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Monday, March 15th, 2010
I’ve been wanting to get down to the Saturday Morning Market for weeks, but each weekend, there has been something getting in my way. This past weekend, I finally made it down there, and what a treat it was! Beautiful blue skies and sunshine, temperatures right around the low seventies, live music, lots of fresh produce, incredible aromas of baked goods, fresh roasted coffee, fresh cut flowers, fresh sliced pineapple, and more – the scents blended, at times, into a potpourri that was just luscious! In addition to all of that, there were lots of craft booths of all types with great handcrafted works for sale.
The atmosphere was almost like a festival – I think that, even though it’s only mid-March, the weather was just so great that people couldn’t help but smile. If you haven’t made it down to the Market, make it a point some Saturday morning. It’s there each week, in the parking lot next to Al Lang Stadium, and there’s no charge to get in. But do bring money, ’cause you’re going to want to be bringing some things home! (Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the huge, warm, sticky, delicious cinnamon-raisin bun that my wife and I split as a mid-morning treat. Yum!)
For details on the market, check out their web site. This weekly event is just one more of the reasons that it’s so nice to live in St. Petersburg…
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Each year, the Florida Orchestra, working with local designers and developers, hosts a Designer Show House as a fundraiser for the orchestra. Typically, the venue is a house, but this year, it’s at the gorgeous new Ovation condominiums in downtown St. Petersburg. There are two condos featured, each decorated by several different local companies and interior designers.
It’s always a pleasure to see the furniture, art, wall treatments and other accessories that are presented in these showhouses. And with this year’s location at Ovation, there’s the added pleasure of the incredible views of Tampa Bay and downtown. The Showhouse will be open this year from March 6th through April 4th. For hours and additional information, check the Florida Orchestra’s page about the house on their website. It’s fun to see these condos and the design work, and the ticket price goes to support our great orchestra. And, for a bonus while you’re there, JMC, Ovation’s developer, has hired folks to keep their two model condos open whenever the showhouse is open. So you actually get to check out four separate condos for the price of your ticket! Can’t beat that deal! Also, be sure to walk out to the east of Ovation and check out the “O Wave” public art sculpture. It’s a beautiful piece of art that was commissioned by JMC specifically for this property, and its design reflects the spirit and feel of the building. For a look at some High Dynamic Range photos that I took of the O Wave sculpture last year, check out my post on it.
Oh, if, by chance, you fall in love with Ovation while you’re there, please be sure to give me a call. I’ll be happy to work with you to negotiate the best deal for you! It’s always a smart move to have a Buyer’s Agent working with you if you’re interested in buying ANY new condominium. There is a misconception that, in a new condominium development, you have to work with the sales staff on site. That is not the case. Although they are nice people and will certainly be happy to help you, they work for the condo developer, not for you. Call your own Realtor (or me, if you don’t have an existing relationship with a Realtor) and be sure that you have someone looking out for your interests!
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
I was taking a walk the other day and became as entranced with this Great Blue Heron as he was with his prey. There was no concern at all for me or for the fact that I walked to within a few feet and might have posed a danger. All concentration was focused on whatever it was that was trying to stay unnoticed, just a short distance away. Sometimes I feel as though I’m living in a nature book! [Please click on the photo for a full sized view]
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Those of you who live in or near St. Petersburg already know what a great stretch of waterfront parks we have. Those who are visiting or are not familiar with the city should take the time to head as far east as you can and check out our gorgeous parks.
Many cities cede their waterfronts to private developers, whether for residential or commercial use. But St. Petersburg’s city fathers, back when our city was just finding its stride, had the wisdom to preserve the waterfront for the enjoyment of all. From Coffee Pot Boulevard south to Albert Whitted Park, we have 23 blocks of public waterfront, made up of 11 parks.
This year, the city is marking the 100th anniversary of our waterfront parks. Throughout the year, there will be a variety of meetings, celebrations, and events marking the significance of this Centennial, and the organizers are soliciting historic photos and/or new photos of the parks. If you’re interested in participating in any of the events or submitting photos, there’s an excellent website dedicated to the Centennial: StPeteParks100.org The site provides historical background, an events calendar, and more. There’s a poster that’s been designed for the Centennial (see photo below), and it can be purchased online or at various retail locations that are noted on the Centennial site.
Monday, March 8th, 2010
There is a relatively new technique available in the world of photography called High Dynamic Range, or HDR. There have been entire books written about HDR photography but, simply put, it allows a much broader range of light to be captured in a photograph than was ever possible in the past.
A new exhibit opened at the St. Petersburg Museum of History last Friday night, blending HDR techniques with history in a way that should be very appealing to anyone who appreciates St. Petersburg’s past. The exhibit is called “Images of the Past Meet the Photography of the Future”. A museum curator selected 32 historic photos from their archives, pictures of notable St. Petersburg places from many years ago. Then, a group of 14 photographers from the North Pinellas Photography Forum set out to recreate the historic photos in today’s world, using modern equipment and HDR techniques. The exhibit involves the pairing of the historic image next to the new HDR image for each photograph.
I attended the opening reception on Friday night and I was extremely impressed. Many of the new photographs were stunning, and it was just very fun to see the old images recreated in this manner. If you’d like to see the photographs, the exhibit will continue at the Museum for awhile – it’s definitely worth a trip downtown to see these photos! For information about the Museum, including location, hours, etc, go to their web site.
And if you would like to see a few examples of HDR photography that are my own work, check out these examples in earlier blog posts of mine: example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4.
Friday, March 5th, 2010
We’ve all read abut the dramatic decline in the population of honeybees over the last couple of years. There are a variety of possible reasons that have been put forth for their disappearance, but, whatever the reasons, there is a very real cause for concern. So, it is comforting to know that, in some places, the honeybees seem to be doing just fine!
I worked with some good friends (and clients) of mine for the past few months, helping them find their dream house. And find the house they did – a great old two story house in the Old Northeast neighborhood with original oak hardwood floors, a great fireplace, lots of fun little nooks and crannies, a third story attic high enough to stand up in (and it has a real staircase going up to it), and a full sized extra lot next door. Negotiations, inspections and financing taken care of, we closed on the house exactly two weeks ago today. But with all of the walk-throughs and visits, there was something that none of us had noticed – an undocumented, hidden feature. Until last week, when my friends spotted the hives. Three of them. Active hives, with honeybees. Lots of honeybees!
At first, they were concerned that the bees might pose a threat. So they called a beekeeper who came out and inspected the hives. The beekeeper told them that there is no cause for concern, and that the bees should be welcomed with (almost) open arms. After all, we need bees to pollinate flowers and keep the cycle of life going, right? And the fact that there are several beautiful citrus trees in their yard gives even more reason to celebrate the presence of these bees.
I was visiting them at their new home today, and I brought out my tripod and telephoto lens and set up for a picture. It was truly a remarkable sight to me. I’ve seen videos of hives before, and photos, and I’ve seen hives in controlled settings, like science museums, but I’ve really never seen them out in ‘the wild’. Anyway, I wanted to share the photographs with you and assure you that, at least in St. Petersburg, there are some healthy, happy honeybees that appear to be doing just fine! Please be sure to click on each photograph below so that you can see the full-sized image in a separate window – the smaller images just don’t do justice to the bees and their hive…
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
The Vinoy Basin in downtown St. Petersburg provides a safe place for traveling boaters to drop anchor for a few hours or a few days, protected from the more open waters of Tampa Bay or the Gulf of Mexico. On the day that I took this photograph last week, there were about a dozen boats anchored there. But sometimes, you can look out at the basin and imagine that there’s not room for even one more anchor! With all that there is to do downtown, it’s not surprising that this is a popular spot. There’s a dock along the Pier approach where boaters can dock their dinghies, paying a $5 fee, on the honor system, for the privilege. Once docked, shops, restaurants, movies, museums, bars and more are within a few minutes walk.
Next time you’re downtown on a beautiful day, park your car and take a walk along the edge of Vinoy Basin. It’s fun to watch the activity and to imagine that maybe, someday, I’ll be anchored in some sheltered spot in another part of the world as I explore new places… (for a better view, click on the photo to open a new window with a full-sized image)
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
The picture says it all: We DO have seasons here! It takes a little longer for our leaves to turn color, but eventually, they do. This oak tree is showing some glorious color as it prepares to drop its leaves to make way for a full tree of fresh, new green ones…
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Who could imagine that a law school could look this beautiful?
The Stetson campus is located in Gulfport, in the south/west end of St. Petersburg. This beautiful campus actually started out as the Rolyat Hotel. It was built in 1925 for developer Frank Taylor (yes, the very odd hotel name is just his last name, spelled backwards…) Unfortunately, the Florida land boom was followed by a bust, and after a few years, the hotel went out of business. It operated for awhile as The Florida Military Academy, but eventually was purchased by Stetson University to become the new home of the College of Law, back in 1953. Classes began in September of 1954 and have been going on at this location ever since.
It’s a truly beautiful campus, worth parking and walking around, if you love old buildings and especially Mediterranean Revival ones. In addition to the amazing buildings, the campus itself is just a really peaceful place, packed with shade trees and open areas. The campus even has a great swimming pool, so there must be an assumption that, at some point, students get to take a break for some recreation. This is truly a gem and a must-see if you’re new to St. Petersburg or have never discovered the campus on your own. If you’d like to view the full-sized image, please click on the photo below and it will open in a new window.
Monday, March 1st, 2010
That’s a common enough phrase, isn’t it? You hear a lot of cities described as ‘a great place to live and work’. And, while I believe that it’s very true in St. Petersburg, I’m actually using the phrase here in more of a macro sense. I’m talking about specific buildings that have been designed as both residences and places of business.
This is not a new concept. To be sure, in the early days of this country’s history, it was probably more common than not for a person to live and work in the same place. Perhaps a storefront facing the main street of the town and a living space behind or above the storefront. St. Petersburg, in its boom years, had a lot of dual purpose buildings. Dr. ML King, Jr. Street, which used to be known as 9th Street North, which was originally known as Euclid Boulevard, had a lot of great two story houses where the business owner used the downstairs for their shop or perhaps their office, and the upstairs as their residence. Some of those buildings still survive today.
But now there’s a new breed of combination building – the work/live condominium. There are a few of them around, but one of them, 1010 Central Avenue, is the subject of my post today. And why not? There is a Charles Rutenberg Realty satellite office located in this building, and I work out of that office.
As you can see, this is a very new, modern structure, and it’s got great storefronts facing Central Avenue. Many of the storefronts have stairs that connect them to a condo living space upstairs, so that, if one were so inclined, one could live above and work below and never have to leave. There’s a club house, a swimming pool, and a fitness center, all housed within the central courtyard space of the building.
If you’re interested in buying or renting either storefront or living space, or both, feel free to contact me and I’ll let you know what’s available! My contact information can always be found near the top of the right hand sidebar on this page… (To see a full sized view of this photograph, please click on the picture.)
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