The Cressy House was built in 1922 and designed by St. Pete’s first professional architect, Edgar Ferdon When Sandra and Michael Taradash moved to St. Petersburg from Palos Verdes Estates, California they knew they wanted to live in the Old Northeast. They began touring homes, and after viewing the “Cressy House,” they made an offer within 24 hours. They had found their new home.   The Cressy House, situated at 625 20th Avenue NE, was built in 1922 by Hennessy and Taylor and designed by architect Edgar Ferdon. Ferdon was the city’s first professional architect and is credited with de ..read more

Daddy Warbleson on Beach Boulevard. Ten years ago, the Warbleson family – Daddy, Mama, and six youngsters – arrived in St. Petersburg. At the time of their arrival, they were quite the celebrities. Mayor Rick Kriseman celebrated them and the Tampa Bay Times featured them in an article on Christmas Day, 2014. The story goes that the youngest Warbleson, Buddy, got lost somewhere along Beach Drive and the family fanned out to find him. Mama Warbleson looked at the Vinoy, and Daddy at the Birchwood. Betty, Bethany, Brian, Beatrice, and Benny took up positions at North Straub Park, South ..read more

Photos courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts Spring is springing in the ‘Burg which means it’s time for the annual Art in Bloom event at the Museum of Fine Arts! As part of our local landscape, this exhibit presents a living four-day floral art installation pairing some of the Bay area’s finest floral artists with works of art throughout the museum.  What makes this event so special is its unique combination of art and nature and the way it creates an immersive experience for museum visitors. The pieces add a multi-sensory encounter for those who attend. Intermingled with the ..read more

A still from the movie Little Satchmo. Courtesy of John Alexander. On January 30, a sold-out crowd at Studio@620 had the rare pleasure of screening the acclaimed PBS film Little Satchmo, followed by a talk with the film’s subject and star, Louis Armstrong’s “secret” daughter, Sharon Preston-Folta.  Green Book of Tampa Bay and the Woodson African American Museum presented the event, which was sponsored by the Pinellas County Urban League. Therapist Dr. LaDonna Butler moderated the post-screening “fireside chat,” which packed a powerful emotional punch.  “I was unprepared for the ..read more

Rouge plant, true to its name, was used by indigenous Floridians to pigment their skin. Image by Jen Tyson When you picture your favorite Florida landscapes, what plants do you see? Redolent plumerias? Bold, heart-shaped elephant ears? The traffic-cone orange plumes of bird of paradise or graceful fronds of coconut palms? These iconic flora have all found their way into Florida’s greenscapes. And, despite the fact that they come from across the world – hailing from Central America and the Caribbean, Asia, South Africa, and Oceania, respectively – they have come, over time, to evoke that s ..read more

WTE holds events every month, as well as online webinars and tech mentoring, always free of charge. Photo courtesy of WTE. It’s no secret that St. Petersburg, particularly downtown, is a growing hot spot for new-to-the-heat Floridians. Many of these transplants are young professionals, particularly tech professionals, including growing numbers of women in tech.  Traditionally, the technology industry isn’t known to be the most inclusive for women, and that’s the reason for the Tampa-born Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship (WTE) organization.  “I founded WTE in 2022 after witnessing ..read more

Mayor Ken Welch has called for another look at Albert Whitted and alternative uses, noting again possible expansion of the downtown waterfront parks. Photo courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg. You might think aviation in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County began 1914 with the launching of the first commercial airline from the St. Petersburg Pier. Actually, the city’s aviation roots can be traced to what would become Albert Whitted Airport, where the first recorded flight in the county took off in 1912.  In that year celebrated pioneer pilot Leonard Warden Bonney brought a new ..read more

Without a large or flashing sign, Harvey’s 4th Street Grill might go overlooked by a tourist, but for locals, this cozy restaurant has long been a popular gathering spot for co-workers, friends, and family. Nestled in the corner of an otherwise ordinary shopping center, you know you’ve found it when you see the green awning and pristine landscaping leading to a treasure trove of St. Pete history. This April, the city icon celebrates 40 years of business, so it seems only fitting that we take a walk down memory lane.  A Family Affair I learned quickly that you cannot discuss the history of ..read more

This is a story about an unexpected and shocking diagnosis, a couple’s determination to never give up the fight, and a community rising up, circling the wagons to lend support.   On August 28, 2022, Jim Wilson, a former professor of law at Cleveland State University, lost his balance, the room started to spin, and his muscles turned to rubber. As he started to slide to the floor, his wife Mimi Lord guided him to the couch in their classic Old Northeast Craftsman-style home. “We thought it was a stroke,” said Jim.  The couple rushed to the hospital, and after multiple tests, doct ..read more

Bob Preston was a student at St. Pete High when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. The professional photographer who worked on the school yearbook was soon drafted to serve in the Army. With no formal training in photography, Preston stepped in to take over as yearbook photo editor. After graduating in 1943, he too joined the Army. When asked what experience he had, he said, “Photography!” Combat photographer Bob Preston at Nagasaki atomic bomb devastation. He was only two years out of high school at the time, image circa 1945. Preston was assigned to the Army Signal Corp as a combat photograp ..read more