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Saint Petersburg LGBTQ City Guide

Also known as “St. Pete” or “The Sunshine City,” Saint Petersburg is a coastal Florida city known for its beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, and friendly people. Even better, it has a warm, welcoming, and thriving LGBTQ community where all can feel welcome and at home.

A Look at Saint Petersburg’s History

Saint Petersburg was initially founded as a resort town, named after Saint Petersburg Russia, where one of its founders spent much of his youth. Although it began as a resort destination, it quickly also became an important port city with a thriving shipping and fishing industry. Today, it remains a tourist destination for many, but it is also home to thousands of year-round residents who enjoy all of the art, culture, opportunity, and fun that the city has to offer. Truly, St. Pete would make a perfect place to call home!

A Few Fun Facts About Saint Petersburg

  • Saint Petersburg has about 33 miles of beautiful sandy shoreline, which makes it a perfect location for those who love to swim, surf, boat, or simply enjoy all of the beauty that a coastal lifestyle has to offer.
  • The Saint Petersburg Pier is one of the most visited piers in the entire nation.
  • Saint Petersburg has long been a city known for being environmentally friendly. In fact, it became one of the first cities in the country to implement initiatives to try to protect the environment in the 1970s, when it began reclaiming water and recycling it for local irrigation.

Read more fun facts about Saint Petersburg here.

Saint Petersburg’s LGBTQ Community                         

Saint Petersburg is a city that loves and supports its LGBTQ community with a variety of resources, including:

PFLAG Saint Petersburg

PFLAG Saint Petersburg is the city’s local chapter of the national PFLAG organization, which is the largest grassroots organization of its kind in the country. PFLAG is well-known for its mission of supporting LGBTQ people, friends, family, and allies across the country in a wide variety of ways. With 500 chapters and more than 200,000 members in the United States, PFLAG plays a critical and important role in providing advocacy, support, and resources to the LGBTQ community.

Metro LGBTQ Welcome Center

The Metro LGBTQ Welcome Center is an LGBTQ community center located in St. Pete, whose goal is to provide a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQ community in the area. The group seeks to build a strong community by planning events, creating safe spaces, and providing resources and advocacy across the city, and it is a great place to become involved and connected with others.

What's the Weather Like in Saint Petersburg?

Those who live in Saint Petersburg can expect plenty of warmth and sunshine. After all, it’s called “The Sunshine City” for a reason! About 248 days per year are sunny in St. Pete. Winters are usually fairly mild, while summers are typically hot and very humid. The average high temperature in July is around 90° F and the low in January is around 53° F. From June through to September, afternoon thunderstorms are a common occurrence. Saint Petersburg receives an average of 51 inches of rain per year, and no snow.

Can’t-Miss Events in Saint Petersburg

St. Pete Pridefest

St. Pete Pridefest is the city’s annual month-long celebration of its LGBT community and all that it adds to Saint Petersburg. Whether you enjoy parties, parades, networking opportunities, family-friendly activities, or all of the above, you’ll be able to enjoy that here. This is one month of celebration that you will want to be sure to put on your calendar!

The Best Neighborhoods in Saint Petersburg

Unlike some cities which tend to have one particular area of town that’s the “gayborhood,” the LGBTQ population in Saint Petersburg tends to be a bit more spread out. This isn’t bad news though – in fact, it simply means that the entire city is quite diverse and welcoming.

Broadwater is one of the neighborhoods that’s often very popular with the LGBTQ community in St. Pete. It is a beautiful, somewhat secluded area, and very diverse. It’s also near many of the city’s best beaches and restaurants, plus it’s close to Tampa. 

Tropical Shores is also a very popular neighborhood. This neighborhood is located near the downtown area, and it has a huge population of LGBTQ people— in fact, some estimates say that as much as 40 percent of everyone in Tropical Shores identifies as such!  It’s wonderfully diverse, and its location makes it perfect for many people. 

Arts and Entertainment

The Dali Museum

The Dali Museum celebrates the unique life and art of famed artist Salvador Dali. The museum itself is a stunning work of architectural art, and the art inside is no less amazing.

The Duke Energy Center for the Arts

The Duke Energy Center for the Arts is known for presenting compelling art in a wide variety of genres year-round. Whether you enjoy Broadway shows, stand-up comedy, concerts, or all of the above, you’ll find it here. The productions are known for challenging, inspiring, and engaging their audiences, and you won’t want to miss the chance to enjoy a show for yourself.

Parks and Recreation

Sunken Gardens

The Sunken Gardens is a botanical paradise in the middle of the city. This 100-year-old-garden is St. Pete's oldest living museum and is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. Visitors can wander on the beautiful paths and enjoy more than 50,000 exotic plants from around the world, as well as beautiful cascading waterfalls. Sunken Gardens provides tours, special events, and more throughout the year.

St. Pete and Clearwater Beaches

It’s almost impossible to think of the St. Pete and Clearwater area without thinking of the beautiful beaches. With 33 miles of coastline to explore, you’re sure to find a stretch of beach you love for surfing, fishing, boating, swimming, or simply relaxing and enjoying a sunny St. Pete day.

Saint Petersburg Nightlife

Blur

Blur is located just north of Clearwater, close to St. Pete, in the charming town of Dunedin. The bar is known for its frequent theme nights including drag shows, drag queen bingo, and more. It’s also known for friendly crowds, strong drinks, and great music.

Enigma

Enigma is a very popular St. Pets dance club and bar located in The Edge District. It’s known for its all-day drink specials, friendly bartenders, excellent drag shows, and other themed nights. It has a lively dance floor for those interested in dancing, but also plenty of quieter outdoor space to hang with friends.

Contact a Saint Petersburg Gay Realtor Today

If you're ready to make a move to Saint Petersburg, at www.gayrealestate.com, we're here to help you take the first step toward finding an agent who knows and loves the community, and who can help you find a home and a neighborhood you'll love. We're proud to have a network of excellent realtors in Saint Petersburg, and we would love to help connect you with the right one. Contact a St. Petersburg gay realtor today for a free, no-obligation consultation!