OT: Vinoy Hotel/Downtown St. Pete

[Atlanta Bull]

I'm staying a few nights at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Pete this week. This is a pretty awesome hotel! Good food, nice rooms. I used to live in the area in the early 70's when the Vinoy was shut down, it was not used for 15 years. There is a lot of money still going in to redevelopment of downtown St. Pete, new high rise condos and shopping malls under construction. USFSP is a pretty nice little campus as well. The Pier was shut down forever in May but I'm sure something cool will go in its place. The area still floods like hell so I can't plan golf today at the Vinoy's Golf Course, formerly Sunset Country Club when I lived here. Babe Ruth and other Yankee greats used to play golf at Sunset and 'raise a little hell' as I read on the website.

[cmhatter]

got married there.... awesome place

[Skingraft]

Great place to go after a Rays game if your a fan of the opposing team.  That is where most of the teams stay

 

Our family would typically gather there to see Zack when he played for the royals

Edited July 2, 2013 by Skingraft

[SANJAY]

Lot of good restaurants up and down the street there. 400 beach is great as is the gelato place.

[FatDaddyBull]

St Pete is the charming part of Tampa Bay. Still peeved they didn't go forward with the Rays park at the Al Lang site. Would have been beautiful.

[Triple B]

Plus, the place is haunted ...

[usfvictor]

St Pete is the charming part of Tampa Bay. Still peeved they didn't go forward with the Rays park at the Al Lang site. Would have been beautiful.

 

no....just no... 

 

not trying to turn this into a Rays discussion, but there is a reason the owners don't want to stay in St.Pete.

[Ricky the Bull]

A high school buddy of mine purchased the old Grayl's Hotel in downtown St. Pete, renovated it and just reopened it as the Birchwood Inn.

 

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/5/14/historic_st_pete_hot.html

[Rizman]

Did you go to the Ale and Witch - Great Microbrew's on tap.

[SpeedyBull]

Did you go to the Ale and Witch - Great Microbrew's on tap.

Oh you beat me to it! My favorite place in DTSP. Great beers, good live music, great Thai place next door, they just opened up a BBQ place upstairs and there is even a Wine bar for the ladies that don't drink beer. Great courtyard to hang out. 

 

OP too bad you missed the fall/winter when the Saturday morning market is in full swing (and no rain to rain out your golf). I live about a block away from the Vinoy, Great area. Hidden gem is the Old Northeast Tavern. Check it out.