St petersburg gay beach

Maybe that’s the enigma. They had a small outdoor seating area and a much more relaxed vibe.

The Garage

Somewhere between Lucky Star and COCKtail in terms of the style of bar, The Garage was a little more upbeat than Lucky Star with a dancefloor, pool table area and a mixed crowd that had a slightly younger vibe than Lucky Star.

Florida’s largest  LGBTQ2S+ celebration, attracting an estimated half a million people, St. Pete Pride knows how to throw an inclusive ,community-led celebration. Pete Beach

St. There’s also a small shop selling saucy and sexy clothing and accessories. The shrimp are also amazing.

Where to party

The Grand Central District, which runs along Central Avenue and neighbouring blocks between 16th and 31st streets, is St.

Pete’s gaybourhood. Think of a room with a shrimp theme, including a giant shrimp cocktail, and a room of mirrors. Next is The Edge District, which boasts great street art and nightlife, including one of the bigger gay bars, Enigma (more on that later). Brightly lit, easy-peasy, pool tables, darts and karaoke.

Very kid friendly.

Where to stay

Mari Jean Hotel (2349 Central Ave., St. Petersburg). Tampa Bay’s first all-vegan restaurant is conveniently located in the gaybourhood. Adorable straight couple Carly and Anthony serve coffee in the morning, beer and wine in the afternoon and evening, and sell flowers and light meals all day long at this homey spot in the Grand Central District.

Good Intentions (1900 1st Ave.

S., St. Petersburg). More than any other U.S. state, Florida is the most whimsical—in more than one sense of the word. There are five bars/restaurants on the pier, and a market for vendors selling locally produced food and gift items.

Central Avenue.Much (though certainly not all) of St. Pete’s best people-watching, shopping and eating is along Central or close to it.

The Saint entrance is around to the side of the Mari Jean. It was so easy-going, it was hard to imagine anyone rushing by or being bitchy. Here are a few key stops with special LGBTQ2S+ interest.

Tombolo Books (2153 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg).

How Gay is St. Pete?

The Tampa Bay region, in general, is very LGBTQ-inclusive.

The Sunshine State has a sense of fun and adventure—it’s a place many people dream of vacationing in, moving to or retiring to.

But Florida is also whimsical in the sense that visitors never know what to expect next, depending on where they are. Within 20 minutes of sitting at the bar of a tiny gay dive bar, I met a hairdresser, a non-profit fundraiser who the hairdresser insisted should have a haircut—and didn’t I agree?—a local leatherman and a gay couple from Orlando. 

St.

Spot the groups of gay guys in their speedos and you will know you are in the right place.

Gay Owned & Gay Shops in St. Pete

In any destination I visit I always seek out local LGBTQ+ owned business to shout about them, unsurprisingly St. Pete has a fair few. The current governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, has made the LGBTQ2S+ community his bête noire.

Classy in the best sense of the word.

Bodega (1180 Central Ave., St. Petersburg). The typical special is two-for-one; you get a token when you pay that can be redeemed for your second drink after you’ve finished your first.

The Salty Nun (2501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg). There are more than 35 independent breweries in St.

Pete and neighbouring Clearwater—they call it the Gulp Coast. The city lives up to its nickname “The Sunshine City” most days, and for the rare day when the weather
doesn’t cooperate, there are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy.