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Travel writer Terry Ward organizes your weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida, from mural hopping in the old warehouse area to grouper sandwiches on white sand beaches.
St. Petersburg, Florida, a fast-growing city in the Tampa Bay Area, is a great alternative to Miami and Orlando due to its 70F (21C) “winters”, arts city-meets-beach town ambiance, and great cuisine.
To plan the ultimate St. Petersburg weekend, we consulted Florida travel writer Terry Ward, who has lived in Tampa Bay for over 10 years.
SPECIALIST: Tampa-based travel writer Terry Ward has written for BBC, CNN Travel, National Geographic, and Condé Nast Traveler while traveling the world. But she still believes Florida beaches are world-class.
Ward added, “I think people get really surprised by St Pete,” the city’s endearing moniker. Many individuals want a beach experience in Florida with an urban twist. St. Pete strikes me as independent.”
St. Pete’s walkable downtown, including the Pier and Grand Central District, has boutiques, diverse museums, art galleries, and nightlife, enhanced by contemporary murals and a steady boom of new restaurants, from posh to Roman-run porchetta trucks. The Central Avenue Trolley and SunRunner buses run from downtown to St Pete Beach, a narrow islet of pristine white sand, seafood shacks, and Mid-century hotels. A car is useful for visiting seafront Gulfport, an Easter egg-colored hub of bars and boutiques known for its nightlife, and historic Kenwood, with its brick streets lined with oak trees and gabled Craftsman bungalows. In the 16th century, pirates entered St. Petersburg, home to generations of Native Americans since 3000 BCE. The pirate remains a famous character in local identity.
“St Pete used to be called ‘God’s waiting room’,” said Ward. “Yeah, it’s long outgrown that reputation.”
Terry Ward recommends a weekend in sunny, artistic St. Pete.
1. Friday night favorite: St. Pete Pier
Ward starts a St Pete weekend at the St Pete Pier, a pedestrian-friendly tree-lined zone of restaurants and stores leading to the city’s huge shoreline and capped by local artist Janet Echelman’s twine net mega-sculpture “Bending Arc”. “It’s super Scandinavian looking,” observed Ward. “Totally awesome. The Majeed Foundation has a pirate-themed playground and splash area for youngsters. Additionally, the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center has wildlife displays. You can see everything 360°.”
Ward prefers Pier’s 1926 Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg. “[It’s] so classic and so walkable to everything,” she added of the retro flamingo resort. Ward advises walking from The Vinoy to Beach Drive, where couples may have a rooftop beverage at the Birchwood Canopy bar at the boutique hotel Birchwood while children can enjoy the Pier’s street scene. “It’s really lively at night, which is cool,” Ward added. “[There’s] live music on the weekend, and they sometimes have pop up things like a roller-skating rink, depending on the season.”
Ward like the beautiful French café Cassis, the New American restaurant Teak St Pete with its downtown views, and Allelo, a Mediterranean-Aegean restaurant and bar offering shared small dishes, for supper. For dessert, Ward visits Paciugo Gelato & Caffé. “We don’t need a plan,” she remarked. “You can just set out on foot and see where the night brings you.”
Site: https://stpetepier.org
Address: 600 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Phone: +1 (727) 822-7437 Instagram: @stpetepier
2. Best Saturday morning market
Ward’s ideal Saturday morning in St. Pete is at the Saturday Morning Market, a social hub since 2002. “I’d say it’s probably the best market in the whole Tampa Bay area,” Ward. “I come across the bridge [from Tampa] just for that market.”
St. Pete’s finest local produce, artists, and food kiosks are featured at the high-energy market at Williams Park from June to September and adjacent to the Al Lang Stadium from October to May. “Beautiful flowers, live music, beer garden,” Ward added. “Everyone attends on Saturday morning… Breakfast is simple, and there are tables.”
Ward’s Saturday Morning Market favorite is Sylvia’s Waffles’ delicious Belgian waffles, although the market varies often. “You never know who’s going to be there,” remarked. There is generally someone who opens coconuts using a straw. But it has tons of international cuisine, and residents buy there. It has a European feel.”
Artists from the Tampa Bay offer hand-painted ceramic tiles and upcycled art prints at the Saturday Morning Market. Ward enjoys giving local honey, Florida sea salt, and exotic sea sponges. “I always get [sponges] to bring to friends when I’m looking for something really ‘Florida’,” remarked she.
The Saturday Morning Market website
At 350 2nd Ave N in summer and 100 1st Ave SE in winter, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Call: +1 (727) 855-1937 Instagram: @saturdaymorningmarket.stpete
3. Enjoying street art and museums on Saturday afternoons
Ward begins his afternoon in St. Petersburg by visiting the Dalí Museum, designed by local architect Yann Weymouth. The museum houses over 2,400 artworks spanning the surrealist master’s life and artistic evolution. “It’s just a short walk from [the winter Saturday Morning Market],” Ward added. “They have a good café there, too, that does a really good Spanish tortilla.”
St. Petersburg has several interesting museums, like the Dali, the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, and the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement uptown. At the Morean Arts Centre, Dale Chihuly’s fanciful sea creature glass sculptures will delight modern sculpture aficionados.
St. Pete’s museum scene is rich, but the city’s best art may be found outdoors, especially in the former warehouse precinct, now known as the Grand Central District, which has great shops, restaurants, and dozens of beautiful street murals. “They have the huge Shine® Mural Festival every year,” Ward remarked. There are hundreds of St. Pete street paintings. The city embraces muralists more. St. Pete’s inventiveness has been enabled by the city. The town is cool.”
4. Saturday night Grand Central District is best.
Grand Central District nightlife starts after the sun sets, muting the murals’ vivid colors. It’s excellent for a car-free Saturday night of terrific dining and bar hopping. “There’s a few spots I like there for something casual,” Ward added. Lolita’s Wine Market lets you construct charcuterie platters. Their sofas make it social for hanging out.” Trophy Fish, an upscale fish house featuring creative cocktails and Gulf seafood such smoked peel-and-eat shrimp and fish sandwiches cooked with the day’s catch, is also recommended by Ward.
Ward recommends The Saint after dinner cocktails. “It’s a speakeasy where you enter through a confessional,” said. “Confess your sin and get in.” An unassuming city block hides the speakeasy’s luxurious decor, extensive menu of sophisticated drinks, seven of which are named after the Deadly Sins, tarot readings, and burlesque shows. Ward suggests visiting one of St. Pete’s breweries for something healthier. They’re great here. She stated they’re family-friendly. “[They have] cornhole and outdoor areas where you can hang out beer garden style.” Check out Ward’s 22nd-street artisan brewery, 3 Daughters Brewing.
Website: https://www.grandcentraldistrict.org/ Instagram: @grandcentralsp
5. Sunday morning brunch at The Library
Saturday night beers naturally lead to Sunday brunch. The bubble-gum pink castle-shaped Don CeSar resort on St Pete Beach offers a large Sunday brunch buffet, among other fantastic alternatives. Ward’s favorite brunch destination is downtown St Pete’s exquisite New American eatery The Library. “It’s got indoor and outdoor seating and great Gouda bacon grits and cocktails,” Ward. “[It’s ] inspired by a library in Baltimore, [with] books as décor and for borrowing if you want to find a nook to curl up with a coffee and read.”
The John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Research and Education building houses the Library’s distinctive literary environment. Its brunches, from Maple Snickerdoodle Pancakes and Beef Cheek Benedict to a lavish $80 brunch platter, are also unusual.
Site: https://thelibrarystpete.com/
Location: 600 5th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Phone: +1 (727) 369-9969 Instagram: @thelibrarystpete
6. Best Sunday afternoon Florida nature retreat
Overall, Florida’s biggest allure is its sugar-soft white sand beaches and natural fauna. “[There’s] so much natural beauty in the area,” Ward added. “I think if you don’t get out in it either at one of the beaches or these unexpected places to paddle and see dolphins and manatees, you’re missing out on what Florida is really about.”
Pass-a-Grille, near the southernmost point of St Pete Beach, is Ward’s favorite beach getaway. Its brilliantly painted late 19th-century gabled buildings include creative stores and eateries. “History is intriguing,” remarked Ward. “It was named Passe aux Grilleurs in French for the French buccaneers who grilled up their fresh catch on the pass there.”
After boutique shopping and beach relaxation, go to The Dewey, beachside luxury suites with a stunning rooftop bar and restaurant offering upmarket coastal cuisine (try the Kentucky Fried Grouper Cheeks).
Ward recommends Weedon Island Preserve for alternate water adventures. “There’s a four-mile kayaking or canoe trail through the mangroves,” Ward added. “Feels a little bit like you’re in the Everglades!”
Rent canoes and kayaks to explore the area, then have lunch at The Getaway, a tiki hut close to Urban Kai paddleboard store. “It’s really cool, it’s got Key West vibes,” he remarked. “The restaurant features picnic tables on the beach with tropical music and vivid colors. Jimmy Buffett Key Westie vibes. I brought a Swiss friend there recently, and he said, ‘This is precisely what I was looking for.’ Tuna nachos and fresh-catch grilled fish tacos are available. Love that location.”
St. Petersburg’s Gulf of Mexico proximity makes it ideal for fresh seafood, notably Florida grouper, which is often served in blackened, grilled, or fried sandwiches. “There’s nothing kind of like eating a sandwich with a water view,” Ward.
