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St. Petersburg is famous for its sun. So famous that it captured the world record for the most consecutive sunny days four decades ago and hasn't looked back. With an average of 360 days of sunshine a year, St. Pete has earned the right to call itself "The Sunshine City." Located on Florida's west coast on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, St. Petersburg attracts visitors looking to relax on sparkling white sand beaches, golf at one of the Tampa Bay area's 50 golf courses or fish its blue waters. A destination for arts, culture and entertainment, St. Petersburg has outgrown its former reputation as a sleepy beach town, with a range of recreation options from family fun to seafaring adventures and romantic escapes.
St. Petersburg´s perpetual sun and white sandy beaches are a major attraction for tourists, and the beachside resorts reflect those tastes. Catering to the tourist crowd looking for a relaxing escape, St. Pete´s hotels offer luxury and taste all within a stones throw from turquoise waters and palm-lined beaches. Luxurious sandy oases in St. Pete Beach are great for beachlovers who want to be only 15 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg and all the area’s attractions without loosing the bliss of a tropical paradise. To check out hotels in St. Petersburg and take advantage of special StPetersburg.com hotel discounts and online reservations, click here or call 1.800.275.0186 (or call toll free in Europe: 00 800 1610 1690).
While it may not have the big city flash of Miami, St. Petersburg's dining scene has plenty to offer in the form of slick seafood restaurants, handsome steakhouses and ethnic dining of many stripes. Many of the restaurants in St. Petersburg also offer amazing seaside settings that are great for everything from blissful dates to tropical dinner parties. A time tested favorite for locals and visitors is Guppy´s, where a stunning view of the sunset along Indian Rocks Beach is accompanied by the freshest fish in creatively prepared in dishes. Guppy´s sister restaurant, E & E Stakehouse Grill specializes in top-rated steak dishes and Prime Rib made from tender, corn-fed beef, as well as daily seafood specials and an extensive wine list. If visiting Tampa, check out Ruth´s Chris Steak House, another local favorite for mouthwatering aged USDA Prime beef. When locals want to spice up their dinner selection, they head to one of several ethnic restaurants in St. Petersburg, like Marchand’s Bar & Grill for seductive Mediterranean cuisine, or Arigato for a unique selection of gourmet sushi rolls. Online booking for St. Petersburg restaurants, cafés, bistros and more is now available here on StPeterburg.com.
More than just sun and sand, St. Petersburg is the cultural hub of central Florida with nationally renowned museums, performing arts venues and galleries. With six amazing museums, including the powerful Holocaust Museum, the breathtaking Salvador Dali Museum and the awesome Great Explorations Museum (a must-see for kids), museum lovers will be in heaven. There are several other great landmarks in the area, including The Pier, the Sunken Gardens Botanical Garden and Fort DeSoto. Maybe one of the best ways to get to know St. Petersburg is with a tour. There are fantastic St. Petersburg tours that visit everything from aquariums to big cat rescue centers, as well as day and evening cruises and shopping tours.
When the sun goes down, things really heat up in St. Pete as tanned beachcombers venture out to quench their nocturnal thirst in a wide selection of beachfront bars and music venues. BayWalk, an open-air retail and entertainment complex in downtown, offers shopping, dining, and entertainment, featuring such hotspots as Wet Willy’s, Dan Marino’s Town Tavern and Muvico, a 20 screen movie theatre that boasts child care services and fresh cuisine. Both tourists and locals flock to dens like Dino’s and Ringside Cafe in downtown St. Petersburg for nightly jazz and blues, to places like Banana Boat Bayside and Kahuna’s for awesome beachfront fun, and to hip spots like A Taste for Wine and Martini Bar for chic surroundings and class in a glass. Locals find their daily respite at cool little dives like The Emerald Bar and Mastry’s, and college kids (when not wreaking havoc on the town) hang at the Tavern at Bayboro. There is also a cool selection of gay bars in St. Petersburg, including popular haunts like the Hideaway, Blue Jeans and the massive Chiq bar. For local music, check out our local band directory.
St. Petersburg often turns tourists into potential residents, attracted by the beautiful, sunny climate, well-preserved natural areas and excellent cultural institutions. The beachfront condos have endless appeal for Northerners looking to say goodbye to big-city life or just to retire in a warm, friendly city. St. Petersburg´s fine educational institutions, the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg College and Eckerd College, bring students from all over the country to this “City of Sunshine”, and it´s plain to see why many of them stay! With the beautiful setting, the abundance of things to see and do, the fabulous selection of restaurants and the vivacious nightlife scene, there seems to be no reason not to buy St. Petersburg real estate. Find a New St. Petersburg Condo, search St. Petersburg Apartments, or find a St. Petersburg roommate. Rates are at historic lows, think about getting a refinance on Zillow.
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