The Gandy Bridge is functional. The Skyway Bridge is majestic. The Salt Creek ‘Thrill Hill’ bridge is quaint. But the Snell Isle Bridge is splendid.

Old Northeast and what was to become Snell Isle were originally connected by a rickety one-lane wooden bridge as early as 1917. Early master developer C. Perry Snell opened his upscale Snell Isle development in 1925. In 1928, Snell donated three lots just north of the bridge to the women’s organizations of St. Petersburg for the purpose of their building a club house which would serve all of the 15 women’s organizations then in the city.… Read More

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. – USPS Motto

Among the many unique features of the Old Northeast, one of the longest continuous traditions is bicycle mail delivery. St. Petersburg is one of three remaining cities in the country where the United States Postal Service still delivers mail by bicycle.

Built in 1917, the Open Air Post Office at 76 4th St. N was the product of a joint effort among three prominent figures in St. Petersburg. Modeled after Edwin H. Tomlinson’s earlier post office on Central Avenue, the open-air concept was designed to provide postal customers with 24-hour access to their mailboxes.… Read More

When Robin Reed, a board member of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association, told me her friend Elaine Normile had recently retired as the historian for the Vinoy Renaissance Resort, my first thought was, “wait – the Vinoy has an historian on staff, how cool is that?”

A petite, bright, articulate 70-something, Elaine retired from the Vinoy at the end of May after an exciting 26-year career; 20 years as the iconic hotel’s in-house historian. This summer, just a week after her retirement, I visited with Elaine at her home in the Old Northeast to learn more about what it was like to be on the Vinoy staff during such a pivotal time in the hotel’s history.… Read More

It’s no secret that St. Petersburg is quickly solidifying its reputation as an arts destination and an arts community. We have world-class museums, statues, and other visual art in our parks; professional musicians from The Florida Orchestra working with students in schools; colorful murals brightening the sides of buildings; and dozens of cultural centers with full event calendars serving our community.

While this is the product of so many people and organizations, the work of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) helped pave the way.  Founded seven years ago, the SPAA is a local 501c3 with the highest Guidestar rating (platinum – to put this into context, only 8 of over 1,000 St.… Read More

Tom C. Harris joined the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) as a copyboy in 1923 at the age of 14. His mother had taken him to the paper asking the manager if they had a job for “my son.” At the time, Tom was still in high school and wearing short pants, or what was known at the time as knickers. The manager introduced Tom to the staff as the new copyboy and then deadpanned, “He says he wants to be editor of the Times.”

Tom Harris’ big break at the Times came two years later. He was the only one available to cover a gruesome murder in which an 18-year-old killed both his parents.… Read More

Symphony orchestras don’t grow by chance. Their presence in a community is indicative of thoughtful management, patron and donor support, as well as the ability to attract and maintain quality musicians. How did we get so lucky to have The Florida Orchestra right on our doorstep? It all starts with the musicians, each dedicated to mastering and passing on the gift of music. I recently met with Florida Orchestra violist, Barbara Rizzo, at her Snell Isle home, to gain a better understanding of what it takes to be a symphony musician.

Fertile Soil

Barbara was born into music in Brooklyn, New York.… Read More

Immersing yourself in another culture can be life changing, as student ambassadors for the St. Pete Sister Cities Program quickly find out. Since 1984, more than 50 local high school students have been selected to travel to Takamatsu, Japan for a two-week stay with local families. The students serve as ‘the voice and face’ of St. Petersburg in a unique cultural exchange program.

Chloe Johnson, a recent graduate of St. Petersburg Collegiate High School, was with a group of three students chosen to travel to Takamatsu last summer. “It was an amazing opportunity,” says Chloe, who grew up in Crescent Lake and Venetian Isles.… Read More

Each person who calls St. Petersburg home does so for their own reasons. For me, it has always been an unquenchable fascination with the history of our city, especially its beautiful buildings and historical landmarks.

In fact, my passion for Florida history largely stemmed from living in the Sunshine City. I found an endless supply of historical oddities, landmarks, and monuments that helped define the city I now called home.

Monuments themselves don’t necessarily have to be stone obelisks, plaques, or statues; buildings themselves are monuments to the people who built them, their ideals, and society as it was during the time they were built.… Read More

Within five minutes of their first meeting, Chris Steinocher, president of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, knew immediately that Chad Nuss and his new tech company, InsideOut, would be huge wins for St. Petersburg. Chad and his team are exactly the kind of young, creative entrepreneurs the city is focused on attracting. For Chad, coming to St. Pete felt like the perfect fit, too.

I met Chad recently for coffee at the Black Crow coffee shop in the Old Northeast where we both live. I wanted to learn more about what attracted his family and his business to St. Petersburg, and how they are settling in.… Read More

Invest in your happiness, declares Old Northeast artist, Anna Ayres. For Anna – a watercolor, oil and acrylic painter – creating art answers the call to be happy.  Her work, “reflects what she sees in nature and doesn’t try to make it one thing or another, but just lets it be.”

“I have always been an artist,” says Anna. “From the moment I could hold a crayon, I have thoroughly enjoyed putting color to surface, although it hasn’t always been something that was encouraged or supported. It’s taken many years of yoga, meditation, and self-discovery to understand what it means to be an artist and to take action toward becoming one.”  … Read More