“Laid back, quirky, artsy, funky, creative, unique.” Those are the words used to describe our city in the opening of a recent report about St. Petersburg titled, Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Pete. The report was commissioned by Preserve the ‘Burg and completed by PlaceEconomics, a private-sector firm that analyzes the economic impacts of historic preservation. PlaceEconomics CEO Donovan Rypkema presented the report at the Historic Preservation Expo at the St. Petersburg Museum of History of May 10.

Keeping the Vibe Alive highlights significant contributions by historic preservation to the city’s economy, identity, and community.… Read More

E. Wilson “Bud” Purdy assumed his position as St. Petersburg’s chief of police in October 1958 and served until January 1963. During those years he reformed and expanded the department, modernized its administration, and provided leadership through the beginnings of the Civil Rights era in the city. When Purdy assumed control there were 123 officers; when he left, the department had expanded to around 500.

Purdy came well prepared for his job. He was a graduate of Michigan State University where he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Program and earned a Bachelor of Science in Police Administration in 1942. The day he graduated he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant and married his college sweetheart, Jane Dykman.… Read More

For over 10 years those in the know have been grooving to beat of homegrown singers and songwriters, enjoying programs, podcasts, and more on RadioStPete.com Sunshine 96.7 FM (on the radio) and on your computer, phone, tablet, Siri, and Alexa. 

This March, Radio St. Pete moved its studio to the bustling co-working and art space that is Thrive DTSP, at 136 4th Street N., across from Williams Park. The sleek co-workspace has an urban vibe, an espresso machine, and the glass studio. It’s a big step for the station, expanding their local sports, news, and entertainment/arts coverage.

“Our new studio in the heart of downtown St.… Read More

Squirrel Girl. Squirrel Guru. Squirrel Whisperer. Jill Horstmann, founder of the St. Pete-based animal rescue Squirrelly AF, goes by many nicknames. But to Porter, the blind opossum cuddled in his carrier under the table where we sit at the local kava bar she manages, she is simply Mom. 

Over the last six years, Horstmann has built up her nonprofit – going from that animal-loving friend you call when you discover abandoned squirrel babies to a full-scale rescue, rehabilitation, and release operation that serves squirrels, opossums, ducks, and the occasional raccoon. Her forte is special-needs cases like Porter, who was discovered in a swimming pool in Gulfport, eyes and brain damaged from the chlorine and whatever trauma may have led him into the pool in the first place.… Read More

Mayor Ken Welch has called for another look at Albert Whitted and alternative uses, noting again possible expansion of the downtown waterfront parks. Photo courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg.

You might think aviation in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County began 1914 with the launching of the first commercial airline from the St. Petersburg Pier. Actually, the city’s aviation roots can be traced to what would become Albert Whitted Airport, where the first recorded flight in the county took off in 1912. 

In that year celebrated pioneer pilot Leonard Warden Bonney brought a new Wright Brothers biplane to St. Pete as part of an exhibition tour.… Read More

Without a large or flashing sign, Harvey’s 4th Street Grill might go overlooked by a tourist, but for locals, this cozy restaurant has long been a popular gathering spot for co-workers, friends, and family. Nestled in the corner of an otherwise ordinary shopping center, you know you’ve found it when you see the green awning and pristine landscaping leading to a treasure trove of St. Pete history. This April, the city icon celebrates 40 years of business, so it seems only fitting that we take a walk down memory lane. 

A Family Affair

I learned quickly that you cannot discuss the history of Harvey’s without discussing the patriarch of the family, Dan Harvey Sr.… Read More

This is a story about an unexpected and shocking diagnosis, a couple’s determination to never give up the fight, and a community rising up, circling the wagons to lend support.  

On August 28, 2022, Jim Wilson, a former professor of law at Cleveland State University, lost his balance, the room started to spin, and his muscles turned to rubber. As he started to slide to the floor, his wife Mimi Lord guided him to the couch in their classic Old Northeast Craftsman-style home. “We thought it was a stroke,” said Jim. 

The couple rushed to the hospital, and after multiple tests, doctors told Jim the terrible news.… Read More

Bob Preston was a student at St. Pete High when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. The professional photographer who worked on the school yearbook was soon drafted to serve in the Army. With no formal training in photography, Preston stepped in to take over as yearbook photo editor. After graduating in 1943, he too joined the Army. When asked what experience he had, he said, “Photography!”

Preston was assigned to the Army Signal Corp as a combat photographer, eventually ending up with General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters in the Pacific.… Read More

Old Northeast resident Mallory Lykes Dimmitt admits to having a “big audacious goal” – permanently protecting millions of acres of natural, wild Florida from development. It’s a task that might seem impossible, but as CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, Dimmitt is committed to making it happen. “We are acting now for future generations,” Dimmitt said. “We may not be able to protect every acre, but we can protect as much as we can, as fast as we can.”

I met with Dimmitt in her new spacious office at The Factory St. Pete, a burgeoning creative arts destination in the Warehouse Arts District.… Read More

The average price of a gym membership in St. Pete is $30-50 a month. A local personal trainer can run you up to $90 an hour. But the cost to join Healthy St. Pete programs and workout classes? $0. 

When the city of St. Pete launched Healthy St. Pete in 2015, it was only a small initiative to bring more health programs to Pinellas. Now in 2024, Healthy St. Pete is its own division of the St. Pete Parks and Recreation Department. Every month, the city-funded program holds free workout classes, mental health seminars, inexpensive races, and even sells produce – for cheap – out of 12 locations around the city. … Read More