Fab Five Floors!

The St. Petersburg Pier is conveniently located at the end of the down town area, just shooting out into Tampa Bay. This is a place where any local or tourist can find an interest. Whether you’re a fisherman, a shopper, or just a lover of food and marine life, this is the place for you to be. The pier offers beautiful views, unique smells and enough history to keep a history buff occupied. The building at the head of the pier houses two exquisite restaurants, other small snack bars, enough stores for you to spend all day looking at the treasures, other attractions, and the main event that is an aquarium on the second floor.

Your journey to the pier begins with a drive down Central Avenue until you reach several one way streets. At this time you need to navigate your way to Second Avenue North and head east down the 3000 foot pier (Dailey), until you find a free parking spot which is a more difficult then finding your way there. The pier supplies two parking lots for a small fee, one called the Dolphin and the other called the Pelican. From these parking lots you can walk if you choose or wait for the red trolley to pick you up. This can all be avoided with a little thing called valet parking, which costs $8. However you accomplish the fete, when you’re parked and on your way, your attention is drawn to a large glass paneled building in the shape of an upside down pyramid. As you walk down the pier the smell of dead fish becomes prevalent, but the beautiful ocean seemingly never ends with little sight of land, only the Albert Whited Airport with frequent landings on the distant horizon. There are attractions on each side of the walkway, educating you about environmental issues from sea turtles to pollution. Once you get near the pier a wooden shack becomes visible; this is the bait shop. Here you can rent a rod and reel all day for just $10, buy bait, and view the neighborhood bullies-the pelican. These begging ocean birds waddle with mouth open like they haven’t eaten in months and run any other species of bird out of the area like a gang of sorts.

The concrete pier, which is referred to as the municipal pier, was opened to the public in 1973 and still stands today (7 Piers a Peering). The upside down triangle was designed by local architect William B. Harvard. His purpose was to maximize the observation area at the top, but also maximize the ground area for vendors and parking. This mission evolved into the upside down pyramid we see today (Dailey).

Finally, you enter the building and the sound of Cindy Lauper and other 80’s music enters your ears. At your left theres “The Hat Shop” which has fashionable hats all the way to hats with crazy designs. On the right is a trinket store that sells glass ware. Right past the glass store is a collectibles store which has made a home for itself in the Pier for 15 years. They sell items like autographed sports equipment and expensive figurines of all your favorite movies and television shows. Next, a candle shop is directly to your right. Here you can buy creative candles with animals and other crazy designs. You can also watch the employees make the candles by dipping the wick in the colorful wax. A local favorite store is “The Pepper Store”, where you can buy just about any hot sauce imaginable, even hot sauces not sold to minors. Onward on the right is the shop for the sweet-toothed visitor. “The Fudge Factory” is home to types of fudge only compared to Willy Wonka’s factory. Straight ahead is the Pier’s wine cellar that sells hundreds of different varieties of the drink. The shop even holds a small cigar stand. Turning to the right is the food court which holds a variety from pizza to Chinese food. Through the food court is the dance studio where locals can take ballet among other classes. Captain Al’s restaurant holds claim to the back left corner of the first floor and offers a relaxed setting with delicious food of all varieties (Henthorn).

Once your journey through the first floor is complete the elevator brings you to the aquarium. The aquarium, which was founded in 1988, offers refuge to many of the local marine wildlife. Upon exiting the elevator you enter the aquarium gift shop which has everything from t-shirts to pencils. You notice as soon as you walk into the middle of the room there is a hole with three cylindrical, water-filled glass containers with man made reefs. These tanks hold various tropical fish and extends vertically to the first floor (The Pier Aquarium). The charge for entrance to the aquarium is three dollars. Once you pay the clerk you enter to your right. The aquarium is a darkened room with lit up exhibits. The first exhibit is a tropical ecosystem which many children find enjoyable due to two of its residents, Nemo and Dory which are popular characters in the movie "Finding Nemo". Moving on to the wall parallel to the tank there is an informational exhibit that explains the effect of hurricanes on the local area. Some rather large lobsters make the next tank their home, along with a few neighborly crabs. The next tank holds smaller marine creatures like snails, sea cucumbers and hermit crabs. The last tank holds larger fish such as a type of puffer, a rather large Lion fish and other older species of tropical fish. The Florida sea life and its beauty is obvious as you gaze into the sand-bottomed, almost fairytale, land. For most, this is as close as they will ever be to these wild creatures. Once you’ve finished overlooking the aquarium and its occupants you walk past a donations box for those who feel generous, and then back into the gift shop. After purchasing your pricey souvenirs, you reach the elevator again and move onto the next floor.

The contents of the third floor change around every three months. The exhibit that occupies this floor now is a free event titled “A Celebration of Water”. The exhibit houses art from models to photographs of the power and elegance of water. The pier is also hosting lectures, literature discussions, performance arts, and the finale which is a three mile walk sponsored by Starbucks (The Pier Aquarium Presents). If you're an art lover or someone who likes to be in shape this is the exhibit for you.

The fourth floor is the home of the oldest restaurant in the state of Florida. Celebrating its 100th year anniversary in 2005, the Columbia Restaurant rests with a 4th floor 360 degree view of downtown St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay (Our Story). The beautiful surrounding environment in the restaurant is a spectacle of rich wood with gold colored edges, and a classy look to the tables (Photo Gallery). You can enjoy the view while you wait for your delicious Spanish cuisine.

If a more laid back atmosphere is what you’re looking for then the 5th floor holds your destiny. Cha Cha Coconuts is a tropical Caribbean restaurant that specializes in mixed drinks, and as their saying goes it's “not your typical tropical bar” (Cha Cha). The open air restaurant lets the fresh ocean breeze in with a tropical atmosphere. The Caribbean dining is delicious, especially while you enjoy a fabulous top floor view of the surrounding city and bay. You don’t need reservations and it’s easier on your pocket then the Columbian. The night view, some say, is even more beautiful then during the day. The city lights illuminate the land while the dark liquorish water leaves you mesmerized.

The St. Petersburg pier offers something to everyone who enters its boundaries. From the moment you walk onto the jetty your attention is grasped, and kept until after you leave. From dining and shopping to viewing the wildlife, this is truly a tourist's dream.

Works Cited!

7 Piers a Piering. St. Petersburg, 2006.

Cha Cha Coconuts. St. Petersburg, 2007.

Dailey, Michael R. Out There: Re-Envisioning the St. Petersburg Pier. Tampa: USF

College of Graduate Studies, 2004. 2-6.

A USF grad student made architectural plans for a new and improved pier. These plans are not in effect now but, who knows someday they might be. He started out informing his readers of the history of the Pier which is what helped me the most. He talks about all seven different piers and the benefits and attractions each had. The Pier as we know it today was revealed in 1971 and still stands today.

Henthorn, Dawn. "Pier Perfection: the St. Petersburg Pier." About.22Feb.2007<http: //goflorida.about.com/od/saintpetersburg/a/stpete_pier.htm>.

This article gives a description of the Pier and also gives you numerous activities that you can enjoy at the Pier. This varies from the aquarium to fishing, all the way to bike riding near the pier. This article helps so that you can plan out your day in advance so you waste no time visiting this amazing attraction.

"Our Story." Coumbia Restaurant. 27 Feb. 2007 <http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ourstory.asp>.

This website displays a timeline that helps with knowing when the restaurant was created, and the advancements in the restaurant. It also discusses Casimiro Hernandez Sr. who founded the restaurant in 1905. The Columbian Restaurant in the St. Petersburg pier was the fourth one of the restaurants built, and it was built in 1988. The timeline also reveals that there are 7 total locations that the restaurants hold.

"Photo Gallery." Columbia Restaruant. 24 Feb.2007<http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/gallery_stpete.asp>.

"The Pier Aquarium." The Pier. 27 Feb. 2007 <http://www.stpete-pier.com/pieraquarium.php?LID=3>.

The Pier Aquarium Presents a Celebration of Water. St. Petersburg, 2007.