyard, Shannon O’Malley was quickly frustrated at her lack of success. St. Petersburg might be proud of its reputation as the Sunshine City, but when it comes to growing produce, the sun, the heat, the humidity, and the sandy soil can be a bit too much.… Read More