This is the second of a two-part series on the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel. The first part told the story of the Vinoy’s restoration, reopening in 1992. The second part deals with the Vinoy restoration’s impact on the revitalization of downtown St. Petersburg. The current era of downtown revitalization may be divided into four phases: The Events Prior to 1999; The First Wave of Downtown Condominiums; A Second Wave of Downtown Construction; and The Present Boom Period.

Phase 1: The Vinoy Restoration Era

The restoration of the Vinoy is credited by many with being a major catalyst for the downtown revitalization, particularly near the waterfront.… Read More

Every two weeks, the Ronald McDonald house door bursts open to reveal a spunky and spirited Cavalier Spaniel named Lacie who could not be happier to be there – and of course, her owner, Ann Goldman, who is equally thrilled.

Lacie’s visits to the Ronald McDonald house are a welcome diversion for the residents and guests, especially for the siblings of sick children who remain there with their families while a sibling receives treatment. When she’s not showering her audience with joy and many kisses, Lacie puts on quite a show, too.

Ann Goldman explains: “When we go in, most of the kids are so excited to see her – and she’s excited to see them, too.… Read More

One can’t help being charmed by Richard Montague. He defines the term “bon vivant.” And he is clear about his approach to life over nearly a century: “When life presents an opportunity, take advantage of it.”

His life story bears that out. As a young man with a scholarship at stake, he entered a piano competition in high school and won a full ride to Syracuse University. Next, inspired by a Teddy Roosevelt speech, “The Strenuous Life,” he went west to teach at Southern Idaho College of Education in Albion. While there and leading its tiny music department, he broke horses, learned to rope, and performed in rodeos as “The Professor.”… Read More

We’ve gotten that first nip in the air! And it’s all we can do to get out of our air-conditioned caves. With all those September rains and warm October days, the flowers and greenery abound. The hues of nature make an eclectic backdrop for entertaining in our backyards.

Most of us have odd-shaped backyards thanks to the diversity of the neighborhood. And if you have a small backyard to boot, count your blessings. It’s less work in the summer and creates a better sense of intimacy with your guests. So those of you sandwiched between a back alley and your neighbor’s garage really have the best location.… Read More

My wife wants me to take yoga classes, but I don’t want to. Admittedly, yoga has been around for thousands of years and it has been perfected and validated as an excellent pathway to mental and physical health. But I have a resistance to physical exercise that is probably due to being involved with too many youthful sports run by coaches with too many personality disorders. Now I am happy to call sitting in a hot tub and then walking to a coffee shop an exercise routine, and will let the rest of the world sweat its way to nirvana. The problem with all this reluctance is that there are so many yoga teachers in St.… Read More

The historic Vinoy Park hotel was built by Aymer Vinoy Laughner in 1925. The architect was Henry Taylor, who also designed St. Mary’s Church, Comfort Station No. 1, the Jungle Hotel (now Admiral Farragut), the Jungle Prada, and the Florida Theater. The cost of construction was $3.5 million – at the time, the largest construction project in Florida history. The Vinoy was the largest and most luxurious of St. Petersburg’s boom-era hotels.

According to historic hotel author Prudy Taylor Board, the Vinoy was sparked as the result of a wager made between Laughner and 1920’s golf champion Walter Hagen. At a party at Laughner’s house on Beach Drive near the present site of the Vinoy, Laughner bet Hagen that he could not hit golf balls off the top of Laughner’s watch without breaking the crystal.… Read More

When local WTSP/CBS news anchor Dion Lim first arrived in town with her husband, Evan Panesis, she had found corporate housing in Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Unluckily for them, they moved in during Gasparilla weekend and experienced the revelry firsthand (perhaps more firsthand than even a news anchor would desire).

A few months later, in search of a permanent residence, Dion and Evan began exploring neighborhoods on both sides of the Bay. When they discovered the Old Northeast, they were instantly hooked.
“It’s exactly what we wanted in a neighborhood, and it’s the lifestyle we wanted,” Dion explains. “As soon as we moved in, we immediately bought bikes.… Read More

St. Petersburg native and film director, Curtis Graham, is happy to return to his Eden Isle home following a grueling month of filming on location on Oloibiri Island in the Niger Delta. Oloibiri is the site of the first oil well drilled in Nigeria in 1956. Since that time, big oil has come to dominate the Nigerian economy. Curtis served as the director of photography for the movie, and helped to produce the film as part of a joint venture between Greyhouse Films, his St. Petersburg-based production company, and Right Angle Productions, a Canadian film production company. The film is set for release at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.… Read More

St. Petersburg, Florida was the first designated green city in the United States! In December 2006, St. Petersburg was certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) as a green local government designation. St. Petersburg was the first city in Florida to receive this prestigious certification!

St. Petersburg Office of Sustainability

When Mayor Rick Kriseman took office in January 2014, his revised city organizational chart included the newly created Office of Sustainability, to be directed by Michael Connors. Mr. Connors began his distinguished career in St. Petersburg, as director of engineering in 1987.  He is now the director of sustainability and green initiatives and director of public works.… Read More

Sharing All of Those? Sunken Gardens Awaits You!

What to do when you retire? Ummm… go to the oldest roadside attraction in the United States and become a docent! Really? Yes, that’s what one Old Northeast resident did! And, not in an air-conditioned museum; no, this dedicated soul went straight to our beloved Sunken Gardens to volunteer.

Susan Rebillot, who has lived in St. Petersburg since she was 10 years old, has always loved gardening. It was in the family, after all. Her grandfather from Italy was a farmer and her grandmother from France grew roses and other flowers in New Hampshire.… Read More