By Janet K. Keeler

The 600 Block of Central Avenue is St. Petersburg’s coolest.

It’s here that a slug of strong java at Brew D Licious or a bowl of vegan pad thai from the Cider Press Café reflects the renaissance that's happening here. Fair trade duds at Illume Organic Apparel pile on the hipness.
 

St. Pete Block 111

A scrumptious summer popsicle from The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops, 627 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.

- VISIT FLORIDA

The Cider Press Cafe, St. Petersburg, offers diners vegan dishes that even omnivores will like.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA

Check out the boutiques that line the Crislip Arcade, built in the 1920s and given new life in the 2000s. Kids who’ve grown up with MasterChef Junior and sushi lunches won’t want to leave Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops until they’ve sampled coconut pistachio or strawberry habanero. For a buck extra, any pop can be dipped in chocolate.

In recent years, St. Petersburg has landed on must-visit lists from the New York Times, TripAdvisor, Forbes Travel and AmericanStyle arts and travel magazine. Fueling the city’s vibrancy is a robust art community and a craft beer scene that continues to bubble and brew. “God’s waiting room” as it was once known, is more like a heavenly rave these days, with downtown bursting on weekend nights with music and street life.

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, 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.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA

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.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA


St. Petersburg is booming again, and the 600 Block, as it’s 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.

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.

Go West

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.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA

Vegan Florida Roll made in a sushi style is offered as an appetizer at the Cider Press Cafe., St. Petersburg, with an Hibiscus Lemonade.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA


The Cider House Press Café has transformed a large space into a sleek restaurant and bar that serves lunch and dinner, specializing in vegan fare.

As you head west, on the north side of Central, you’ll pass Fourward Glass Gallery and its colorful hand-blown pipes, and then hit a stretch of boutiques such as Misred Outfitters and Illume Organic Apparel and a trio of shops with French names: BijouCozette and Suzette. For shoppers looking for a unique ensemble, these are must-stop shops.

Stash yarn 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. 

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. The Local COOP, which occupies a couple of spaces in the arcade, has brought together local artisans and crafty folks, and Salt-LIGHT Art brings a touch of classy sophistication to the arcade alley. Jewelry is a specialty of White Pine Studio.

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’s inaugural SHINE Mural Festival in 2015. (For more information: shineonstpete.com.) 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’ve 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.

The sidewalk becomes crowded here with café tables and skateboarders sharing the walkway. You’ll notice a shift in the offerings as you head toward the Floridian Social Club, the former bank in the Beaux-Arts style that’s been a concert venue for decades, currently under renovation. There’s Two Fold Bicycle Shop, specializing in funky folding bikes, and The Lurea restaurant popular for cocktails, small plates and pool. Next door is Brew D Licious, 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.)

Visitors look at a series of city murals along the back alley of businesses in the 600 block of Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA

Shoppers admire Asian themed dresses in the front wind display of Cozette's Boutique in the 600 block of Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.

Shoppers admire Asian themed dresses in the front wind display of Cozette's Boutique in the 600 block of Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.

- Scott Keeler for VISIT FLORIDA


More clothes, art and gifts can be found at the Trunk StylistsTreasures of MoroccoEnchanted Notions (get a psychic reading) and Graphi-ko Gallery. Browsers become buyers here.

And then there’s Star Booty and El’s Menswear, 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, Guitars on Central has shared the space with Star Booty. Stop in to El’s and get a lesson in St. Petersburg history, and stylish dress clothes, including porkpie hats to top off the look.

And here’s another neat thing about the 600 Block. In a downtown littered with parking meters, there are none here. You’ll get two hours free street parking and no hunting for change. How cool is that?


When you go…

There are several hotels in downtown St. Petersburg, including the historic Vinoy Renaissance (501 Fifth Ave. NE; (727) 894-1000). There is a Hampton Inn and Suites (80 Beach Dr. NE; (727) 892-9900) and a Courtyard (300 Fourth St N; (727) 450-6200), plus several boutique hotels including the Ponce de Leon (95 Central Ave.; (727) 550-9300) and the Birchwood (340 Beach Drive NE; (727) 896-1080). Another option for accommodations is the Hotel Indigo (234 Third Ave. N; (727) 822-4814).

St. Petersburg’s 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’s core from 5 to 9 p.m. Many stores are also open late for ArtWalk. For more information: stpeteartsalliance.org/artwalk.

And speaking of the St. Peter Art Alliance, they also put on the SHINE Mural Festival, which in October highlights the mural art that can be found throughout the city. Check out the website to see the art anytime.

And about St. Pete's trolleys: They're available every day, and many are free to ride, Check out the details here .

For general information about events in St. Petersburg, go to the city’s website: stpete.org

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