Name: St. Petersburg, FL
Rating: 0.0

( 45 Ratings )

Living in St. Petersburg, FL

Ranks better than 86% of areas Follow

Population

264,001

Median Age

43.1 Years

St. Petersburg Area Facts

St. Petersburg has a Livability Score of 86_/100, which is considered exceptional
St. Petersburg crime rates are 80% higher than the Florida average
Cost of living in St. Petersburg is 6% higher than the Florida average

What do the locals think about St. Petersburg?

44%

Family friendly

59%

Public transit is accessible

52%

Walkable to grocery stores

30%

Yards are well-kept

63%

Lots of parks

59%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

30%

A quiet area

41%

Sense of community

Based on 27 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

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St. Petersburg Reviews

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Hot, Expensive, Flooding in Many Areas and Traffic is Getting Worse 1.5 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 05, 2024) I was shocked to see Area Vibes rating of A+ for housing. Rents have skyrocketed here and because so many moved here during the pandemic when the governor let COVID run wild and opened everything up, rents have gone up almost 50%. There are very few rentals even available and mos ...Read More t apartments are $1700, $2000 or more. Property insurance for homeowners has also gone way up and many are trying to sell their condos with no luck. There are over 4000 homeless families with children attending the public schools. More and more homeless everyday. City leaders allow luxury condos to be built left and right but have done very little to address the affordability issue, so many people have been forced to moved away. It used to be a progressive city, now it is a Republican majority. Many areas flood with just a little rain, there are sewage overflows downtown so rich people in swanky condos still have to breathe in putrid air sometimes. The schools are poor- not because of the teachers- but too many parents don't teach their children to value education or have any respect or empathy for others. It was a nice change from Miami when I moved here in 2006, but it floods more and more now so I am forced to move my car when it rains, evacuate for hurricanes nearly every year, move into smaller rentals with less amenities to be able to afford a roof over my head on a teacher's salary and will be moving out of here ASAP. On the plus side, it's a nice place for wealthy snowbirds. Many arts and entertainment options downtown. Read Less

Great to visit, not really to live 2.5 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 15, 2021) We moved here about four years ago from a northern state. I feel as though we lived in some utopia previously bc St. Petersburg is full of everything we don't like. We live in Euclid/St. Paul neighborhood which is a nice neighborhood, but we see scary people walking and riding bi ...Read More kes up and down our street all the time. Where do these people come from? They look low SES or homeless. There was a homeless person living in an empty lot down the street. Wth? If you have rentals on your street (and you will bc they're everywhere really), and they don't take care of their yard and we find the general upkeep of lawns and yards is just missing here. Growing grass here is hard but front yards are awful. It's rare to drive by a house and think, "wow, that's a nice front yard". No one parks cars in the garage so streets are full of cars which detracts from the neighborhoods and with narrow streets, literally causes ruts in the road.

Walking around downtown is always fun especially around the City Building with all the homeless people congregating. It can seem a little rough downtown depending where you go. Some parts of Central Avenue cater to the younger crowd and you see a lot of rough looking people and homelessness. We've come to the conclusion that the pit bull is the Florida state dog - we've seen so many here we've declared it the state dog. Sure, they can be great dogs, I just wouldn't own one with the stigma of being mean. It's like owning a red Corvette, there's too much likelihood of getting that speeding ticket with such a vehicle.

It doesn't feel very safe overall or that it's 'nice, upscale City. We have had two items stolen from us that were outside and a renter had her bike stolen. There is a lot of opportunistic crime here - things outside get stolen or an open garage gets things stolen from it. An unlocked car will get things stolen from it, even during the day. In all the years I lived elsewhere, I don't think I've ever had anything stolen.

I'm sure educated, libertarian/conservative people exist, we just haven't really found them in St. Petersburg. If you lean to the right, this probably isn't the best City for you. And the taxes are rather exorbitant. The fact the City wants to declare racism as a public health crisis tells you a lot. If that appeals to you, then this is your town; if you think it's a bit extra, maybe not your City. This isn't an inexpensive city to live in so why do so many people look unkempt, homeless, or low SES?

I don't have kids in school but everyone has said there are no good schools in St. Petersburg. Again, coming from up north, we loved our school district and the high school had tons of AP classes for kids. Here you really need to go to a private school to get a good and/or challenging education. Read Less

Grew up there 1 rating By Anonymous ( Dec 06, 2019) I lived in St. Petersburg for over 35 years. I moved away 2 years ago. When I first moved there it wasn't bad. The beaches are beautiful, but that's about it. The public schools are terrible and dangerous. Crime is very high and there is a begger on every corner. The weathe ...Read More r is hot, hotter, and hell. If you like to feel like your walking around in soup, and enjoy the possibility of being mugged every time you step outside then this is the place for you. Read Less

Great place to live. 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 20, 2019) St. Pete is a great place to live. The city is full of building murals, art galleries, museums, pop up markets, restaurants, bars, and many small shops. ...Read More Read Less

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Grew up there 1 rating By Anonymous ( Dec 06, 2019) I lived in St. Petersburg for over 35 years. I moved away 2 years ago. When I first moved there it wasn't bad. The beaches are beautiful, but that's about it. The public schools are terrible and dangerous. Crime is very high and there is a begger on every corner. The weathe ...Read More r is hot, hotter, and hell. If you like to feel like your walking around in soup, and enjoy the possibility of being mugged every time you step outside then this is the place for you. Read Less

Great place to live. 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 20, 2019) St. Pete is a great place to live. The city is full of building murals, art galleries, museums, pop up markets, restaurants, bars, and many small shops. ...Read More Read Less

Kind of a Depressing Place 2 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 07, 2019) I grew up in St. Petersburg and spent the start of my young adult life here as well. To be perfectly honest, the culture of the place gets pretty depressing. Everyone in this city has their own story of how some terrible crime was committed right down their road. You avoid certai ...Read More n shopping centers because you know someone will ask you for money there. When the time comes to move out, the rent is killer for young people, and chances are good you'll spend a lot of money for a place you don't even feel safe in. There are some pretty cool things going on downtown, like the Saturday morning market and Central Avenue, but that's just a nice mask that barely covers all the poverty this town has. If you have to live in Pinellas County, go for Dunedin. It's a hidden gem with a cute downtown, better schools, and not as much crime. Read Less

are you stupid? 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 01, 2018) Do yourself a favor and cross this nightmare off your list. I moved down here a couple of years ago based on the misrepresentation of the area you get from the favorable internet comments. Lest you be swayed by that fantasy; it is a disaster on multiple levels. First of all, expe ...Read More ct to pay a premium to live here. Rents are higher here than for many metropolitan areas where you can get actual culture and a public transit system that grants you access to that culture. I made the mistake of renting before concluding a mortgage would be a better investment. Your rents will only move in one direction and the quality of life will move in the other. Once the constant noise from your neighbors slamming their doors or playing music too loud, and the cumulative damage from door dings on your car finally passes your threshold, you may conclude that having your own 4 walls is worth the hefty downpayment, the closing costs, and the surprise repairs that are rewards of home ownership. You will be mistaken. Immediately upon buying you will experience the ultimate joy of living here: boredom and constant antagonism from selfish neighbors. You'd better move down here with your family if you expect any social interaction. Few of the locals can make enough money to live here comfortably so you'll be hit up for money at every opportunity. The prices of homes are driven up by wealthy out of state cash buyers who use the homes here as airbnbs or long term rentals. This has the effects of ensuring that all of your neighbors will be low class disgruntled renters and ironically driving up the assessed value of your home (and consequently your property taxes and homeowner's insurance costs). Don't we all like paying more to get less? You will truly reach the next level once you realize you moved in next to renters who have numerous roosters on their property which crow all day long and other renters who play bass music so loud it rattles your whole house, multiple times per week. As a matter of fact, yes, those are both in violation of the local noise ordinances and no, the St. Petersburg police department won't do anything about it because, hey, it's easier to say anything goes than to actually enforce laws. That extra tax money will feel well spent at that point. But hey, maybe you are special and you don't sleep. Maybe you won't care about the terrible food, the lack of culture (music/theatre/politics) and nearly dying on a daily basis from all the poor drivers everywhere. If that sounds like you, then this is the city for you. Read Less

Wouldn't move here in hind-sight 2.5 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 02, 2018) I've been living in St. Pete for over 11 years, and I am not very happy with the way the Local Government, and the Local Police Agency handles themselves. Education could be a lot better, in-terms of locals having one. The people you meet here are not the same as the people you ...Read More know and love up-north, or any other State, they locals are not to be trusted, and certainly wouldn't call them life-long friends. I would catogrorize St. Petersburg as a great place to visit and enjoy the Sun, but knowing what I know now, I would have never moved here. Read Less

Always something Good Everywhere 4 rating By mhardt18 ( Apr 18, 2018) Right now st. Pete is perfect for us. We lucked into a free Arts Magnet School for are two boys ages 7 and 10. Is this a good place for 20 somethings? Probably not. I spent my single years in Akron, Ohio, Cincinnati, Louisville, Bremen Germany, Boston, Phoenix, Santa Monica, Wes ...Read More t LA, and Long Beach. I got married on the Queen Mary Ship in Long Beach, CA. We left because you could not touch anything to buy for a family house for under 1 million USD. We moved here at the bottom of the sub prime real estate crash and bough a nice 3b craftsmen house built in 1926, 1800 square foot for 250,000 USD which was 1/4 of what it would cost in Long Beach. Is St. Pete perfect? Of course not. But neither was Santa Monica and Long Beach. Yes, there are homeless people but I have not been attacked by homeless people like I did on the MTA Orange line in Boston. Was Boston better for my 25-29 years? Absolutely but I do not miss my car being burred under 12 feet of snow like it was in the great NorEaster of 1993. Right now St. Pete is just fine for a 53 year old with two boys under 10. Do I miss the music scenes of Boston and LA? Absolutely but nonetheless my favorite 80's and 90's bands such as OMD, PIL, Dandy Warhols, Smithereens, Rev. Horton Heat, and Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedies) play regularly about 20 blocks from where I live in a small theater. I can catchy my home State Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds baseball teams at an air conditioned dome about 16 blocks from where I live. You win some you lose some. When the kids leave for college I am sure we will move to somewhere more cosmopolitan such as Santa Monica where my brother in law lives. Read Less

St. Petersburg CityPass 5 rating By buchnek ( Jun 13, 2017) In the spring 2017 we bought St. Petersburg CityPass card and managed to visit 7 museums in 2 days, saving about $30. Taxi discount is $7, discount in bar for dinner - $15. The card is delivered straight to the hotel, booking through the website beforehand. It begins to work from ...Read More the first visit of the first museum. You do not have to wait long queues to the ticket office and do not need to change the currency for payment. There is not much time to walk around the museums, but if you plan your schedule carefully and start early in the morning, choose your favorite places of interest, you will manage everything. The system with the card is very user-friendly, but there is no enough time. On the bus excursion we got new individual headphones and was allowed to keep it. What a nice gift! We will definitely visit the city one more time when there is St. Petersburg CityPass available for 7 days. Read Less

St Pete, Fl ,Lol. St Pete,,, were Trying!!! Always trying. 0.5 rating By Gateway ( Jan 09, 2017) Not a nice place, rich or poor.Most of the folks there been there for generations with the family bizz, which is handed down, drug dealing , thieving and corruption. Infested with Drugs and Scarry, its a black an white city, The black being dominant. You been Warned! Stay away,So ...Read More oner or later if you live here, you will be scamed robbed or worst its a very bad city cloaked in a nice scenery of politics and marketing. Read Less

A Tale of Two Cities 2.5 rating By tlm1959 ( Jan 22, 2016) I am writing from a perspective of someone who lives in a waterfront home in an historic area of St. Petersburg and whose finances are very much in line. So this is not sour grapes. I am trained as a Ph.D. Economist and raised in Minneapolis, so notions like income inequality pr ...Read More obably mean more to me than most yuppies who live on the "right" side of the tracks, although I have met some (not many) upper middle income people who care about the yawning inequalities as much as I do-after all, this is Florida, where the "I got mine" attitude is very prevalent.

Of course, the source of the inequality is generally poor schools (there is a smattering of magnet schools and private schools but middle class people will generally find it tough to put their kids in a good school) along with the nice beaches and water. The former drives high-end service businesses away while the the latter drives people who made it somewhere else to move here. At one point before the nadir of the housing bubble (And we got it as bad as Vegas). 1 in 4 homes where owned by outsiders or investors.

Because of the low education levels, it is very hard to get value added businesses to locate or grow here. Our main industries are call centers, contract manufacturing, bill processing, computer distribution and typical low paying tourist stuff. There are a few brain businesses-health care, some defense and Raymond James brokerage- come to mind but not much else.

My wife and I have two children and were appalled at the school choice. We were not happy with the private schools either as the two that were most recommended had "values" that astounded us. At the most well known private school, I never saw so many young wives in car line with surgical enhancements. This is a big thing here. I later found out that we led the nation in per capita breast enhancements! Did any father at the school-usually a developer or a Oxy-Clean TV show developer (we do have Home Shopping here, another call center)-every marry a woman close to his own age? Yes, it was the first marriage!

The best private schools are the few Catholic schools in the area as they still teach values that are remotely similar to our Midwestern values.

So be prepared to see the richest in the poorest from one minute to the next. Miles and miles of rough high crime neighborhoods surround the "nice areas." And if the school isn't in the ghetto, it still can be bad. We don't have industries that attract educated people so their children really aren't that into school either. Schools that look suburban (Northeast High) have pedestrian academic records.

We do have nice weather 4-5 months out the year and as I age, it is easier for me to get around in the winter. And we have no income tax either-but this isn't Minnesota or Massachusetts-you can't tax low margin businesses or their employees as they will cease to exist. And benefits for the poor are meager-my unemployed sister-in-law still managed to make too much for Medicaid, not that I would wish Florida Medicaid on anyone as most doctors with American med school degrees don't take it.

Like much of Florida, St. Petersburg is a sprawl where miles of nice neighborhoods with good schools are few and far between. You can find this in small amounts in the North of the County, but the commutes are long and difficult. For historical reasons, the only unimpeded North South route (275) runs 1/3 of the way through the county. The rest of the trip is a 50-60 stoplight clogged US 19 to get North to these "suburbs." It takes a long time to get to the North of the County if you live in St. Pete.

If the yawning income inequality and lack of sophistication don't bother you and you have some money, I think you can enjoy this place. Most of the original Florida natives are polite and Southern in their manners and freely admit that it is the ones who couldn't make it up North who are rude. Taxes are low and if you afford schools and make a good living, there are endless restaurants to enjoy. The tourism here allows the area to support many, many more dining experiences than a typical city of 300,000. And some restaurants here are excellent. Last, as I hire many young male MBA's in my business, there are many single, body conscious (it is Florida) women here who are dying to date the relatively few highly educated young men in the area (Unfortunately, I also hire many young elite female MBA's where this math works in reverse).

By the way, I can't move as many employees would suffer. I have bought three homes in other states to keep happy, but don't have enough time to enjoy them. Just a tough place for an Economist or anyone else who wonders about the best way to structure a society. I don't think this is it. Read Less

Racist people everywhere. 0.5 rating By ralfiboy85 ( Nov 16, 2015) I can't stand racism and you find it everywhere in the town. You would be better off moving to Tampa. Many ignorant racist people. I have lived here for three and a half years and thank God I am gone next month. I would recommend this place for old retired people that have nothin ...Read More g to do. The city is full of snobs and morons what a perfect combination. I grew up in Miami Florida and this is a s******* compared to downtown Miami. The culture is terrible people are rude to each other and are always saying sarcastic things to each other. Definitely not a place where I want to raise with child. Read Less

Not so fast.... 4.5 rating By JoeFlorida ( Jul 20, 2015) You may want to ignore the review posted below and follow along for an accurate depiction of this beautiful city. No place is perfect or without it's problems but I happen to love this place. I have traveled all over the US and this is by far my favorite. I've lived in TX, AZ, OK ...Read More , TN, GA, IA, IL, MN & WI. If you are drawn to the ocean as I am, chances are you will love it. I am speaking from the point of view of someone who earns just a bit above the median income. I have lived here for 15 years.

If you make less than 45k a year (by yourself), this is probably not a great place to be...but then again, where is?

West St. Pete is my personal favorite neighborhood to live. The Jungle area is full of mature landscaping (huge oak, pine and palm trees) and a mixture of home styles. No cookie cutters here. You may find a 100k home next to a 500k or a million dollar home but overall it's a good neighborhood. The intracoastal waterway is about two blocks away and there is a small pier on the water. The area south of Tyrone BLVD (diagonal) all the way to Pasadena is very nice. Park Street is lined with high end waterfront homes.

Gulfport (further southwest) is an eclectic artsy, weird sort of place but is very cool. It borders the ocean at the south. Just stay south of 22nd ave S in The Art District. North of that is questionable from 58th st, east over to 49th st. Not bad during the day but...I wouldn't want to walk it at night. Gulfport is full of restaurants and cool taverns and B&B's. It is also home to the L&G community. Not my thing but it doesn't encompass the entire community either. great place to hang for the day as you can walk to many different places. Check out the roof top bar overlooking the beach. (Owner/name changes every 8-12 months it seems).

From there (The Jungle) you can head west to the beach....about an 8 minute drive via Central Avenue to the south or west on Tyrone to the north. Miles and miles of beaches from Pass-A-Grille all the way to Clearwater Beach. If you desire a waterfront house with a boat dock in the back, you can find one in these places starting from 350k on up to 10 mil. beach front as well starting at 1 million.

Starting from the south beaches and moving north...

Pass-A-Grille Beach: Home to the Don Cesar hotel, great beaches and full of million dollar waterfront homes and high taxes. Check out the 4 or 5 story roof top bar at The Hurricane. 260 degree water views...AWESOME.

St. Pete Beach: A mix of older homes and waterfront properties. Condos, tourist beaches and bars, etc. Check out Corey Avenue all the way to the west where it hits the water. Full of nice waterfront bars & restaurants. You can get there by boat as well.

Treasure Island: similar to STPB but you can drink on the public beach here legally (except one main area). This is probably my favorite place. "Touristy" but I am ok with that. Check out Sloppy Joes for beach front dining and drinks.

Madeira Beach: Lower end beach community but still very cool. Check out the Dacquiri Shack acorss the street from the beach. Not much waterfront businesses here but the Shoreline island Resort is a great place to stay for under $120. You can also drink on the beaches here. Just as always, no glass and don't act like an idiot and the police will not bother you. John's Pass is nice if you want to get elevated on the water. Lots of places to check out.

Redington & North Redington Beach: More residential than the "touristy" beaches listed above. They still have a few cool bars & restaurants to check out though.

Indian Shores: Check out Mahuffers! A must see shack across from the beach. Salt Rock Grille for upper end dining.

Indian Rocks Beach: Nice place...more residential but still has some nice shops, restaurants and bars.

Most places north of Madeira are more quiet communities.

The only other area I would live in St. Pete would be the old northeast. I actually used to live here as well. From the awesome downtown St. Pete, north to roughly 40th ave N is the best IMO. I am referring to all areas east of MLK. 4th street is very cool. Full of stuff to do. Check out Three Birds Tavern for a great menu or some fish and chips. Great place.

Go south of down town during the day and check out Fish Tales Seafood House. A great marina front covered bar and grill on the water. You can get there by boat. I would avoid going south or west of this place. Especially at night. That is all ghetto.

This is Florida so there are great places and some to avoid.

There are more nice places to live than what I listed but I am drawn to these because of the lifestyle and proximity to the water. If you want to live more inland and don't care about the water, check out Seminole or you can always find gated communities scatter around throughout.

In regards to the police in St. Pete, I would not listen too much to the below poster. Sounds like he may have a little too much interaction (cough, cough) with the cops to be unbiased. I have been pulled over a couple times and always had a firearm (legal in Florida, just tell them you have it) in my car. They were all very respectful and have always just given warnings. As with anywhere, be respectful to the police and chances are pretty good they will do the same. Read Less

Love st. petersburg!! 4 rating By CarmenR74 ( Feb 06, 2014) great place to live. Its me and my husband and our two kids. we moved here a year ago. we found our place through garden communities fl. theres always something to do with the kids and the weather is always great. there are endless amounts of beaches on the Gulf Coast, the water ...Read More s of Tampa Bay, and its close to Busch Gardens and even Disney! we moved here from new jersey, and its definitely a great change! i cant get enough of this warm awesome weather!! perfect family place to live, its perfect for us..

this is where we found our place:
http://www.gardencommunitiesfl.com/Apartment-Rentals/Hillsborough-County-FL/Tampa/St-Petersburg-Florida-Facts.aspx Read Less

What a Mistake 0.5 rating By Piscean50 ( Dec 17, 2013) O.K the beaches are nice while they are still here the sand however is being brought in due to erosion, Forget downtown 2 face scum all the way wall to wall snotty people on one side the other old people and finally the punks,graffiti artist skateboard types. The mentality of the ...Read More people here makes me ashamed to belong to the human race. Now the arts Dali is exempt but the local "art scene" is a laugh it consists of those punks I mentioned earlier the ones that just left college to try to make it, also self proclaimed artists who are laughably bad, and a maybe 5% who try and some do succeed,Not a good ratio and I am an artist one that grows jealousy from the wannabes but I am not going to get into that.The cities as a whole sucks the streets are old, people will run you over just because, there is an accident every 15 minutes to an hour just in my neighborhood South pasadena. I have only been here 6 months and that seems to be the breaking point for many. Yes the wildlife is cool the ocean is nice and the weather 70% is not bad but the way the people go about business,crappy schools,crowded everything,think twice, I hopefully will be leaving after my lease is up.Nothing against Florida but for some reason st stink, stinks. And yes it is depressing,or it will make you want to kill . Read Less

Depressing 1 rating By Danbell ( Oct 30, 2013) Lived in St Pete for a short period of time. It's a really depressing place. It has some pretty scenery and the Dali museum but it stops there. There is NO nightlife worthy of mention. Shopping is a joke. Residents act like St Pete is on par with major cities and it's just not. I ...Read More t's a small town on Tampa Bay. Lots of bums and transients and dirty people running across highways barefoot. The weather is perfect in the winter months but unbearable in the summer. Tons of crappy restaurants. And strangely, most people I met were pretty dumb. Don't know if that's a florida thing but it's pretty apparent when you start talking to the locals. Oh, awesome thunderstorms. Read Less

A great city centered in the Tampa Bay Area 4.5 rating By RisqueRides ( Apr 27, 2013) We don't usually post in traditional forums like this but we want to defend the city that we have called home over the years. This city is centrally located in the Greater Tampa Bay Area and has access to numerous beaches on the Gulf Coast, the waters of Tampa Bay, and only a sho ...Read More rt drive to attractions like Busch Gardens and even Disney. Crime is not much worse than any other major city and like other cities there are some problem areas. In our opinion Pinellas County may have a little too harsh and unclear legal policy when it comes to certain options of the nightlife entertainment but there are still plenty of clubs in the area as well as across the Bay in Tampa and to the North in Pasco County. The city has great educational opportunities starting in High School with the International Baccalaureate Program at St. Pete High and the Cat Program at another local High School. The city is home to St. Petersburg College and a satellite campus of the University of South Florida. The St Petersburg/Clearwater Airport offers nationwide flights and Tampa International airport is just across the Bay. We highly recommend the St. Petersburg and all the Cities in the Greater Tampa Bay area. St. Petersburg is a corporate hub for numerous national companies and has a ton of small businesses serving the area. A great place to live, work, and visit. Respectfully, the Risque Rides Crew. Read Less

St. Petersburg, FL City Review 4 rating By Anonymous ( Nov 25, 2011) I have lived in St Petersburg Florida now for the last 10 years and I got to say it really has grown on me. There is a wonderful hidden historical, creative, and new cultures springing up all the time. When I walk down Central Avenue and hit my local coffee bistro they know me by ...Read More name and always have exactly what I want at the time of my arrival. The city is very small at the end of the peninsula and is a short drive to Tampa which is an entirely separate world in itself. It's the culture of St. Petersburg Florida that keeps me loving it here every single day.

I know that every time I step out my door there is a whole new world waiting for me and the anticipation grows each passing moment. Whether it is taking a walk down in the historical district, or my eye catching at the new exhibit at the museum, on my way to a St. Petersburg pier it is always an adventure. As I get closer to the pier I get to see many types of people from the guy that plays every day on the street corner strumming his tunes to the classic American rock and roll or the small band that plays at the front to central and first avenue that enjoys the bluegrass classics that you just do not here anymore. When the rays are playing and the city streets are packed with fans coming home from the games you can hear the cheering and celebration when they win you can also feel the broken hearts when they lose. If there is one thing I can say about St Petersburg it is old time city with an old time neighborhood waiting to burst at the seams every night with something new. Read Less

St. Petersburg, FL - Party Paradise 5 rating By Anonymous ( May 03, 2010) St. Petersburg is one the sunniest place in the United States, according to the Guinness book of world records. Located between Tampa Bay and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, Saint Pete is lined with beautiful beaches, a rich culture, delicious restaurants and abundant attractions. ...Read More Visit historic museums like the Dali, Tampa Bay Devil Ray's baseball games or Indy races, and enjoy fun in the sun on St. Petersburg glorious beaches and numerous state parks.

The city of St. Petersburg is a short, two hour drive to paradise from south west Florida. For our twentieth wedding anniversary, we chose a long weekend in St. Petersburg. As beach lovers and nightlife partakers, Clearwater beach was the finest North St Petersburg location for us to lodge. Lined with hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and of course a sandy white beach, there was not a moment of boredom. On Saturday, we visited The Pier, a landmark of downtown St. Petersburg. The Pier is reminiscent of an attraction, with plenty of specialty shops, bike and boat rentals, fishing, and pelican feeding. Beyond the great food, fun activities, and beautiful view of Tampa Bay, our favorite Pier attraction was the Pier Aquarium; a wonderful two story, round aquatic display smack dab in the center with a second floor displaying beautiful salt water life.

The nightlife at the beach in St Petersburg was fabulous. With every form of live music available and night clubs that ranged from casual to formal dress, it was the perfect place to party. Look no further than the city of St. Petersburg to provide an action packed vacation. Read Less

Compare St. Petersburg, FL Livability

St. Petersburg, FL

Nestled on the Gulf of Mexico, a short distance from Tampa, St. Petersburg, FL is close to beaches and culture. As a small city, costs are affordable. Nicknamed the "Sunshine City," the pleasant weather and an average of 361 days of sunshine make it a mecca for sports as well as boating and beach going. St. Petersburg is the fifth most populated city in Florida. Rentals and homes for sale are all part of the real estate here.

Rental prices have gone up, along with the national average. This city is still cheaper to live that that of the national average. Cost of homes are cheaper here than in other parts of Florida as well as the national average. Overall costs are slightly less than the costs in other parts of the country. There are apartments for rent as well as homes, in the downtown area, that overlook parks and have a bit of history. You might find a home or apartment with a view of Tampa Bay.

Of the popular attractions, of which this city has an array, the beach is a lure for residents as well as visitors. The Dali Museum beckons to those who love Salvatore Dali as well as those who love art; they have other artists exhibits, such as Frida Kahlo, that appear here. Enjoy the beautiful modern glass building that houses the museum. Take the family to Fort De Soto Park or spend the day viewing wildlife and an historical botanical garden at the Sunken Gardens. Art lovers will enjoy the Chihuly Collection of glass and the Morean Art Center as well as the Museum of Fine Arts. The St. Pete Pier is a local landmark and a friendly gathering place for residents, visitors and families. Strollers enjoy beautiful views of Tampa Bay and the nearby boats. If you love boating and fishing and other water sports, this city has it all.

You can get around St. Petersburg by trolley, bicycle or bus. Free rides are offered to the beaches of St. Pete or Treasure Island. Those who work in Tampa can take the Cross Bay Ferry or cross one of the bridges to Tampa by car.

There are many reasons to call this great city of St. Petersburg home. Affordability as well as a multitude of cultural options make it a splendid place to live. Families can enjoy a host of events, and the Clearwater Aquarium is nearby. From the Great Exploration Children's Museum to a pirate cruise, St. Petersburg is fun for all. Gorgeous weather, abundant golf courses and nearby theme parks provide something for the whole family. And the vibrant hum of the city of Tampa is right across the Bay.