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Living In Paradise - St. Petersburg, Florida

For aging baby boomers, the decision on wheretourist years through the 20s. Like many
to retire is made difficult by so manyother areas of the state, the real estate
beautiful North American venues.boom crashed during The Great Depression.
Historically, many have chosen to buy FloridaBut, St. Petersburg recovered, with the help
property, particularly in the Tampa,of large Public Works Administration projects
Clearwater, and St. Petersburg Floridain the 1930s, bringing $10 million in new
marketplace because of the warm climate,investment. St. Petersburg's City Hall was
beautiful beaches, friendly people, finebuilt  with  New  Deal federal funds in 1939.
health care, no personal income tax and a
variety  of  other  reasons.The city experienced phenomenal growth
throughout the 1940s. St. Pete was home to
Yes, the City of St. Petersburg hasthe U.S. Coast Guard Station on Bayboro
experienced periods of glory, disrepair andHarbor as a training base for World War II
now, revitalization. In 1875, Detroittroops. Anti-submarine air patrols were made
resident General John Williams purchasedover the Gulf of Mexico during WWII. The War
2,500 acres of land on Tampa Bay. The GeneralDepartment later selected St. Petersburg as a
had visions of a grand and vibrant city withmajor training center for the Army Air Corps.
elegant parks and broad streets, which todayMore than 100,000 pilots and trainees
are the trademark of St. Petersburg'soccupied every hotel in the city. As a
cityscape.result, the population grew fast and created
a housing shortage with families of military
Within a dozen years, the Russian aristocratmen looking for a place to live. Post war,
Peter Demens brought the Orange Belt Railwaymany of the soldiers stationed in the Tampa
to St. Petersburg. The first train arrived onBay area returned to live with their families
June 8, 1888. Shortly thereafter Demens namedor to visit as tourists until their
the city after his birthplace, St.retirement.
Petersburg,  Russia.
The 1950s and 60s were notable for the wide
Florida's love affair with baseball soonspread use of air conditioning, which
brought professional baseball's springresulted in a considerable amount of housing
training to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1914.for retirees. Mirroring national trends, the
Al Lang, the city's former mayor, convincedCentral Plaza and Tyrone Gardens shopping
Branch Rickey to move his St. Louis Browns tocenters attracted local businesses to
the  Sunshine  City  for  spring  training.relocate from the downtown area. The
population grew beyond 200,000. As the
The state's first big growth boom in theautomobile became the prime mode of
1920's resulted in an invasion of touriststransport, streetcar tracks were removed to
arriving by auto, railroad, and yacht. Themake way for better roads. The 1960s
Gandy Bridge opened in 1924, reducing travelexperienced building of the municipal marina,
time to Tampa by more than half andthe main library, the Bayfront Center and the
positioning St. Petersburg to become PinellasMuseum  of  Fine  Arts.
County's largest city. The 1920s also brought
beautiful architecture to downtown St.St. Petersburg's quest for a Major League
Petersburg and adjoining neighborhoods. TheBaseball franchise began in the 1970s. It was
city's architecture reflected a Mediterraneannot until 20 years later that the arrival of
Revival motif. Snell Isle, a 275 acrethe Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998 saw the team
subdivision was the result of Perry Snell'smove their permanent home to downtown's
love of the Tampa Bay area. Snell Isle owesTropicana  Field.
its existence to Snell first visiting St.
Petersburg on his wedding trip in 1898. UponToday, the downtown core is experiencing a
returning the following year, his firstperiod revitalization with municipal projects
purchase was the waterfront property locatedthat include retail shops, restaurants, and
at First Street and Fourth Avenue North, nowmovie theaters. More than 900 community
known  as  North  Shore  Park.events bring millions of people each year to
experience yacht races, triathlons, baseball,
St. Petersburg's makeover is evident inbasketball, cycling, cultural exhibits, motor
several Mediterranean Revival buildingsracing and music. Seven museums in the
including The Vinoy Hotel, the Princessdowntown district attract tourists. A state
Martha, the Snell Arcade, and the Jungleuniversity, 10 marine institutes and more
Country Club Hotel. Others can be seen in thethan two dozen galleries attest to the city's
Spanish castles and homes along Coffee Potcommitment to education and health care. Much
Bayou  and  in the Jungle Prada neighborhood.movement into the historic neighborhoods
continues as residents invest in their
St. Petersburg continued to have strongcommunities with a great source of pride.



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