St Petersburg has a rich history. It has recently
celebrated its centennial. Many good things were happening in St Pete. In 1918
it gained title to the remaining waterfront holdings. In 1920 Perry Snell would
donate a mile of waterfront property north of the Vinoy Park Hotel. The city
planning dept foresight would set the stage for the growth of the city in the
1920's the land boom began and lasted till 1925.
The
population had exploded to 26,000 people. 10 new major hotels were built. In
1924 the Gandy Bridge was built and it cut travel time to Tampa in half. The
real estate boom crashed between 1926 and 1927, the good and bad times
paralleled the rest of the United States. The tourists were still coming until
1930. Then the great depression would take its toll.
In 1940 Harry
Playford would built the Tides at Redington Beach. Until recently the Tides was
an active place to go for fun. Then the population rose to 60,812.
War
restictions were imposed after Pearl Harbor and it destroyed tourism. St.
Petersburg was saved from complete disaster for a period of 18 months beginning
in mid 1942 when empty hotels such as the Soreno, Vinoy, Princess Martha and
almost every room in the city was turned into military barracks. Between 1942
and 1943 more than 100 military units passed through St Petersburg. It was home
to the U.S. Coast Guard as a training base. Find St.
Petersburg Listings Here
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The
St Petersburg area grew rapidly after the 2nd World War. Many of the men that
served in the Armed Forces came back with their families to live. Also the
retirees started to immigrate to the area. By 1960 St Petersburg had
established it reputation as a retirement haven. St.
Petersburg Real Estate
In 1954 the first phase of the Sunshine
Skyway started and connected Manatee county with Pinellas County. In 1962 The
Pinellas Bayway connected St. Petersburg with the beaches. The 1960s brought
into existence The Municipal Marina, The Museum of Fine Art, the Main Library,
and the Bay front Center.
Since
about 1998 downtown St Petersburg has taken on a new look. Many beautiful new
condominiums sit overlooking the waterfront. The downtown area has tons and
tons of new shops, restaurants, cafés and coffee shops, antique art shops
and galleries, there is Culture everywhere. Whatever you are looking for, you
can find it here. If you can not find it here, it is only minutes away from
Tampa….And by the way the famous Detroit Hotel still exists down town. It
was the first hotel built in the area.
This is a great place to raise
your kids. It reminds me of Chicago on a smaller scale. I love it here and I
know that you will love it too! Homes for Sale in St.
Petersburg |
