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A scrumptious summer popsicle from The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops, 627 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
– VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n
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The Cider Press Cafe, St. Petersburg, offers diners vegan dishes that even omnivores will like.<\/p>\n
– Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n
Check out the boutiques that line the\u00a0Crislip Arcade, built in the 1920s and given new life in the 2000s. Kids who\u2019ve grown up with\u00a0MasterChef Junior\u00a0and sushi lunches won\u2019t want to leave\u00a0Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops<\/a>\u00a0until they\u2019ve sampled coconut pistachio or strawberry habanero. For a buck extra, any pop can be dipped in chocolate.<\/p>\n In recent years, St. Petersburg has landed on must-visit lists from the\u00a0New York Times,\u00a0TripAdvisor, Forbes Travel and\u00a0AmericanStyle\u00a0arts and travel magazine. Fueling the city\u2019s vibrancy is a robust art community and a craft beer scene that continues to bubble and brew. \u201cGod\u2019s waiting room\u201d as it was once known, is more like a heavenly rave these days, with downtown bursting on weekend nights with music and street life.<\/p>\n There are distinct districts to prowl, all of them punctuated with murals celebrating an array of subjects from Frida Kahlo to spinning dinner plates and snake oil advertising. On the downtown waterfront is tony Beach Drive, with its glittery high-rise condos, art museums and sidewalk dining. West of downtown, and still on Central Avenue<\/a>, is evolving into a haven for local breweries, hipster restaurants and neighborhood bars. The scene is expanding south from Central where the Warehouse Arts District rises from a tangle of industrial buildings. Built in 1924, Floridian Social Club (formerly, the State Theater) was constructed in the Beaux-arts style architecture. In this image, members of the Unbrokken band had just finished their music set for the night.<\/p>\n – Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n Customer Amanda Biondo, purchases a Datil pepper cheesecake ice pop from salesperson Zoghanno Richardson at The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops, 627 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n – Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n
Most of the 600 Block was slated for demolition to make way for development just before the real estate bubble burst in 2008. Tattered antique shops had been shuttered for a couple years when a clever St. Petersburg city councilwoman had the idea to offer affordable rents to artists. The idea took hold and what was once a blighted section of Central has become an epicenter for independent commerce.<\/p>\n Go West<\/p>\n Start your 600 Block amble at the corner of Central Avenue and Sixth Street. Vegan Pad Thai is offered as a lunch entree at The Cider Press Cafe, 601 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n – Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n Vegan Florida Roll made in a sushi style is offered as an appetizer at the Cider Press Cafe., St. Petersburg, with an Hibiscus Lemonade.<\/p>\n – Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n Head west, on the north side of Central, to hit a stretch of boutiques such as\u00a0Misred Outfitters<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Illume Organic Apparel\u00a0and a trio of shops with French names:\u00a0Bijou<\/a>,\u00a0Cozette<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Suzette. For shoppers looking for a unique ensemble, these are must-stop shops.<\/p>\n Stash<\/a>\u00a0yarn shop, just one street north of Central Avenue on 1st Avenue North, stocks oodles and oodles of colorful skeins for stitchers. The sign on the door is a nod to the warm Florida weather, inviting shoppers to peruse the wool in air-conditioned comfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n Take a right into the Crislip Arcade at about the center of the block. The arcade was slated for the bulldozer too, but was revitalized in 2010 to house galleries. The entire block was envisioned as an artist colony, but over time has evolved into a mostly shopping and dining destination.\u00a0The Local COOP, which occupies a couple of spaces in the arcade, has brought together local artisans and crafty folks, and\u00a0Salt-LIGHT Art<\/a>\u00a0brings a touch of classy sophistication to the arcade alley. Jewelry is a specialty of\u00a0White Pine Studio.<\/p>\n From the arcade, head into the alley behind the north side of the block to meander among the murals on the backs of the buildings. Artists created many of them during the city\u2019s inaugural SHINE Mural Festival in 2015. (For more information:\u00a0shineonstpete.com<\/a>.) One of them honors a beloved local artist popularly called Woo, who died in his 600 Block gallery in 2012. He was just 43, and he watches over the alley with his iconic dark-framed glasses, goatee and soul patch. Walk back through the arcade after you\u2019ve visited Frida, some rambunctious little space aliens, Twiggy and Mr. Sun (a nod to 1940s St. Petersburg marketing campaigns), and start your journey west again.<\/p>\n The sidewalk becomes crowded here with caf\u00e9 tables and skateboarders sharing the walkway. You\u2019ll notice a shift in the offerings as you head toward the\u00a0Floridian Social Club<\/a>, the former bank in the Beaux-Arts style that\u2019s been a concert venue for decades, currently under renovation. There\u2019s\u00a0Two Fold Bicycle Shop<\/a>, specializing in funky folding bikes, and\u00a0The Lure<\/a>,\u00a0a\u00a0restaurant popular for cocktails, small plates and pool. Next door is\u00a0Brew D Licious<\/a>, where coffee drinkers sink into cushy chairs and the talk is as thick as the espresso. (Or sit outside where water bowls bring relief to thirsty dogs.)<\/p>\n Visitors look at a series of city murals along the back alley of businesses in the 600 block of Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n – Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n Shoppers admire Asian themed dresses in the front wind display of Cozette’s Boutique in the 600 block of Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n – Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s\u00a0Star Booty<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0El\u2019s Menswear<\/a>, the oldsters on the block. Part hair salon, part boutique, the folks at Star Booty have been making young St. Petersburg cool long before trendy hit the city. In recent years,\u00a0Guitars on Central\u00a0has shared the space with Star Booty. Stop in to El\u2019s and get a lesson in St. Petersburg history, and stylish dress clothes, including porkpie hats to top off the look.<\/p>\n And here\u2019s another neat thing about the 600 Block. In a downtown littered with parking meters, there are none here. You\u2019ll get two hours free street parking and no hunting for change. How cool is that?<\/p>\n
There are several hotels in downtown St. Petersburg, including the historic\u00a0Vinoy Renaissance<\/a>\u00a0(501 Fifth Ave. NE; (727) 894-1000). There is a\u00a0Hampton Inn and Suites<\/a>\u00a0(80 Beach Dr. NE;\u00a0(727) 892-9900<\/a>)\u00a0and a\u00a0Courtyard<\/a>\u00a0(300 Fourth St N;\u00a0(727) 450-6200<\/a>), plus several boutique hotels including the\u00a0Ponce de Leon<\/a>\u00a0(95 Central Ave.;\u00a0(727) 550-9300<\/a>) and the\u00a0Birchwood<\/a>\u00a0(340 Beach Drive NE;\u00a0(727) 896-1080<\/a>). Another option for accommodations is the\u00a0Hotel Indigo<\/a>\u00a0(234 Third Ave. N;\u00a0(727) 822-4814<\/a>).<\/p>\n St. Petersburg\u2019s downtown district and surrounding arts venues come alive on the second Saturday of each month for the monthly ArtWalk. A free trolley takes patrons to more than 40 galleries around the city\u2019s core from 5 to 9 p.m. Many stores are also open late for ArtWalk. For more information:\u00a0stpeteartsalliance.org\/artwalk<\/a>.<\/p>\n And speaking of the St. Peter Art Alliance, they also put on the SHINE Mural Festival<\/a>, which in October highlights the mural art that can be found throughout the city. Check out the website to see the art anytime.<\/p>\n And about St. Pete’s trolleys: They’re available every day, and many are free to ride, Check out the details here<\/a> .<\/p>\n
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\nSt. Petersburg is booming again, and the 600 Block, as it\u2019s called, stands out as a destination that mixes old St. Pete with a fresh vibe. The 600 Block remains special for its nod to history; the low-profile buildings with their brick facades were born in the 1920s during another Florida boom period.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Cider House Press Caf\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0has transformed a large space into a sleek restaurant and bar that serves lunch and dinner, specializing in vegan fare.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/St-Pete-coolest-Block01.jpg.510.340.imagerendition.png\")
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\nMore clothes, art and gifts can be found at the\u00a0Trunk Stylists<\/a>,\u00a0Treasures of Morocco<\/a>,\u00a0Enchanted Notions<\/a>\u00a0(get a psychic reading) and\u00a0Graphi-ko Gallery<\/a>. Browsers become buyers here.<\/p>\n
\nWhen you go\u2026<\/p>\n