livetotry

If you head west uopen entering Eckerd, you'll drive along this quiet little street. It passes by the swimming pool, the chapel, and the Galbraith marine sceince center, which overlooks the bay. One of my favorite things to do is park near the little chapel, and walk along the path that runs beside it. There are trees and tall grass, and many egrets like to come and hunt for food in the waters of the pond.

Driving past the chapel to the Galbraith center, you will find palm trees and sidewalks with students walking and biking. It is a wonderful view of the water, and the many dorm and university buildings along the way make for a picturesque scene.

9th avenue's only parking you're likely to find is in front of Hurricane's, a bawdy, crowded restaurant that serves mostly fried food in several floors. The oceanviews on this street are beautiful, but Hurricane's often makes this a noisy street. You can hear the many people packed into the place from pretty far down on the street, especially on the weekends.

8th Avenue, which is a tiny little street in between Gulf and Pass A Grille ways, is home to a number of restaurants and cute houses. Black Palm and Moazic are two restaurants on this little street. Because of the restaurants, it is often difficult to find parking on 8th ave, but you should be able to find a spot neaby on 7th or 6th ave. Looking east you have bayviews, looking west you have beach and oceanviews, 8th Ave is a perfect little street to visit and enjoy the chill on St Pete beach.

31st street has expanded and grown much in the last few years. At the intersection with Pinellas, there are a few stores and a gas station. As you drive south, you will see the residential neighborhoods and condos that line the street. This area has undergone lots of development, and there are now many, many housing communities. If you drive all the way down to the end of 31st street, you'll be able to see the way. Hop out of your car and wander over to enjoy a littel bayfront view. This is a very central location, close to the stores on 34th street, and overall a quiet street only 10 minutes or so by car from the beach.

34th street is where you will go to run errands and pick up food when you live in St Pete. A busy, commercial street, 34th street is home to everything from chain restuarants like Wendy's and Taco Bell, to little mom and pop Italian restaurants. There is a gas station and pharmacy where 34th intersects with Pinellas, and a huge strip mall a little farther north.

The farther north you drive along 34th street, however, the less corporate it becomes. There are a few adult video stores north of 22nd avenue, but near and around Pinellas, this street is full of strip malls with storage facilities, a gym, and great shops and restaurants.

This is my favorite street to park on when I'm headed to the beach. Gulf way runs along the beautiful white sands on St Pete beach, and is home to a small boardwalk, a few little beachfront hotels, an ice cream shop and the noisy, hopping, nightlife favorite The Hurricane.

Mostly due to the noise from the Hurricane and the small boardwalk, do not expect peace and quiet along Gulf Way if you are near 9th Ave. However, farther north or farther south, you will find perfect little hideaways to enjoy a quiet, peaceful sunset.

Far and away the most stunning of St Pete's streets, Gulf Blvd is home to the stunning, 1920's-style Don Cesar beach hotel. It is important to mention the hotel not only because of its large presence and important tourist destination, but also because it is the very first thing you see as you drive onto Gulf Blvd from the Pinellas Bayway.

Apart from the large, pink Don Cesar hotel, Gulf Blvd is home to numerous other hotels, resorts, and restaurants. St Pete's most impressvive dining locations, like the Wine Cellar and Pub Waterfront, are along Gulf Blvd. Head south on Gulf Blvd to head towards the more deserted parts of St Pete beach. Head north for great nightlife and many, many dining choices.

Expect heavier traffic and more noise than in the rest of sleepy St Pete -- this is where you go to live it up off the sand.

Sun Blvd is sandwiched between a beautiful residential community and a yacht and golf club. It is home to a small little strip of shops, as well as my favorite sushi place in all of St Pete -- and possibly all of the US (and I live in New York!) Tokyo Bay is nestled in the strip mall along Sun Blvd, and it is the first place I go to eat whenever I go back to visit St Pete.

Sun Blvd is situated along a beautiful little pond, that gleams and glitters beautifully at night. Because the surrounding neighborhood is so luxurious, this is a perfect street to grab a bite or do some shopping and take in the sights.

Ave of States is the first road you will wind down as you enter the Eckerd College campus. It takes you past the main campus buildings, winds down past the cafeteria and some of the dorms, and eventually takes you back out of the campus past the tennis courts, pond and athletic fields.

During the school year, you will find lots of students walking to and from class, back to dorms and to the cafeteria. Outside of the school year, this avenue is quiet and picturesque -- and empty.

I spent a good year living in a dorm off this drive. The college itself is beautiful, the area is safe and there is an ATM, a bookstore, and a cafe (Tritons cafe) all along or within walking distance of this street.

Away from the brighter lights of Gulf Blvd, Pass a Grille is a sleepy, quiet getaway towards the southern part of St Pete beach.

Along Pass a Grille you will find seafood restaurants, boats parked along the bay, and plenty of cute, colorful houses. A great road to run along, Pass A Grille is scenic, neighborhoody and a place I still think of whenever I think about returning to St Pete.