Building an Urban Gem On Florida's Gulf Coast

[@CityNerd]

Since you made the regrettable decision to scroll down this far, I'm going to have to ask you to STRONGLY consider signing up for Nebula. You won't have to read comments anymore (or see me promote Nebula) if you watch my stuff over there. And hey, the Lifetime Membership is still live -- it's the best way to support the long-term development of my channel, especially if you use my custom link: go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=citynerd And, as always, get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/citynerd

[@kjh23gk]

Already watched this on Nebula but will happily watch again. 😁

[@jonathansykes4986]

What if we like reading your comments though?

[@EricaGamet]

I've had Nebula for years (originally via Curiosity Stream)... and I just forget to go there and watch. I like the KZbin environment more and of course love the community in the comments. Thanks for the reminder on the Venice doc... been meaning to watch that. Great content as always!

[@kjh23gk]

@@EricaGamet Nebula must have so many subscribers that would make for a genuinely great forum, but we have to slum it here on KZbin with the bots and trolls. I get that introducing comments is a challenge, but if Nebula want to evolve the platform beyond KZbin they need to incorporate "audience participation". We (the people that pay for Nebula) want to support the platform to become better. Let us do that by making it a quality forum.

[@EricaGamet]

@@kjh23gk I think because it's a paid service, it wouldn't be the sort of sh*tshow that YT comments can be. Also, there is more of a community cohesion on videos that we go looking for on a paid platform. I would love to see interaction and have someone to discuss topics with. A long time ago Hulu had comments... I loved watching an episode of "Handmaid's Tale" and running to the comments afterwards to discuss! I suppose I should at least visit Nebula now and then and show that it's being watched... not just paid for.

[@MilesinTransit]

Also worth noting about the cross-bay ferry: it only runs in the winter, because the boat it uses operates the Boston to Provincetown ferry in the summer! It's even the same crew in both MA and FL.

[@celiashen5490]

A snowbird ferry? That's kinda cool!

[@Shane_Shaney]

Now that’s a fun fact!

[@yukaira]

now that is a fun fact

[@obrienb1100]

always wanted to go on the ferry, thanks for that fun fact!

[@tomwilliams6744]

Is it the slow (the old style) or fast running (hydrofoil) ferry?

[@Mogswamp]

So happy you finally made it to St. Petersburg, although it looks far warmer than I imagined it. Can't wait for your visit to Moscow!

[@geoffoakland]

😂. This invites a city comparison between St. Petersburg Russia ans St. Petersburg Florida! Would be interesting 😅

[@Cynthia-uf9ro]

@@geoffoakland It was named St. Petersburg because one of the original founders in the 19th century was Russian.

[@Lithoxene]

is CityNerd gonna be the keynote speaker at the University of Idaho?

[@CityNerd]

Nah, Vladivostok is up next

[@no-ry8sk]

​@@CityNerd I'm just saying, Vladivostok likes their cars so much, they leave only half a meter of sidewalk for pedestrians...

[@isitsustainable820]

Our boy is slipping into doing a nationwide speaking tour and I’m all for it. Great video btw

[@CityNerd]

Hey as long as someone cuts a check

[@AMPProf]

@@CityNerd 🤔 🤔

[@BrandonSato1]

Wish we could have seen your talk in St Pete! My wife works at PSTA and the city of St Pete Beach is extremely hostile to any sort of public transit. They are the reason there aren’t articulated busses, and they pushed the PSTA board to start charging fares on the sunrunner. Most people including the transit authority staff wanted to keep it free. They used fear mongering claiming the free bus caused an increase in crime. They also don’t even pay into the PSTA general fund unlike most of the other cities in the county but somehow feel entitled to make demands that affect the rest of the county. The other thing I wanted to mention is that the ferry used to have a much more convenient boarding location closer to the pier and beach drive but it was sadly moved a couple of seasons ago.

[@supernova622]

They don't want tourists to have to think about the fact that poor people exist

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

Of course they used fear-mongering about crime. I'm so sick of the "crime is out of control in our cities!" sensationalist lie...

[@hoihoi8]

Reminder that when you're in FL, you have to deal with FL people

[@edwardmiessner6502]

St Petersburg Beach... what a bunch of NIMBYs and Karens! (Sigh...) Probably typical for Florida.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah I heard all these stories at the chamber event and the happy hour later. Really maddening stuff, but I didn't wanna get that incendiary in the video without actually doing a lot more research (and even then I'd probably err on the diplomatic side). Hey, btw Brad the PSTA CEO is a fan, I got to meet him and he gave me a bunch of SunRunner swag, it's awesome. Google actually still directs you to the old ferry landing in St. Pete, and there's nothing there anymore. I had to remind myself of the location I already knew from looking at the CBF website!

[@seamlessdread]

Also, the Pinellas trail is INCREDIBLE. I live near it and take it to the city every day. It is an amazing rail-trail.

[@AMPProf]

Yep

[@SetheMan]

Hey City Nerd, loved your video. As a resident of Pinellas County I wanted to put some notes and comments for your video: 1) You are completely right that St. Pete Beach is not a "team player" in helping the SunRunner, it goes beyond that. Not only have they stunted the potential of the whole line, but they are the reason the Service does not have articulated busses. 2) Albert Whitted Airport has been in constant battle for the city for over 25 years. Many mayor's wanted to redevelop the land but unfortunately it never seems to come to fruition. 3) The Tropicana field area is proposed to have a massive redevelopment as you may be aware that is going to be big for the Rays and the city, most of the problems boil down to how it is funded and that is the controversy. 4) The Ferry service has only been active for about 5 years. While it's current St. Petersburg location is not very attractive or convenient, this is only a recent temporary location. The real original location was near the Pier (in fact the Pier was the original final destination) and they moved it to its current location because they are constructing a new dock for the ferry. 5) The travel to Tampa us unfortunately a joke with public transportation. I myself have used it. It takes 1 hour to go there to downtown alone at a transport station far from many popular places. The service is infrequent and if you don't time it right, you are left stranded for hours unless you Uber across. There is a plan for an RRT system that will use dedicated lanes, but so far has been shelved due to the politicians. However with all this construction going on and new political interests in Brightline, new transportation projects are starting to be taken more seriously. Overall, I loved the video and can agree that all that you said was really accurate.

[@sannh]

It's actually SunRail that will be the game changer.

[@SetheMan]

@@sannh Sunrail is located in the Orlando area. Brightline is going across the state.

[@krcrk]

2) the public is called to vote on whether to redevelop Whitted roughly 20 years ago and it was a resounding “no.” Former Mayor Bill Foster is an active supporter of the airport. Mayor Rick Kriseman wanted to redevelop the airport into luxury housing and we all know how that is going in other parts of our city. Mayor Welch recently backed down from proposing redevelopment of the airport so Whitted is here to stay

[@SetheMan]

@krcrk didn't Rick Baker also originally wanted to redevelop it but the people said no? It's a shame that we can't get that land to good use.

[@athrowaway3487]

3) As far as I remember, funding issues have been resolved and construction will begin in Q4 of this year

[@AndrewGraziani-k7d]

Wow, thank you. The fact that a guy like you got invited to lecture a Florida chamber of commerce is the most affirming thing I've heard in ages.

[@IAmTheBoogeyMan]

I spent 20 years in St. Petersburg watching it become what it is today. I will tell anyone one listens that its hands down, no questions, the best city in Florida. Looking at the cost of living, it looks like everyone heard me.

[@supernova622]

To be fair, the bar is... In the dirt

[@stp982]

100%, St. Pete stakeholders have been very smart and systematic with modernizing, starting with road and sewer infrastructure in the 90s to Neighborhood committees to finally having Duke Energy update the grid. Amazing place to live!

[@diodelvino3048]

Hands down, also just love the Tampa metro in general, best city area in Florida

[@bvtiger33]

I would say downtown St. Pete, the Central Ave corridor to the beaches, and the historic neighborhoods like Roser Park, Old Northeast, Uptown, Kenwood, etc. are really nice and liveable if you can afford them. I love talking to people who have been in St. Pete 10+ years because they say it is night and day, especially downtown. As you mentioned the cost of living rose quickly and I moved out of downtown last year after 4 years there. The Gandy area is convenient for renters if you have a car, less so if PSTA/Uber is your transport. It's nice to see the city get recognition and improve. I hope that although downtown is becoming a luxury / wealthy only district they at least make it more walkable and discourage car use, especially with the Trop redevelopment.

[@IAmTheBoogeyMan]

@@bvtiger33 right on the money with every one of those points. I spent almost my entire time there in the Gandy area, and I’ll probably start there when I come back again. I’ve been in Orlando for a couple years, and though it’s much better than I imagined, I can’t wait to come home.

[@mynamehappy]

Heyyy! St. Petersburg is my hometown! Pretty good breakdown. I'm glad you enjoyed visiting, it has changed considerably since I was a kid but it is a place that is still near to my heart. Fun fact: the traffic calming in Old Southeast was actually installed back in the 1990's as a way to try and discourage the open drug markets that plagued the neighborhood. Notice it forces traffic into entrance/exit chokepoints. The idea was it made it easier for the police to monitor vehicles entering and make quick exits difficult. Pretty insane how expensive the city has gotten. Affordability is probably the single biggest issue for our city.

[@Cynthia-uf9ro]

You look a lot like Jack Kerouac. 😉Many people don't know he died in St. Pete.

[@mynamehappy]

@@Cynthia-uf9ro I'm really glad his house wound up getting saved and restored. It was in serious limbo there for a bit but it seems to have worked out positively. His favorite bar, The Flamingo is also a favorite dive of mine. Good people, cheap drinks, and plenty of pool tables.

[@metricstormtrooper]

I'm very sorry for you.

[@CityNerd]

That is wild

[@misterandrew]

St. Pete was a little secret for locals until about 2010 or so, best city in Florida. Glad the town treated CityNerd well

[@AMPProf]

LOLZ YOUR FUNNY

[@careyfreeman5056]

Used to be best city. South Florida 2.0 or bust. Look where all the developers are from and do the math. Oh joy!

[@treznev.v2]

these high-rises ARNT SOMTHING WE WANTED.... THEY HAVE RUINE THIS TOWN

[@Jwalker207]

Thanks to coming to our City! I work for Kimley-Horn, our office did the planning for the Sunner Runner BRT. I'm glad you focused on the urbanization we are trying to achieve in St Pete! Stop by the office next time you are in town!

[@emersonstaley3538]

This video is not just information about urbanism but also just good journalism

[@TheCrayonMan529]

Honestly, I wish there was a tram/train that ran from Tampa to St Pete, across the Gandy bridge, down to 4th street, to the beaches, up to clear water, etc. That would be a dream.

[@jspihlman]

Thank you for not being afraid to bring up the tough questions and topics when talking to these organizations who might actually be able to make changes. Sometimes people are blind to the problems in their own city, but once you point them out they are hard to ignore. Great video!

[@drdrewood]

Wow.. You really shot some incredible content in only 2-3 days of biking around, which is a testament to the beauty of this city. I’m an architect that grew up in St. Pete and watch urban design KZbin videos all the time, and there’s been a few for my hometown, but none as comprehensive and high quality as this. Levels above. Plus it’s funny as hell and on point with where the city is today (love the point about the bee farm) and where it could go if St. Pete and our neighbor cities make smart transit moves. Appreciate you!

[@audreyeverett3301]

I am BEYOND ecstatic that you came and visited our city! I go to school at USF St. Pete and have fallen in love with the walkability of downtown, and ofc the fact our campus is on the water. I’m so glad you came and talked at the Chamber of Commerce! They collaborated with my Sustainability in Tourism class last semester and I always try to attend their monthly sustainability meetings. I am planning to get my masters in urban planning after I graduate and would love to work in St. Pete. They are way ahead of tampa in many respects especially transportation, i frequently use the sunrunner and looper to get to work and just get around the city. Unfortunately, tampa has practically zero reliable transit except for the one mile of trolley downtown, and invested in DASH instead of improving their existing transit options…. I really hope we get some kind of viable transit between tampa and st Pete. It’s super frustrating to live car free here in st Pete but rely on a car to go visit family in tampa, when the area has so much potential to be more accessible. I’m also excited to see how they redevelop Tropicana field and am anxious to see if they actually build any affordable housing as promised…. Anyways, thanks for visiting the sunshine city! I hope the chamber of commerce enjoyed your presentation and learned some lessons!

[@SiIveraaron]

As someone who moved to Tampa 7 years ago, traffic has gotten so bad I don't visit St. Pete as much as I would like. The nightlife in St. Pete is the better of the two and transportation between the two kills any chance of a mid week visit after work. Great Video! the area i changing rapidly both in St. Pete and Tampa and mostly for the better!

[@gangsterbroccoli]

As a Tampa resident it was so awesome to watch a video about something local to me!

[@admiral7599]

Another part of Florida that I was surprised by despite being surrounded by awful suburban development is Winter Park, Orlando. Very walkable area with a train station that is very well kept compared to downtown Orlando.

[@iantm15235]

My partner and I lived in the EDGE district from 2014 to 2019. To this day, we still look back on our time there and our walks up and down Central ave incredibly fondly. Of all the places I've lived in my life, this was my favorite one of them all.

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

The idea that they won’t dedicate even one of the 5 lanes of the road to a bus lane is infuriating.

[@danielkelly2210]

The Sun Runner got heavy NIMBY pushback in St. Petersburg proper as well, mainly from NIMBYs up in arms about losing some street parking spaces.

[@SetheMan]

Agreed, but most of it is St. Pete Beach 's fault. They were against BRT lanes, against the line going to the Don Cesar at Pass a Grill, and were against articulated busses. They also complained of supposed "violent homeless people" which show only small evidence of being actually true only to be solved with a fare that was always planned.

[@Ryan-093]

@@SetheMan i really hate this stereotype of homeless people being violent. i've been homeless, was for several years. most homeless people don't have the energy to be violent, because they are so exhausted just from being homeless. it's much more likely that someone who isn't homeless will be outwardly violent.

[@tonywalters7298]

@@SetheMan people get bent out of shape over poverty and antisocial behavior yet gloss over traffic violations and car crashes

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

because taking away car lanes is seen as an assault on "MUH FREEDUMB!!"

[@TOMMYBOY601]

St Pete is such a fantastic city! When I went to college there I was part of a group of students who helped lobby the city to unban longboards in the downtown area. Also a note on the airport and auld lang stadiums parking lot. They both also get used during the Indy car season opener that is held in the city. The runway is the main straight and the parking lot is one of the chicanes.

[@mosinc7388]

OMG, you came to my city. I would always complain that you never talked about St Pete. Now I almost wish you didn't because others now know it's awesome. You the man Nerd.

[@guerillawhite3083]

I'm 22 years old and grew up in Orlando. I've been to St. Pete several times for one reason or another (mostly swim meets) my whole life and always found it nice and charming. This explains why I've felt that way!

[@TheBabyhuewy]

Having lived in St Petersburg until right before the pandemic, the transformation is really impressive

[@stevenstarr2316]

From St. Pete! I wanted to go to your talk at chamber of commerce meeting but figured I’d wait for the video instead of the $50 ticket. Glad the video is finally here!

[@CityNerd]

Yeah $50 is steep! But there was free coffee and fruit, so it's a wash

[@guydreamr]

@@CityNerd Was it as dog friendly as your video I wonder 😂

[@MilesDeep]

Thanks for making a video on St Pete! My favorite city in Florida. It's FAR from perfect, but for Florida it's a ray of sunshine amongst depressing car-dependent suburban sprawl.

[@RomanShopa]

4:26 - there's an IndyCar race held (usually on March) at a street circuit around the stadium and the airport for private planes.

[@AMPProf]

yah it dumb noisy and not cheap sponcered by big oil.. But yah

[@mrbloodmuffins]

​@@AMPProfyou need a sponsor for your grammar

[@Aye_Nyne]

I was in St. Pete about two weeks ago and visited the farmers market with a friend. It felt like a nice walkable area relative to many car-centric Florida neighborhoods. It would have been cool to run into CityNerd!

[@Aye_Nyne]

We also went to the Dog Bar too 🐶

[@bettyparker3317]

St. Pete really is a fabulous place to vacation in, and never need a car. We love it and visit often. To those thinking it would be a great place to live, be sure to check the real estate prices, to rent or buy. You need a solid six-figure income, while jobs that pay enough to afford the housing are pretty rare. There’s a reason for that private plane airport.

[@Ulises_Miranda]

Happy to own a house here in the grand central district. Being retired at 30 is great.

[@obrienb1100]

So glad you visited St Pete! I used to live there from 2018 to 2020 so I haven't seen the new pier and all the new high rises. I do have one very found memory of seeing a guy on Onewheel (an electric skateboard) who was carrying his French bulldog in one arm and his toilet paper in the other, riding back to his apartment from that downtown Publix.

[@PascualMorales-py6gd]

@12:06 "although not everyone is the strongest swimmer" *zooms in on a chubby dog* lmaoooo

[@CityNerd]

All I knew was I had to zoom in on that pupper, had to think of a line later

[@CityNerd]

Like I'm literally mortified at what people were thinking when I was taking pictures of their dogs. I wonder if any of them will watch this video lol

[@krcrk]

I work as a flight instructor out of the airport you mentioned early in the video where I train students of all ages and economic backgrounds - with the aid of scholarships in some cases. I grew up in Pinellas County and worked my way to pay for flight training at the same flight school where I now work. Obviously I’m biased but Albert Whitted is a historic part of St. Pete and is part of what makes it charming. Next time you come take a flight with us - open invitation

[@JAndrade389]

St. Pete is an Amazing town! The vibe is incredible, eclectic, charming, history, world class museums, professional sports, entire tropicana field area is being redeveloped, Amazing amenities, walkability, bikability and beaches for a small/midsize city and Tampa/St.Pete complement each other, Tampa Bay is an amazing place to live in and visit

[@hilaryweiner893]

I spent a lot of time in ST. Pete in the early 1980's doing research for a doctoral dissertation. The major features back then were nursing homes, the pier, and Dali museum. Amazing to see how much the town has changed!

[@barryrobbins7694]

This video really highlights the trend to improving city life in the United States - even in Florida.

[@BenriBea]

If Florida has hope, we all do

[@edwardmiessner6502]

Despite the state trying to stymie urbanity at every turn. Florida is the only state that has 7, 8, and 9 lane stroads without median dividers!

[@tonywalters7298]

It would be interesting to see if Brightline's expansion to Tampa would result in additional investment in local transit, and even an extension of the train to St Petersburg

[@SetheMan]

Yes, indeed I believe. There is intrest from Mayor Welch to have a Brightline Station in St. Petersburg and hopefully can get infrastructure to get the train here.

[@crowmob-yo6ry]

As much as I hate the HART bus system, I still have to give it credit for offering free hurricane evacuation routes. Brightline should do the same.

[@sannh]

It's actually the SunRail expansion into Tampa that will be the game changer. It has more stops and it's way more affordable than Brightline.

[@rickyrougs]

dog i just want decent transit from tampa to st pete

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

the dog bar elevates the city to top tier urbanist rank. I've never seen something like it, that's so sick

[@smsmuller]

Glad to have you in the area! It would be interesting to hear your take on the expansion of the Brightline where the next phase is to take the rail from Orlando into downtown Tampa (I'm pretty sure the Ybor area for the central station), and a buddy of mine on the Pinellas side is in on meetings where there are discussions of interconnects to the new light rail included on the new i275 bridge. That, the new interconnects from U.S. 19 and 275, discussions of a monorail, initiatives to expand on ferry systems... of all the places I've lived, it really seems we are doing our best to actually have some sensible development. The big thing I'd like to see is more entry homes of the duplex, townhome, triplex variety instead of the single family home directly into the multi level apartment building, but I feel that is a common issue in the U.S.

[@GeorgeP-uj8xc]

Loving the Florida content! There's a glimmer of hope for my home state.

[@littlesnarf]

Okay. I was just in St. Pete (just got back to NJ last night off the Amtrak from Tampa). I road my bike from DeLand on a bike tour. You can essentially ride your bike on paved trails from Titusville to St. Pete if you plan it right. Still a few gaps. Anyway, St. Pete really just fascinates me every time. I was kind of just not in the best mood on this trip, as I've done it before, plus a late arriving Amtrak kind of fucked up half my trip. To be positive, you can fly into Tampa, get the ferry or some other type of connection and you do not need a car. It's all just easy. I live in NJ, so I'm used to NYC. St. Pete, in it's downtown core and bike trails, is better than anything I have ever really known. I have zero separated/protected bike lanes here, and my city of Asbury Park is boring as fuck for most of the year. St. Pete was popping. Overwhelming, almost. The ferry was good for me, but I agree it's not frequent enough. It's also not year long, apparently. Just during the tourist/game season. That ferry goes all the way back up north after the season. The beach sucks, straight up. I stayed in St. Pete beach one night before I went to just north of downtown St. Pete. It's exactly like the beaches here in NJ. They just pave every last bit of land and build the ugliest shit. They leave you with a crappy shoulder and a sidewalk. No one is walking around. It's depressing. The bars and other establishments have that corny ass beachy or tropical touristy theme. It's all just badly done, but I'm also super used to it because I grew up around all of that stuff. As I said, it's almost a carbon copy of what we have up here. You should check out Winter Garden, FL. It's on the bike trail. It doesn't have a train line (trail is built on one), but it's a nice little gem in the middle of a suburban sprawl desert. Gotta add that it's just so bizarre that a state like FL has these functional, walkable, bikeable places and yet DeSantis is the governor. NJ, the most dense state in the country, and probably one of the most "liberal", doesn't have a tenth of the bike trails that FL has. I'm surprised he isn't trying to ban bike trails or bike lanes.

[@magsvro6668]

I’m from South Jersey and spent the time of my summers split between hanging out in Wildwood, Cape May, and sometimes ocean city. The way you described St. Pete beach is perfect and I agree that it is a carbon copy of the beach towns there. I remember my first time in St. Pete beach and thinking to myself “wtf this is literally cape may” 😂

[@KingSNAFU]

One of the other big sports events for St. Pete is Indy Car's Grand Prix of St Petersburg which happens in March over the airfield and in the city streets. I lived across the bay for many years, St Pete since about 2011 has enjoyed an urbanist edge. It's great to see what it looks like now.

[@KannikCat]

Now that was a class kitty segment at the end. Lounging to right in front of the camera? They deserve a raise! Salmon treats for everyone! :) Loved the in depth video as well, and kudos to the St.P chamber of commerce for looking forward and outward rather than the typical regressively inward.

[@brendan5235]

16:53 "Some undefined grievance"... I gotta start using that lol.

[@CitiesByDiana]

I spent a week in St. Pete without a car and i was surprised by how walkable it was for Florida standards....

[@thesimplecooks]

Haven’t had a car for 7 of the 10 years I’ve lived here. It’s been great.

[@jerw7671]

Unfortunately there were no 128 lane supermegahighways for you to drive the f-950 on😢. Hopefully soon

[@treznev.v2]

how did you get anything done? this place isn't walkable its 95 degrees every day an everything is nonshade concrete. I love this place but this city is ruining it

[@UserofYouTube2]

I grew up in Pinellas County (north of St. Pete) and left to find more walkable communities with better weather about five years ago. I'm so happy to see the area covered here and not just as a punchline!

[@ccnomad]

'...both acoustic and electric' made me laugh out loud :'D

[@paulkoza8652]

Nice job, Ray! I'm glad to see that St. Pete has made a comeback. I was born in FL and St. Pete had the reputation of a cheap (did I say cheap) retirement center. When the retirees passed on, the city went to pot. It was pretty much a dump. I suppose that the value of waterfront property helped with its rehabilitation. It appears to be an oasis of sanity in a state that has become the opposite. One topic that you only touched on lightly is what the city is doing to combat the coming effects of climate change. It is a pretty flat sandbar after all. One good Cat 4 or Cat 5 will have a devastating effect. Perhaps the folks at the Chamber of Commerce could lend some insight into this topic.

[@coomtard8218]

Thankfully St Pete is relatively high elevation-wise. There are some low-lying areas, but most of the city is located on a hilly-ish part of the county.

[@johnmckiernan1177]

totally

[@filmbuff4]

Funny me and a lot of other people consider St. Pete to be a communist stain in an otherwise great state. Pretty clear who you voted for.

[@samtrak1204]

I was born in Orlando, Florida in 1944 and grew up in the Sunshine State during the segregated 50's and 60's. This native son had always thought of St. Pete as a place where northern white folks come to retire and die, but this video opened my eyes to the city it is today...and I like it.🥰 Of course I am more than thrilled that St.Petersburg elected a black mayor, Ken Welch. Yes, the times they are a changing! Thanks for sharing and updating me.👊🏾👴🏾✌🏾

[@keepitupbro]

St. Pete is unfortunately still pretty segregated with a definite north side/south side divide and underinvestment in areas with higher % black population but I do think that's changing and improving. (Well, I moved away mid-2022, but I don't think it's been long enough to have shifted too dramatically on that front) - definitely still some big issues but also a lot of changes and improvements. I can only imagine the difference since the 50s & 60s! There's a much younger crowd in St Pete these days, not just "heaven's waiting room" anymore!

[@zachperkins688]

I love the brick streets, grid pattern, and arts and crafts style houses in St. Pete's! I think they're amazing neighborhoods, especially for a state that's not known for its walkability or old architecture.

[@sydneylinh_]

I just found out yesterday that I’m moving to St. Pete for work! Cannot wait thank you for making a video on it:)

[@Littlegoblinfatface]

You are gonna love it here!!

[@iLOVEJDD]

Watched this on nebula already, but reporting in to comment positive sentiment for the algo. Ty for the nerdy city content.

[@tristanridley1601]

Apparently the algo doesn't care about comments any more.

[@ryc2236]

I wish nebula had comments

[@joshbobst1629]

I suspect the Coast Guard put the kibosh on the ferry during Gasparilla because the chances for a collision are probably over 50%. The invasion takes place in a channel that during Gasparilla is so thick with boats that you can practically walk across the channel on the decks of boats. Which is the same channel the ferry uses to get to its slip. But Ion no why they couldn't move its docking spot to over by the cruise terminal, which uses a whole different channel, but is only about four blocks away.

[@AMPProf]

INVASTION of The Beach bumbs. Lolz noo

[@bvtiger33]

Super happy about the video you made of St. Pete! Although I didn't make it to Tampa (a common issue for car free St. Pete residents), this really represents the city fairly. Having been in Athens, Istanbul, and Zürich when the video came out, coming back to St. Pete umm "public transportation" was a bit of a let down, but outside of Miami (possibly Orlando) it has to be up there for FL.

[@sarasota_commutes]

In addition to regular year round service between Tampa and St. Pete downtowns, I'd like to add to the ferry wish list a segment from Bradenton to St. Pete. There's no good way across the Skyway without a car, and it's an 80 mile detour on a bike.

[@404hopenotfound]

it not that bad just take the skyway than its only 3 hours

[@barryrobbins7694]

7:05 There are also “acoustic” bicycles with electric gear shifters. It is all part of the coming singularity.

[@micosstar]

oh gosh

[@funky2999]

It's really interesting seeing the city i've lived all my life in analyzed in one of these videos! Thank you! Big fan!

[@spikerlj]

As someone who just moved to St Pete this July, you captured a lot of my feelings about the city, especially the downtown area. And you are also correct about getting to the far north and south side via mass transit. I enjoy each episode and am sad that I missed your visit. Thanks again

[@sophiamcgregor1917]

I love St. Pete! It's really grown in the past decade. I live there without a car and it is incredibly walkable.

[@jonathanbishopmusic]

I grew up in Pinellas and always thought St. Pete was such a cool place, especially downtown which is one of the few walkable places in Florida. It’s crazy how normalized the car culture is there though. The general mindset there is that driving yourself everywhere and spending 2 hours a day alone in your car (which is most likely a truck or SUV) in stop-and-go stroad traffic is normal, public transit = buses which are only for ‘poor people’ and not a real mode of transit, and rail is purely a relic of the past. No commuter or passenger rail service despite already having a rail network that connects almost every downtown in the tri-county area, and every time a light rail system gets approved and/or funded, the state cancels it and uses the funds to add more lanes to exurban stroads and highways. Hopefully someday under different political circumstances this area will get the proper infrastructure it needs to become urbanized and prosperous.

[@SetheMan]

I can't agree more. I hope they use the underutilized CSX railroad for a commuter rail like the one I Orlando.

[@birbluv9595]

When i moved south from upstate NY for my health (past frostbite makes it very hard for me to live in cold climates), everyone asked why I didn’t move to Florida. I had visited my friend in Clearwater several times when she lived there in the 2000’s and 2010’s. I saw the sprawl and traffic and complete car culture. No thanks!

[@keepitupbro]

The hostility to transit + xtreme car culture is SO REAL - I had a coworker whose car broke down, and she was griping about the cost of renting a car - I pointed out to her that the bus stopped a block and a half from our job and literally in front of her house (!!!!) and she could take the bus to work and she was absolutely aghast I'd even suggest it because it's So Scary and Not Convenient. ... Again ... directly in front of her house then a block and a half from the office .... one bus, no transfers.... like .......?

[@404hopenotfound]

@@keepitupbro to be fair it probity only come once a hour and just sometimes never shows up

[@billregan1981]

Just there on our boat! It’s a great town. Pinellas county has one great gems too like Gulfport and Dunedin.

[@cammalham]

I love your videos. I hope you can make it to New Orleans

[@Nick-pt6sl]

I love St. Pete! So cool to see you in my city, I hope you enjoyed your time. Also, my firm was one of the prime consultants on the Sunrunner. :)

[@mdhazeldine]

Being from the UK, I knew nothing about St. Pete. It's definitely not on the international radar. It looks like quite an interesting place. The whole lack of connection to Tampa thing does boggle the mind a bit though. I'd expect that to be heaving with tourists and perhaps even commuters if it ran on a regular basis from a convenient spot.

[@danielkelly2210]

St. Pete puts me in the mind of a smaller, friendlier, more laid-back version of Miami. I'm not a big fan of Florida but I've enjoyed it and Tampa (Ybor City) both times that I've gone.

[@doncasto8520]

Interesting you should say that because there are a fair number of British tourists here. Most go to Orlando for Disney World and some include a side trip to St. Pete Beach. Not many though and it's an effort to lure Europeans here. The grocery store here has section of British food where you can get your nasty mushy peas and marmite. LOL. Downtown Tampa is so boring, especially dead at night, compared to St. Pete there really is no incentive for people to get on a ferry and go there.

[@JTA1961]

This guy's sing~song dialog is annoying for me...however most of what is being said is real enough to keep watching to the end.

[@sophia1176]

the nature preserves are really cool

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

the bus platforms are pretty cool; the instruction panels are relatively modern and impressive imo

[@AMPProf]

Lame Tampa betterlolz

[@SetheMan]

I tried the busses in Tampa, they are no different to the ones in Pinellas. However they are building a new transit station in Clearwater and I heard it was going to be sweet.

[@lanniehough7349]

Thanks!

[@CityNerd]

You bet!

[@misteriknow2069]

Love St Pete! A rare example of a walkable city in FL. And yes St Pete, like every city in FL not named Miami,may not have light rail, the Skyrunner bus from the beach to the Burg is nice plus I like the little trolley system theme that spills over from Tampa. I only wish there was a rail system that connected Tampa with St Pete, Clearwater, & maybe even throw in Lakeland & Sarasota. It’s the 2nd largest metro area in FL & public transit is probably the 2nd worst in the state only behind Jacksonville. Ya hate to see it.

[@AMPProf]

Lolz

[@BenriBea]

I usually eat up all of your content anyway, but I think these city visit videos are my favorites of yours

[@louisjohnson3755]

I recently just went to St. Petersburg and Tampa and used the transit there. St Petersburg was alright, I really only used mainly 2 buses, the 4 and the sun runner which were both high frequency, but besides that it was either twice an hour for other buses or once and hour. I also used the 9 which was twice an hour which was alright. The vibes were decent though, although there were some areas in downtown with empty lots, but that’s mainly if you go to the outer parts of downtown. Meanwhile tampas transit was just downright terrible. There’s only a few buses that were twice an hour and others were just once an hour. There’s no way I could live car free somewhere like Tampa when there transit is so bad I need to wait an hour for a bus. It’s even worse when you have to transfer as well. Although did have some nice vibes though, the city felt pretty nice around downtown. I was particularly in Hyde park and Ybor City

[@linameilus4516]

Very surreal seeing a video of my grandma's town. She's long dead but my family always loved this area. My brother moved there for college and has lived there since. I love this city❤

[@patmanbnl]

The slanted roof at the Trop is to save on cooling since the stadium was designed for baseball and as such the majority of seating would be around the infield.

[@ratofnihm]

Which in real life once built, turned out to be incorrect anyways. The cooled air sinks, and so the slanted roof turned out to not save very much at all, because of how much the HVAC has to run to keep the upper deck seats cool that are in a part of the stadium taller than anywhere else. It's part of why the Rays have basically closed all of the upper deck seating for years now. Turned out to be just a few thousand bucks a month off the electric bill, in a facility which generates millions and millions of dollars of revenue annually.

[@tristancassel8986]

I'm so excited for this video! I love St. Pete! Last time I was there I molested several alligators but also noticed a fantastic trend towards sustainable urbanism.

[@c_y_n_i_c_3822]

The nightlife is a bit misleading. Most things close at 10 weeknights. A handful of bars are open to 2 am on weekends and most close at midnight.

[@toldman]

^ this. I was in st pete working a job that ended around 11pm for a few weeks and the downtown was a ghost town the time I walked around.

[@jeffc1347]

Closing at 10pm on weekdays is true for literally everywhere except like Spain and Hong Kong.

[@christophehorguelin7044]

@@jeffc1347Come visit Montreal!

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

midnight is really earl for weekends but 10 pm on weeknights sounds normal?

[@Oxymera]

@@jeffc1347NYC bars are usually open to 2am on weekdays. Some are open as late as 4am….

[@maxplanck1423]

Ray: thanks for your diligent dissection of St. Pete. I was there some years ago on biz and would’ve benefited from your salient insights.

[@Randomusername382]

Great video, hopefully the city took a lot of notes from your presentation!

[@AMPProf]

HA LOLZ

[@EagleKai]

A note about Albert Whitted Airfield, it’s also home to the Coast Guard headquarters for the region. While they don’t fly fixed wing aircraft out of that airport anymore (that moved to St Pete-Clearwater International), they do still operate coast guard cutters and (I believe) helicopters from there. Might be a bit difficult to convince the Coast Guard to move.

[@HJHazeltine1]

Coast Guard Helicopters are not operated out of Albert Whitted. The Coast Guard Station is adjacent to the airport property.

[@Imminentslug]

Lived here in Tampa over 20 years and had no idea there was a bus over the bridge or a ferry of any kind. And I was a student of urbanism. Goes to show how prevalent it is: lSt pete urbanism is super concentrated and the rest of the bay ONLY drives, 2 hrs of driving a day is normal, the bus will take you twice as long because the traffic is that bad. And anyone in tampa will scoff if you mention the bus because its “for homeless people”. Tampa is becoming quite miserable tbh

[@AMPProf]

Que que que . ohhh wow

[@AMPProf]

drugs?

[@NShomebase]

I grew up in Tampa, my family would like it if I moved back but these days it doesn't seem worth it.

[@ErikPelyukhno]

I am literally on my way to St Pete right now! It’s such a wonderful city. From a house/ techno enthusiast perspective, it’s an incredible and thriving scene. New venues, great talent and lots of opportunity.

[@cullenpeterson]

My hometown! Technically I’m from across the bay in South Tampa, but St. Pete is Wonderful, excited to watch this one. Go Rays Note about the Whitted Airport (the private airport in DTSP): It’s not even the only one like this. Peter O’Knight Airport on Davis Island is almost exactly the same. Take a look at sight lines directly in line from the runways of either airport, and you’ll note a direct lack of density/height of new development. That’s by design.

[@nunyabidness3075]

And it should remain that way! Florida is one of the last places on earth where private piston transportation is still convenient, enjoyable, and produces lots of jobs. I only ever visited Florida because it is so GA friendly. I don’t go to Chicago now. Haven’t been since they ripped up Miegs. Our company stopped having meetings there. That was pretty much the last straw. Loved that huge steak place over by Peter O’Knight.

[@micosstar]

could you tell us about “piston transportation”?

[@pizzajona]

Rays up

[@nunyabidness3075]

@@micosstar I assume you are asking me, and I should have said piston aircraft transport. What would you like to know? Do you regularly travel to other cities not well served by the airlines?

[@SetheMan]

@nunyabidness3075 the main problem is that most of that land can be used to give homes to thousands of people who need it and it is being used for a small handful.

[@veelastname]

Great video. Loved the dog friendly and wall to wall bar areas. Your dry humor always kills me. "T shirts that expressed some undefined grievance" 😂😂😂

[@whatsitlike6392]

Dang, I really like this video. I don't know why for sure but it has to be one of my favorites of yours. Thanks

[@tylermarrin1303]

You were standing right next to me at Undertow clearly and I didn't even realize! Glad to get your insight on our city.

[@onthewater4020]

Dude! Please please please please come visit Victoria, British Columbia. I think you will have a lot of surprises, from the regressive NIMBY sprawl of the Westshore to the massive multi-use trail network spanning the entire regional district, to the pedestrian-only areas downtown, the weirdly robust public transit system in the core, the contrast between Victoria and Oak Bay, everything. This is a bizarre little urbanist heaven-hell and none of the urbanism channels ever talk about it.

[@chrischampagne9469]

Given that Ray is originally from Seattle, he’s probably been there before. Has it changed much in the past 10-20 years?

[@info781]

Victoria is very nice, but it is a small city and transportation links to the city are difficult, ferry or air. It can only grow north. The homeless issues there are out of control, whole city parks taken over.

[@kerby132]

Thank you for all your great videos! I have been watching for years. I com from Riverview (a suburb of Tampa), but my family is from Pinellas county. I’ve always been so disheartened by the urban development in Tampa Bay, but St.Pete is the only exception. I’m currently studying at UF in geography, and I think seeing your content has been a large influence for me to follow my passions. So really thanks so much!

[@ramadaomar5676]

It's changed so much since I lived there! I lived most of my life in the Tampa Metro and cross bay transit has always been a nightmare. I had to take a class at the St. Pete USF campus and it took about 2.5 hours both ways. About a decade later in 2018 it was still bad so I just took a $60 uber both ways when I had to get to a week long work project until I figured out a carpool. I'm surprised they still haven't figured this out. Even commuting by car, which I did for a few years, is a long, gridlocked drag.

[@SetheMan]

I heard rumors that USF wants to create a line to connect USF Tampa with USF St. Pete.

[@j_asch_]

Excellent video. I’m hopeful for the future of Florida 🥹

[@princessjellyfish98]

my best friend lives in st pete and I quite literally just came back from visiting her yesterday. it was crazy seeing this pop up in my sub box and even crazier seeing all the exact spots I was JUST at. literally two days ago I was chilling at the pier and hitting up speakeasies on central. we didn't make it to the big farmer's market but we hit up a smaller one at the high school. my cousin actually used to live next door to the baseball stadium. the difference in development between that area and downtown proper just a few blocks away is very noticeable. and yeah, the private airport is pretty disgraceful. rich people are perfectly capable of crossing the bridge from tampa like everyone else! hopefully someday my friend won't have to drive all the way out there to pick me up from the airport and I'll be able to take a reasonable bus or ferry ride. and hopefully they'll focus more on expanding affordable housing so my friend can keep living there in the first place!

[@Old-USRefugee]

The reason the area around the Stadium is so poorly developed, is because it was always predominantly a Black neighborhood. It was neglected for years. I hope they are finally investing in it!

[@lanniehough7349]

I used to live in St. Pete, super glad you made a video about it, great city :)

[@snowstrobe]

I would totally come to one of your talks... Now we just need to get you to Bristol, UK...

[@ragidyymann5109]

St. Pete is the best city in Florida. The walkability -- even in the brutal summer heat -- makes it amazing. Such a fun and vibrant place.

[@chrisbartolini1508]

I’m glad St Pete is getting its flowers. That metro area is underrated.

[@coomtard8218]

Thank you so much for this video! I saw you at the Chamber of Commerce event and I’m glad you enjoyed St Pete! Florida is hell when it comes to urbanism, but St Pete is one of the few cities that predates the car, and I’m glad we’ve taken advantage of that to make it a semi-urbanist city

[@epeeypen]

as someone who was born and raised in the Tampa bay area. it was nice to see this review. and to realize how much the city has changed so rapidly

[@checwes1060]

Watching from St. Pete!

[@AMPProf]

is it hot or raining

[@eliplayz22]

Long-time occasional viewer, first time commenter and subscriber. Without this video, I probs wouldn’t have found out all about all the good urbanist things St. Petersburg is doing. Also, 25:16, Aww! What a cute cat❤

[@alexandergildea4561]

The Trop has the angled roof because the seating arrangement is a carbon copy of Kauffman Stadium in KC and the roof was obviously needed because of the climate. The reason the base looks like it was designed by someone different than the roof was because they were designed by different people.

[@pizzajona]

0:11 Tropicana Field’s roof is slanted because the upper deck seats behind home plate need more clearance than the primarily single-deck seats in the outfield. The slanted roof allows the stadium to provide that clearance while saving materials and hence costs.

[@critiqueofthegothgf]

honestly one of the nicest looking suburbs I've seen yet. the paved floor really does a lot to create that traffic calming, serene feel.

[@AMPProf]

BTW ehmm its a real city yall..loloz