Peter Schorsch
St. Petersburg got a rosy mention in the New York Post Tuesday, with Alev Aktar writing that the ‘Burg has the “country’s best beach” and contending its’ burgeoning art and dining scenes make it one of Florida’s “cultural hot spots.”
“Over the last decade, the Sunshine City has evolved into a creative hub, with world-class museums, thriving galleries and bold street art that have the once-neglected downtown booming again,” he wrote. “And soon there will be much more to admire: Three ambitious new museums will open in St. Pete over the next two years, cementing its reputation as one of Florida’s cultural hot spots.”
Aktar gave a weekend plan for readers looking for a short trip to St. Petersburg, suggesting visitors hit up the Chihuly Collection and follow it up with a bite at Itermezzo Coffee & Cocktails.
Also getting the nod were ice pop shop The Hyppo, FarmTable Cucina, Reading Room, Sea Salt, the Dali Museum, the Duncan McClellan Gallery and the historic St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. Topping the hotel recommendations were the Vinoy Renaissance and the Birchwood Inn. I’ll look past the fact he put down Clearwater’s Wyndham Grand on a “best of St. Pete” list.
“Thanks to St. Pete’s laid-back yet imaginative spirit, there’s more art to check out the next day. More than 80 — and counting — eye-catching outdoor murals wrap buildings, walls and a main downtown intersection,” he wrote.
The Sunshine City shoutout comes more than a year in advance of the $70 million Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement opening its doors, but even so the vacation adviser said “with so much art on tap — as well as year-round sunshine and those irresistible white-sand beaches — it’s worth adding St. Pete to your vacation short list.”
Take a look at the piece and remember just how awesome St. Pete’s renaissance is.
