North Downtown St Petersburg
Amenities/character/etc
North Downtown Neighborhood is centrally located in St. Petersburg, directly north of the downtown area and west of Tampa Bay. It is home to St. Petersburg's nationally recognized Carnegie Library, the Mirror Lake Branch Library, which was built in 1914. In 1997, an addition to the Library was completed allowing for a Children's Services Division and other amenities. The Library graces the east end of Mirror Lake Park, home to St. Petersburg's first source of drinking water. North Downtown is also home to the Coliseum Ballroom, which opened in November 1924 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The Coliseum still hosts ballroom dancing, sock hops, and concerts. The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club has been open for play since the early 1920, houses the National Shuffleboard Hall of Fame, as well as the Ballet Society, a dance school specializing in ballet. The site also boasts the Chess Club and Lawn Bowling Club. The location of North Downtown allows its residents to walk to downtown in order to dine at local restaurants, shop at art galleries, participate in activities at Tropicana Field or visit City Hall.
History
Mirror Lake, originally known as Reservoir Lake, was the first source of drinking water and public water supply for the City of St. Petersburg. Much of the area north of the park was an orange grove owned by David Moffett, an Indiana-born farmer who had moved to St. Petersburg in 1881, and Moffett Court still bears his name. Edward H. Tomlinson was a participant in the building boom of the 1900s adding the original open air post office, St. Peters Episcopal Church at 2nd Avenue North and 4th Street North, and the Edwin H. Tomlinson Adult Educational Center at 3rd Avenue North and Mirror Lake Drive. Former Mayor Al Lang, St. Petersburg's first ambassador to baseball, also owned land west of the Mirror Lake Park, which is now known as Lang Court.
Organizations/programs
North Downtown Neighborhood Association was organized and incorporated in 1993. It is a member of the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA). The general meeting of the Association is held on the first Thursday in the months of February, April, June, August, October and December at the Sunshine Center 330 5th Street North. A property of the month program showcases neighborhood properties that provide a positive impact on the community. Neighborhood Helping Neighbor community clean-ups are held on the first Saturday of each month.
Architecture
North Downtown features a mix of residential and commercial buildings. Most structures were built in the 1900s through the 1940s, and range from Florida Vernacular or "cracker style"' to Spanish Stucco and Mediterranean. A majority of the residential properties are two-storied.
There are several "courtyard developments" wherein a collection of houses face each other, separated by a pedestrian walkway instead of a vehicular street. Bungalows and vernacular homes line the walkway and neighbors can visit on their front porches while their children play in the front yard without worry of vehicle traffic.
Mirror Lake Condominiums are housed in the original St. Petersburg High School, which was built in 1902. This structure was renovated and converted to condominiums in 1992, and now accommodates 71 luxury condominiums.
Neighborhood grant projects
North Downtown Neighborhood Association received a grant from the City of St. Petersburg to complete a survey of the residents and property owners. This survey was completed and will be used by the Association to draft a Neighborhood Plan.
North Downtown Neighborhood Association received another grant in 1997 from the City of St. Petersburg to beautify 4th Avenue North from 9th to 5th Streets by installing oleander trees.
Boundaries
Central to 5th Avenues North from Tampa Bay to 9th Street North.
Information compliments of www.stpete.org
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