St. Petersburg

Yes, St. Petersburg was originally named after St. Petersburg, Russia. And I've thought it over and have to revise and earlier statement: I think St. Pete is the most important town in Pinellas. In some ways its a close tie with Clearwater but St. Pete excels in areas where Clearwater simply can't compete. Oh not the beaches, of course, but in almost every other area.

Baywalk is relatively new area that has helped add some life into the downtown St. Pete area. It's a mix of shops, restaurants, a large movie theater, and a couple upscale cocktail lounges. Many people who work or live in the area meet at Baywalk for cocktails or dates. The problem is that the rest of St. Pete doesn't have any real nightlife to speak of (neither does Clearwater).

Nearby is the beautiful Vinoy Hotel. It's a must-see and I'd highly recommend it. It's very old and was almost demolished once until the angry citizens of Pinellas rose up and demanded that it be saved. It has now be restored to it's old glory, and it's honestly one of the most beautiful pieces of old architecture we have. It also is huge, and renown for it's Sunday brunch and fantastic services.

If you want great night life you'll have to go to Ybor, in Tampa (which I'll talk about tomorrow). I love dancing, so when I tell you that you need to see Ybor, trust me: You need to see it.

St. Petersburg is an older city. In some of the older residential areas, the streets are paved with pink brick. It's a gorgeous area, lined with period homes and ancient trees. Needless to say, you pay a fortune to get in there, but many believe it's worth it.

Ft. DeSoto Park is located at the edge of St. Pete. It was named the top beach in Florida, but for the life of me, I can't understand why. The sand is always exceptionally hot, and peppered with rocks, shells, and spiny tree pods. I suppose it's because it's linked to the actual fort, and there are camping facilities as well.

The fort itself was built in the early 1900s out of coquina-shell-concrete and is open for tourists, complete with cannons. Additionally, there's a nearby island that you can either ferry out to, or sail to (as I do) with tame tortoises you can hand-feed.

Then there is St. Pete Beach itself. It's not as nice, pure and sugary as Clearwater Beach, but it has a flavor of its own. And there are some specatacular resorts there, such as the Tradewinds Resort, which is definately worth staying in. I would also recommend the Don Cesar but whatever you do, don't eat there.

The Pinellas County area (which includes St. Pete and Clearwater) used to be known as "God's Waiting Room", but no more. It has grown into a major metropolitan area and a popular tourist destination. And I get to live here year-round.