St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, fondly referred to by locals as St. Pete, is a major city in Pinellas County. It is a peninsula city surrounded by water and the Intracoastal Waterway and has always been a popular vacation destination. The city was founded by John Williams who brought the railroad here in 1888. Named for the Russian city, St Petersburg Florida was incorporated in 1892 when it had a population of just 300 people.
About The Community
Today, approximately 265,000 people live, work and relax here. St. Petersburg offers excellent weather, miles of sandy beaches, a low cost of living, and plenty of business and employment opportunities. Good schools, colleges and universities, top-notch health care, affordable housing, and outstanding cultural and recreational programs are added attractions.
Water lovers can go deep-sea fishing, sightseeing cruises or even scuba diving. Fort De Soto Park is a famous beach and the city has 35 miles of white-sand beaches on some eight major barrier islands. Pleasure boats offer luxurious casinos. Art lovers have six museums and numerous galleries to visit in the city including the Florida International Museum affiliated to the Smithsonian Institution and the Florida Holocaust Museum, which is the fourth largest in the United States. The Salvador Dali Museum opened in 1982 and is not to be missed. The collection of works by the famous Spanish artist ranges from 1914, when the artist was ten years of age, through his “transitional” period, the Surrealism years, to the 1980’s.
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The 903-seat Palladium Theatre, which was originally the First Church of Christ Scientist, was built in 1925, and converted into a theater in 1998. The historic Coliseum, located in St. Petersburg’s downtown historic district, was built in 1924. It was renovated by the City in 1989 into one of the Tampa Bay area’s most unique multi-use facilities. The Mahaffey Theater is host to the Florida Orchestra, Broadway entertainment and other performances. Mainsail is an annual outdoor art festival held in April that displays the works of 250 major artists. Board the bright pink trolley called the Looper and visit most of St. Petersburg’s museums and galleries conveniently.
Vicinity of St. Petersburg
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The 100-year-old Sunken Gardens is a botanical paradise that is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. The meandering paths, with exotic plants from around the world, cascading waterfalls, and butterflies will enchant you. Sunken Gardens holds garden tours, horticultural programs, and is a favorite venue for weddings. Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, offers a dining, shopping and entertainment complex in addition to baseball fields. Originally named the Florida Suncoast Dome and then the Thunder Dome, Tropicana Field’ is unmatched in its design and facilities. St. Petersburg also hosts the Honda Grand Prix, with the famed Indy Car Series auto racing, Infiniti Pro Series, SCCA World Speed Challenge, stunt plane air-shows and concerts.
The University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus is a Carnegie-designated Doctoral/Research University. Over 4,000 students enroll in 45 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education.
