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

The Cressy House was built in 1922 and designed by St. Pete’s first professional architect, Edgar Ferdon

When Sandra and Michael Taradash moved to St. Petersburg from Palos Verdes Estates, California they knew they wanted to live in the Old Northeast. They began touring homes, and after viewing the “Cressy House,” they made an offer within 24 hours. They had found their new home.  

The Cressy House, situated at 625 20th Avenue NE, was built in 1922 by Hennessy and Taylor and designed by architect Edgar Ferdon. Ferdon was the city’s first professional architect and is credited with designing the Crislip Arcade as well as the First Congregational Church downtown.… Read More

Daddy Warbleson on Beach Boulevard.

Ten years ago, the Warbleson family – Daddy, Mama, and six youngsters – arrived in St. Petersburg. At the time of their arrival, they were quite the celebrities. Mayor Rick Kriseman celebrated them and the Tampa Bay Times featured them in an article on Christmas Day, 2014. The story goes that the youngest Warbleson, Buddy, got lost somewhere along Beach Drive and the family fanned out to find him. Mama Warbleson looked at the Vinoy, and Daddy at the Birchwood. Betty, Bethany, Brian, Beatrice, and Benny took up positions at North Straub Park, South Straub Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, the 200 block of Beach Drive, and the Museum of History, respectively.… Read More

Photos courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts

Spring is springing in the ‘Burg which means it’s time for the annual Art in Bloom event at the Museum of Fine Arts! As part of our local landscape, this exhibit presents a living four-day floral art installation pairing some of the Bay area’s finest floral artists with works of art throughout the museum. 

What makes this event so special is its unique combination of art and nature and the way it creates an immersive experience for museum visitors. The pieces add a multi-sensory encounter for those who attend. Intermingled with the scent of flowers is a contrast of colors, shapes, and textures. … Read More

A still from the movie Little Satchmo. Courtesy of John Alexander.

On January 30, a sold-out crowd at Studio@620 had the rare pleasure of screening the acclaimed PBS film Little Satchmo, followed by a talk with the film’s subject and star, Louis Armstrong’s “secret” daughter, Sharon Preston-Folta. 

Green Book of Tampa Bay and the Woodson African American Museum presented the event, which was sponsored by the Pinellas County Urban League. Therapist Dr. LaDonna Butler moderated the post-screening “fireside chat,” which packed a powerful emotional punch. 

“I was unprepared for the magic that happened during the whole event,” said Green Book of Tampa Bay co-founder Hillary Van Dyke.… Read More

Chief, winner of Most Beautiful Boat in 2023.

With its waterfront lined with masts bobbing in calm water, ropes clinking against metal like wind chimes, St. Petersburg has a rich sailing tradition. The bay offers a large, protected playground for experts and beginners alike. World champions and Olympic medalists have called these waters home. But not all winners are the fastest. The St. Petersburg Classic Regatta is a beloved tradition that is about more than sailing.  

In a world where technology is rapidly changing the sport, a group of dedicated sailors has created a unique way to hold on to traditions.… Read More

Rouge plant, true to its name, was used by indigenous Floridians to pigment their skin. Image by Jen Tyson

When you picture your favorite Florida landscapes, what plants do you see? Redolent plumerias? Bold, heart-shaped elephant ears? The traffic-cone orange plumes of bird of paradise or graceful fronds of coconut palms? These iconic flora have all found their way into Florida’s greenscapes. And, despite the fact that they come from across the world – hailing from Central America and the Caribbean, Asia, South Africa, and Oceania, respectively – they have come, over time, to evoke that special Florida feeling: verdant, tropical, and wild.… Read More

WTE holds events every month, as well as online webinars and tech mentoring, always free of charge. Photo courtesy of WTE.

It’s no secret that St. Petersburg, particularly downtown, is a growing hot spot for new-to-the-heat Floridians. Many of these transplants are young professionals, particularly tech professionals, including growing numbers of women in tech. 

Traditionally, the technology industry isn’t known to be the most inclusive for women, and that’s the reason for the Tampa-born Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship (WTE) organization. 

“I founded WTE in 2022 after witnessing the glaring gender disparities in tech and entrepreneurship,” says Raechel Canipe, CEO of WTE.… 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