St. Petersburg Florida FL Warrant Search

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg (often shortened to St. Pete or The Burg) is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States long known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St. Petersburg the fourth largest city in the state of Florida and the largest city in Florida that is not a county seat[citation needed]. Although the city of Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County, all county services are available through county offices in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, which is composed of roughly 2.7 million residents, making it the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state.The city is commonly referred to by locals as 'St. Pete'; neighboring St. Pete Beach, Florida formally shortened its name in 1994 after a vote by its residents.The city is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is connected to mainland Florida to the north; with the city of Tampa to the east by causeways and bridges across Tampa Bay; and to Bradenton in the south by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Interstate 275), which traverses the mouth of the bay. It is also served by Interstates 175 and 375, which branch off I-275 into the southern and northern areas of downtown respectively. The Gandy Bridge, conceived by George Gandy and opened in 1924, was the first causeway to be built across Tampa Bay, connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa cities without a circuitous 43-mile (69 km) trip around the Bay through Oldsmar.With a purported average of some 360 days of sunshine each year, it is nicknamed 'The Sunshine City.' For that reason, the city has long been a popular retirement destination, especially for those in the United States from colder Northern climates. This reputation earned the city the derisive nickname of 'God's waiting room'. However, in recent years the population has shifted in a more youthful direction. History The city was co-founded by John C. Williams, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, who purchased the land in 1876, and by Peter Demens, who was instrumental in bringing the terminus of a railroad there in 1888. St. Petersburg was incorporated on February 29, 1892, when it had a population of only some 300 people.It was named after Saint Petersburg, Russia, where Peter Demens had spent half of his youth. A local legend says that John C. Williams and Peter Demens flipped a coin to see who would have the honor of naming the city. Peter Demens won and named the city after his birthplace, while John C. Williams named the first hotel after his birthplace, Detroit (a hotel built by Demens). The Detroit Hotel still exists downtown, but has been turned into a condominium. The oldest running hotels are the historic Pier Hotel, built in 1921, formally Hotel Cordova and The Heritage Hotel, built in 1926.Philadelphia publisher F. A. Davis turned on St. Petersburg's first electrical service in 1897 and its first trolley service in 1904. The city's first major industry was born in 1899 when Henry W. Hibbs, 1862–1942, a native of Newport, North Carolina, established his wholesale fish business at the end of the railroad pier, which extended out to the shipping channel. Within a year, Hibbs Fish Company was shipping more than a thousand pounds (454 kg) of fish each day.Dredging of a deeper shipping channel from 1906 to 1908 opened St. Petersburg to larger shipping. Further dredging improved the port facilities through the 1910s. By then the city's population had quadrupled to 4,127.In 1914, airplane service across Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa and back was initiated, generally considered the first commercial airline. The company name was the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line and the pilot was Tony Jannus, flying a Benoist XIV flying boat. The Tony Jannus Award is presented annually for outstanding achievement in the airline industry. Jannus Landing, a local music/entertainment venue on Central Avenue in downtown, is also named after him.The city population continued to multiply during the 20th century. Booming in the 1940s and 50s with the advent of air-conditioning[citation needed] and through the 1970s as the town became a popular retirement destination for Americans from midwestern cities, reaching 238,647 in the 1980 census. By that time, however, the population had levelled off, and has grown by only 10,000 since then; this is primarily a result of the city being largely 'built out'. Geography and climate St. Petersburg is located at 27°46′23″N 82°38′24″W / 27.77306°N 82.64°W / 27.77306; -82.64 (27.773053, -82.639983).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 133.1 square miles (344.7 km²)— 59.6 square miles (154.4 km²) of it is land and 73.4 square miles (190.2 km²) of it (55.19%) is water.St. Petersburg has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), with a definite rainy season from June through September. St Petersburg, like the rest of the Tampa Bay Area, is occasionally affected by tropical storms and hurricanes. However, the last time a hurricane directly struck the city was in 1921. Many portions of St. Petersburg, especially along the bay and in south St. Petersburg, have tropical microclimates. Royal palms and coconut palms, as well as other tropicals, grow to maturity and fruit. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 248,232 people, 109,663 households, and 61,630 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,163.1 persons per square mile (1,607.3/km²). There were 124,618 housing units at an average density of 2,090.0 per square mile (806.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.36% White, 22.36% African American, 0.31% Native American, 2.67% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.07% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.23% of the population.There were 109,665 households out of which 23.85% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.295% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no adult living partner present, and 43.8% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.865.In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.24 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,597, and the median income for a family was $43,198. Males had a median income of $30,794 versus $27,860 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,107. About 9.2% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. Attractions and points of interest The city has a children's museum (Great Explorations), Museum of Fine Arts, a History Museum (which has a full-size replica of the Benoist seaplane and is located near the approximate spot by the St. Petersburg Pier where the first flight took place), a Holocaust Museum, and the Salvador Dalí Museum, which houses the largest collection of Dalí's outside of Europe, including a number of famous and large-scale paintings such as The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. There are also various other smaller art galleries and entertainment venues, especially in the downtown area, which has seen a boom in development since the mid 1990s; these include: The Mahaffey Theater complex, American Stage (an equity regional theater), The Coliseum, and Palladium Theatre, and The Midtown Royal Theater, The Arts Center, and the Florida Craftsmen Gallery.The St. Petersburg Pier is a popular tourist attraction. It contains a small aquarium open to the public, retail shopping, adventure activities, and both casual and fine dining restaurants. Various sightseeing boat rides are also offered. The Bounty II, a replica of HMS Bounty that was used in the 1962 MGM movie starring Marlon Brando was permanently docked near the Pier for many years until the ship was sold to Ted Turner in 1986. The Bounty II, however, still makes St. Petersburg its winter home. In 2010, the St. Petersburg City Council voted to demolish and rebuilt the pier within two years.Downtown is the location of the BayWalk shopping complex which contains an IMAX Muvico 20 screen movie theater, as well as many chain restaurants and retail shops, catering to more of a middle and upper class audience. Baywalk is also a nightlife destination although it is less well attended than the block surrounding Jannus Landing, just south of BayWalk. Central Avenue, from the Yacht Club east to 8th Street, is also both more vibrant and 'organic' than BayWalk with the exception of a couple underdeveloped blocks. Restaurants serving ethnic and domestic culinary specialties can be found throughout the downtown area. Every Saturday morning, from October to May, the downtown area hosts a farmers market in the parking area of Al Lang Field (aka Progress Energy Park). Local vendors sell the fruits of their labors (whether edible or decorative) alongside artists of all kinds including live music. As of 2010, Baywalk is virtually deserted, with only Muvico remaining to anchor the complex.Due west of downtown on Central is a district called Grand Central which is contained within Historic Kenwood. It is known for its artistic community, LGBT presence and hosting of the annual St. Pete Pride parade. Like its name implies, Old Northeast is adjacent to downtown from the northeast. It is known for its historic status and eclectic architecture. Roser Park is another historic district, located just south of downtown. It is known for its stately architecture and somewhat dubiously for its proximity to the 'South Side.' Together, these areas comprise the urban core of St. Petersburg.North of downtown is Great Explorations, The Children's Museum, an interactive museum featuring a Children's Village with giant pretend stores, Fire House and Pet Vet Clinic, and preschool, science, music, art, and water exhibits. The museum is located next to Sunken Gardens. 4th Street as a whole, from Downtown up to Gandy Boulevard, is home to many restaurants and bars running the gamut from fast food to haute cuisine. This area is called the 'Garden District', although as of 2010 this name is not widely in use.Boyd Hill Nature Park located on Lake Maggiore is a 245-acre (0.99 km2) preserve where you can see many of the endangered plants and rare wildlife of Tampa Bay. There is a bird exhibit which houses bald eagles, owls, hawks, and other species.St. Petersburg is well regarded for its beaches. In 2005, Fort Desoto was rated the number one beach in America by the annual Dr. Beach rankings. TripAdvisor also has the beach ranked number one in the nation for 2008. Also noted for its arts community, St. Petersburg regularly places top 25 in the nation among arts destinations Recently, St. Petersburg has become known and regarded as one of America's most livable cities. Downtown Downtown St. Petersburg is the Central Business District, containing high rises for office use, most notably the Bank of America Tower. The St. Petersburg Times newspaper is headquartered in the downtown area. The Poynter Institute, which owns the paper, is located on 3rd St. S.The Mahaffey Theater complex, the Morean Arts Center, dozens of other art galleries, Haslam's used book store, The Coliseum, Palladium Theatre, and Jannus Landing are among the galleries and cultural venues featured downtown. Several prominent museums are located in the perimeter. Four of them have received notable accolades: Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, Museum of Fine Arts, Salvador Dalí Museum, the Florida International Museum, and the Holocaust Museum. The city also plays host to many festivals throughout the year.Downtown contains the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, and a downtown branch of St. Petersburg College. The downtown perimeter also houses several parks, most of which are waterfront or lakefront. Straub Park is nearly a half mile long, boasts a waterfront location, and is home of the Museum of Fine Arts. The Vinoy Hotel has a waterfront location, a spot on the National Historic Register, and a AAA Four-Diamond rating. This area also contains Vinoy Park, which is known to hold music festivals, including the Vans Warped Tour. Most of the dining downtown can be found on Central Avenue. Central also contains most of the nightlife; Jannus Landing and the State Theatre. Both Jannus Landing and the State Theatre hold concerts. However, Baywalk is an exception. All of these landmarks are connected via the Looper Trolley. In addition, a recent demographic change has brought more nightlife options to the downtown corridor. In 2010, the city council voted to extend bar hours until 3 A.M., identical to cross-bay 'rival' Tampa.Tropicana Field, home of MLB's Tampa Bay Rays is located in the western part of downtown. Until 2008, the team played its spring training games at Progress Energy Park, right down the road. This setup was unique, making St. Petersburg the first city that played host to its baseball team during spring training as well as the regular season since the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics. At the end of 2007, there was a debate over a new stadium to be built on the downtown waterfront at the current Progress Energy Park site. This new ballpark would have an overhead sail to cool game-time temperatures and catch rain. Tropicana Field would be demolished and replaced with prime residential and retail space. Completion of the stadium was planned for 2012; however, the proposal has been tabled indefinitely while a community-based organization investigates all alternatives for new stadium construction.Jutting a half mile into the Bay is the St. Petersburg Pier, a major tourist attraction with various activities. Due to its livability and myriad amenities, St. Petersburg's downtown has been rated among the best in the South. The area's beaches are a 10-mile (16 km) drive from downtown.The Wikimedia Foundation had been located in downtown St. Petersburg since its founding by Jimmy Wales. On September 25, 2007, the Foundation announced its move in late 2007 from St. Petersburg to the San Francisco Bay Area.St. Petersburg boasts the third largest dedicated public waterfront park system in North America, with a waterfront park system that stretches seven miles and is used year round for public events, festivals and other activities. In the early 1900s, citizens and city leaders engaged in a long and boisterous debate over the future of the young city's waterfront space with one side advocating for commercial, port and industrial development and the other side advocating for a long-term commitment to parks and public access to the waterfront. The public access and park contingent won the debate when, on Christmas Eve 1909, the city announced the acquisition of the waterfront land that is encompassed by the waterfront park system.The city is also becoming one of the largest destinations in Florida for kiteboarding, a relatively new water-sport, with locations such as Ft. Desoto Park, Pass-a-Grille, and Ten-Cent. St. Petersburg locals such as Billy Parker and Alex Fox have gained a reputation for being some of the best kiteboarders in the world.The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club was established in 1924 and gained attention as the 'World's Largest Shuffleboard Club' with 110 courts and over 5,000 members in the 1950s and 1960s. Neighborhoods St. Petersburg has more than 100 neighborhoods. Airports Nearby Tampa International Airport provides air transportation for most passengers. Smaller airlines, with destinations to smaller cities and towns, operate at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, with most tenants providing only seasonal services. Albert Whitted Airport provides general aviation services near the heart of downtown St. Pete. Mass transit Mass transit in St. Petersburg is provided by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA). A sightseeing trolley, called The Looper also travels to key downtown destinations daily. Railroads CSX operates a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad branch line which sees daily rail traffic from north Tampa though Safety Harbor, Clearwater, Largo. As of March 2008, the portion that ran into downtown St. Petersburg and the adjacent western industrial areas was abandoned. There is a small rail yard to the northwest of downtown St. Petersburg at the new end of the rail line with several spur lines serving industries in the area.The former Seaboard Air Line branch from the western coastal portion of the county was abandoned in the 1980s and converted to a popular recreational trail called the Pinellas Trail. Education St. Petersburg has a branch of the state university, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, as well as St. Petersburg College and Eckerd College. The Poynter Institute, a school for journalists, future journalists and teachers of journalism, is also located in St. Petersburg. The non-profit school is the owner of the St. Petersburg Times, a unique arrangement devised by the founder of both, Nelson Poynter. The Science Center of Pinellas County offers programs for public school students. Secondary schools Gibbs High School Lakewood High School St. Petersburg High School St. Petersburg Catholic High School Shorecrest Preparatory School Northeast High School Canterbury School of Florida Osceola High School Dixie M. Hollins High School Media The city's main daily morning newspapers are the St. Petersburg Times as well as its free daily sister publication tbt*. Other newspapers available in the area are the daily The Tampa Tribune and the free weekly alternative newspaper Creative Loafing.The major TV network affiliates serving St. Petersburg are WTVT-TV, channel 13 (Fox); WFLA-TV, channel 8 (NBC); WFTS-TV, channel 28 (ABC); WTSP-TV, channel 10 (CBS); and WTOG-TV, channel 44 (The CW). WEDU-TV, channel 3 and WUSF-TV, channel 16, are PBS affiliates. WMOR-TV and WTTA-TV are independent stations. Bay News 9 is the local cable TV news service.Paid wired television service is provided by cable services Bright House Networks and Knology, as well as fiber optic service provider Verizon FiOS. Sports St. Petersburg is represented by teams in three major professional sports (football, baseball, and hockey), and several minor sports. One, the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball, plays in St. Petersburg proper, while the other two play across the bay in Tampa. All of the teams are considered to represent the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The Rays began play in 1998, finishing last in the American League's East Division in first nine of the first ten seasons they had played, including their last year known as the 'Devil Rays: 2007. However, in 2008, their 11th season, they held off the Boston Red Sox and won the AL East Division Championship for the first time. In the playoffs, they again faced the Red Sox in the ALCS. They defeated Boston and won the American League Pennant. However, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series.From their inception until 2008, the Rays played their regular season games at Tropicana Field and their Spring Training games at Progress Energy Park, giving them the unique distinction of being the only team in Major League Baseball that played its Spring Training games in their home city in more than 70 years. However, starting in 2009, the Rays have held Spring Training at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, ending a 94-year streak of springtime baseball in the city.Tropicana Field, the home venue of the Rays, played host to the 1999 Final Four. St. Petersburg is also home to the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the inaugural race was held in April 2005. The circuit itself is made of downtown streets passing Progress Energy Park, the marina, and a runway in Albert Whitted Airport, and streets are temporarily blocked off for the annual Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series race, which was last held on April 6, 2008. The race has been confirmed to return every year until at least 2013.See the Tampa Bay Area page for more details.St. Petersburg is the home of many past and present sports icons. In the area of hails the WBC and IBF Light Middleweight Champion Ronald 'Winky' Wright and IBF, IBO, and WBO Champion Jeff Lacy. Football is a big interest in the area. Ernest Givins, Stacey Simmons, William Floyd, and Pat Terrell are some of the famous retired NFL players from the city. Shaun King, Marquell Blackell, Aveion Cason, Darren Howard, Tim Carter, Kenny Heatly, and DeAndrew Rubin are some players currently in the NFL from the city. Major League Baseball pitcher Doug Waechter is also from St. Pete, as well as Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser. Indy Racing League driver and 2005 Indianapolis 500 Champion Dan Wheldon resides in St. Pete as well.The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club has also made their home in St. Petersburg since 1977. The Pelicans play in USA Rugby's Division II competing against teams throughout Florida and the United States. Throughout its history, the teams have won honors as Florida Cup Champions as well as berths in National Championship Tournaments.[citation needed]Despite not having a team in the city since 2000 (with the St. Petersburg Devil Rays), St. Petersburg is also home to Minor League Baseball's main headquarters. It is located on Bayshore Drive, adjacent to Progress Energy Park and its parking lot.The International Shuffleboard Association was founded in St. Petersburg in 1979. Sister cities Takamatsu,Japan Saint Petersburg,Russia Notable residents Bubba The Love Sponge, radio personality. Sierra Kusterbeck, singer ofVersaEmerge B5,boy band Mike Alstott, retired professional football player for theTampa Bay Buccaneers Rolando Arrojo, former baseball player; one of the first free agents signed by theTampa Bay Devil Rays Lynn Barry,basketballplayer Angela Bassett,actress Al Capone Billy Corgan,Smashing Pumpkinsband member Brad Cooksey,entrepreneur, local business owner Charlie Crist, currentgovernor of Florida Linda Crockettaka Christina Crockett, writer Megan Fox, Actress Michael France,filmscreenwriter Hobart Freeman,authorand charismaticpreacher Chris Fuller, filmmaker Ernest Givins, formerfootball player Dwight Gooden, baseball player Nicole Haislett,Olympicgold medalist inswimming Jack Kerouac, leading figure of thebeat generation Casey Kotchman,Major League Baseballplayer Jeff Lacy,professional boxer Vincent Lecavalier,Tampa Bay Lightning John Loftus, formerU.S. Justice DepartmentNazi war crimesprosecutor, the president of theFlorida Holocaust Museum, and terrorism expert Gordon Mackenzie, former Major League Baseball player and minor league manager Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay Johnny Nee, baseball scout Richard Plankton-Professional Bowlers Associationbowler who currently holds two PBA career titles and placed 26th in 2007-2008 regional points list. Former candidate for the Florida House of Representitives, district 51 in 2002. Ron Plaza, former Major League Baseball player and minor league manager Ray Robson, a youngchess master Mark Rotella, writer, author ofStolen FigsandAmore Charles Roser, cookie maker, real estate developer, and philanthropist Casey Turner,Big Brother 11contestant Jimmy Wales,Wikipediafounder Sean Waltman, Americanprofessional wrestler Dan Wheldon,Indy Racing Leaguedriver Ernest Vincent Wright, author ofGadsby, a 50,000-wordlipogram Winky Wright, professional boxer Omali Yeshitela, civil rights activist