St. Petersburg
A melting pot of people and cultures, St. Petersburg formed from those setting up homesteads during the 1830s. After the Civil War, more settlers arrived, including the area’s first Black settlers, John Donaldson and Anna Germain, in 1868.
John Constantine Williams of Detroit, Michigan moved to Tampa in 1875 and bought 2,500 acres of waterfront land that would eventually become St. Pete. Thirteen years later, he transferred part of the land to Peter Demens, an exiled Russian aristocrat, who named the land after Saint Petersburg, Russia.
With a host of dining and entertainment options, St. Pete’s Grand Central District is known as a stronghold for the city’s LGBTQ+ community and features many gay-friendly nightlife options.
St. Pete is home to the annual St. Pete Pride event, Florida’s largest Pride celebration.
In 2020, an LGBTQ+ Pride-themed rainbow mural was painted in the district at the intersection of St. Pete’s Central Avenue and 25th Street.
Read more in the OUT Tampa Bay 2022-2023 Business Directory & Resource Guide!
