I moved to St. Petersburg in 2014 by chance after being accepted into Eckerd College. I always wanted to live in Florida, but never knew exactly what town. Luckily, I ended up in what I would consider the best city in Florida. I have found myself here and it has truly become home. Here are some of the great things I love about St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area.

1. Eckerd College

Eckerd is a small, private college located right on the gulf. They have their own private beach, a waterfront area with all kinds of water activity rentals (free to students), a world class marine science program, fantastic professors, and a great culture. If you enter Eckerd's "bubble" it is very hard to leave. Students and staff are welcoming and supportive to one another all while walking around barefoot. I attended a few Universities and their parties have nothing on Eckerd's. Every party is themed and everyone goes all out. We all raided the costume shops constantly to dress up for Pirates vs. Ninjas/Cowboys vs. Indians, Zeta Zoo, Around the World, or Nu Year. I am not a huge party girl, but Halloween is my favorite holiday so I loved that it was basically a year round event. The campus also provides bussing to all First Fridays and off campus events they hold so no one has to worry about drinking and driving and when you get back the amazing pizza truck is waiting for you until 3am. Another fun thing about Eckerd is that they are pet friendly. You can have dogs, cats, ducks, guinea pigs, and all kinds of other small animals right in your dorm with you, which made Achilles and I very happy. The best part of going to this school was that I graduated right by the ocean where you can often see dolphins, manatees, and small sharks.

View the campus at Eckerd.edu

2. First Friday

First Friday is an event held in downtown St. Petersburg on the first Friday of every month. They close an entire section of Central Ave. where all the bars are and there is a huge block party. There is live music, beer tents, and specials at all the local places. It is so much fun to see everyone get out and spend time together in the heart of this great city. I used to ride the bus from Eckerd with friends every month and we would spend most of our time at World of Beer, but the new big hang out is Hofbrauhaus, an energetic German restaurant and bar. Other great places include Burrito Border, MacDinton's, PUSH, and Jannus Live. They have bars, restaurants and clubs for all kinds of people so it's a great time for everyone!

Check out the fun here.

3. RumFish Grill

I suppose it's cheating for me to put RumFish on here as it is technically in St. Pete Beach and I worked there for over a year, but it is an amazing restaurant. The people that work at RumFish are one of a kind and became my family after moving to Florida. Aaron Radman, the general manager, is an extraordinary restaurant manager and is always ready and willing to do what it takes to make his customers and staff happy. This restaurant is very well known for being showcased on the television show TANKED when they built the giant 33,500 gallon fish tank for the main dining room. The tank holds fish that are local to the Gulf of Mexico as well as a beautiful Moray Eel named Frankie. There are also two smaller tanks. One with juvenile fish and the other with predator fish, such as Lionfish. The restaurant has a main dining room that accepts (and highly recommends) reservations, as well as a Bar and Patio area with open seating. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and dinner is from 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. RumFish Grill is owned by Tradewinds Island Resorts, so it is just another part of the fun for tourists on vacation.

For more information or reservations visit RumFishGrill.com

4. Roots Salon

I have never been to a better salon than Roots. The atmosphere there is very chic in it's own way and everyone is super nice. I happened upon this place by chance when looking for a hair stylist that could deal with my curls properly. When I called I was put in touch with Currin Henninger and I fell in love. She is the best hair stylist I have ever had and so much fun. Every time I go in we have great conversation and she always makes me look great. I trust her completely and would let her do whatever she wanted to my hair. The salon also supports local artists and you can see their art hung proudly. I love the earthy vibe of this place. If you are looking for a great salon with stylists that are experienced, up-to-date, and knowledgeable this is the place for you!

Check out their website at rootsoncentral.com

5. Rollbotto Sushi

Rollbotto is an awesome and quick way to get sushi in downtown St. Petersburg. When you walk through the doors you get that perfect robot feel with stainless steel and vinyl tables decked out in popular robot images. What makes Rollbotto unique though is that it is like a Subway for sushi. You can pick one of their menu items or create your own sushi as you walk down the line with your chef to create the perfect sushi roll. My favorite is a seaweed roll with white rice filled with crab, tempura shrimp, avocado, and cream cheese, topped with spicy mayonnaise plus a green tea mochi ball for dessert. They also serve beer and sake and you can take your items to go, sit inside at the robot tables, or outside in a little patio area.

You can order ahead of time through their app as well! Check them out here.

6. Sab Café

Right around the corner (literally) from Rollbotto Sushi is Sab Café. They consider themselves an Asian Fusion restaurant, serving both Thai and Vietnamese food. They have a great little staff and fantastic food. I just fell in love with this place after my new coworkers took me there for lunch. The owner is so sweet and she knows all her regular's orders when they walk in the door. I have only been working downtown for two weeks and have already been there three times to eat their Spicy Kimchi Fried Rice with chicken. It is bursting with color and flavor and is always made fresh. Another menu favorite (my coworkers go to item) is the Drunken Noodles. The prices are also very reasonable and the menu has all kinds of options. If you love good Asian food, this is the place for you.

They also cater! Check them out here.

7. The Beaches

From St. Pete Beach to Ft. Desoto the beaches down here on the gulf are gorgeous! Ft. Desoto is a county park so there is a fee but you can go to the beach, camp, and visit the Fort while you're there. It's great for picnics and when you want to bring your dog with you to the beach. St. Pete Beach is always fun as there is tons to do on Gulf Blvd if you need a break for food, beverage, shopping, or just some good old air conditioning. Some of the highlights down there are the St. Pete Produce and Deli, RumFish Grill (obviously), The Don Cesar hotel, Chic-Fil-A, and The Undertow. The best part of all is seeing the dolphins swim by so closely with their calves!

8. Sporting Events

Tampa Bay has great sports teams. I am not the biggest sports fan but I do love hockey and going to Lightning games is so much fun, especially if they're playing the Red Wings. Other fun sports in or near St. Petersburg are the Rowdies (soccer), Tampa Bay Rays (baseball), and Buccaneers (football). I worked as a ticket agent for the Rowdies last year and have been to a few baseball games at Tropicana Field. Even if you aren't watching the games it is always entertaining and a great way to get out with friends because you can usually find cheap tickets on certain nights.

9. Sunken Gardens

The Sunken Gardens is the oldest living museum in St. Petersburg. It is right off of Fourth Street North close to downtown and it harbors a botanical paradise. It is a good, cheap place to go for a fun day whether you just want a nice stroll through the gardens, are interested in photography, study botany, or want to have a beautiful wedding. The tropical flowers are always stunning and they are promoting their new baby Flamingos right now. Admission is only $10 per adult and they are open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from Noon - 4:00 p.m. Check it out for a great day away from city life!

For more information click here.

10. Gasparilla

Technically, Gasparilla is held in Tampa but it's a tradition for everyone from Tampa, St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas to attend. Gasparilla is an annual event held at the end of January. Thousands of people come from all over to take part in this pirate festival. Yep, pirates! If you aren't dressed up, you aren't doing it right. There is a boat invasion in the morning and a huge parade in the afternoon. Streets are closed down all over for the parade route and vendors. There is food, drink, house parties, and lots of beads. There are many different floats and they all throw beads just like at Mardi Gras (but without the flashing). I grew up in Pinckney, MI where we were the Pinckney Pirates so I was thrilled to continue the pirate tradition after moving to Florida. For the last two years I have gathered with my best friends, dressed up, drank, ate, and just had a great day seeing all the different costumes and participants. This is a must go for anyone in the area or visiting during this time. Definitely a swashbuckling good time!

For more information check out their website here!