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2008 Was A Year to Forget, But--December was a Month to Remember! Part 2
A Biting Problem
I ask that the loyal readers of this column please forgive me for the tardiness of this column as well as next week's. I have had a ton of my time sidelined assisting the NFL Environmental Program with Super Bowl XLIII tree plantings as well as recuperating from periodontal surgery. As I am in a mild amount of dental pain, this will probably be a somewhat abridged (don't mention bridges to me - Will the Toothless Wonder) column to be capped off (ouch! - WTTW) prematurely.
Saturday December 13, 2008, Downtown St. Petersburg Walking Tour
One week after the fabulous Temple Terrace Tour of Homes, discussed in PCR #459, I decided to take a tour of the architecture on the other side of the Bay. Saint Petersburg Preservation, Inc. holds a walking tour of St. Petersburg's Downtown Historic District. The tour is held the second Saturday each month between the months of October and April for a donation of $5.00 per person. It generally takes 2.5 hours to complete, starting at 10:00 A.M. and ending after 12 Noon. The tours are led by SPPI members Kai Warren (see PCR #439) and Peter Belmont. The scope, history and diversity of the architecture (consider this Part 12 of my Fabulous Architecture of the Tampa Bay Region series) is breathtaking and Misters Warren and Belmont do an absolutely outstanding job of bringing their passion on this subject to their audience.
I Had a Camera, I Took Notes, and Then...
I brought my little cheapo camera to the event thinking I'd snap off a ton of great shots, but alas, near the beginning of the tour the batteries died! In addition, I scribbled down a ton of notes which I couldn't find the day after. Arrrrgggghhhh! Well I guess that means I'll just have to go again by April! Therefore, based on my diminished physical and mental condition, I will let the first batch of photos do the talking. I urge everyone reading this column to take this great tour. In addition, the SPPI also holds a "Westward Ho!" tour for a $10.00 donation on the last Saturday of the month, again between the months of October through April. This tour is approximately 3 hours in length touring from the St. Petersburg waterfront to the Kenwood area. It also features a bus trolley as a larger area is involved.
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| The original bandshell in Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg used to be the traditional wood structure gazebo until replaced decades ago-go by this Jet-Age, somewhat Googie inspired work designed by the same architect who also created the present day St. Petersburg Pier building. | | "The Sunshine Corner" in downtown St. Petersburg features a beautiful and tasteful mix of different paving materials. |
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| This breathtaking bas-relief incorporating time from the Tocobaga to current day graces the City of St. Petersburg's Municipal Services Center Parking Facility. | | The Detroit Condominiums, formerly the Detroit Hotel, one of St. Petersburg's earliest structures, is where the Downtown Walking Tour starts. |
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| A beautiful ornate door affixed to the Detroit Condominiums. | | I managed to snap off a photo of this gorgeous Mission Style structure that was a cafeteria in the 1930's before my camera's batteries died. This was only the second stop in close to a dozen or more destinations with architecture ranging from Bungalow to Victorian and everything in between. You can see the large crowd that these tours attract. We even had the opportunity to frolic on the steps of the downtown United Methodist Church where just the evening before Governor Charlie Crist tied the knot with the beautiful Carole Rome (now known as Carole Rome Crist). |
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Next Week: December 2008 comes to a conclusion as Harry Wise, "Florida's Mister Magic", and I honor the memory of a true Florida Folk Hero and environmental warrior. All here in Nolan's Pop Culture Review!
"La Floridiana" is ©2009 by William Moriaty. Webpage design and all graphics herein (except where otherwise noted) are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2009 by Nolan B. Canova.
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