The Pier in St. Pete January 14, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Bulletin Board, Music & Dance, Travel & Leisure.Tags: Music, Patchouli, Pelicans, Pier, St. Petersburg Pier, Travel & Leisure
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The St. Pete Pier
A landmark dear
Turns 40 this year
But its end is near
That much is clear
It’s reno or demo, I fear
Til then, kids hula hoop here
Adults relax with a cold beer
As Patchouli sings with good cheer
And hungry pelicans gather near
Waiting for lunch to appear
And disappear . . . as they clap and cheer
Aah . . . that’s better!
The Pier has been a landmark of downtown St. Petersburg since 1899 when Peter Demens hooked up the Orange Belt Railroad to a half-mile wharf. D. F. Brantley started the first Pier Pavilion in 1895, but it is the 1926 Million Dollar Pier, torn down in 1973 to house today’s inverted pyramid structure, that long-time residents remember.
For more information: Â St. Pete Pier
I spent one incredible teenage summer in St. Pete…oh, the memories!
What a great place to spend the summer as a teen.
I remember seeing it when I went to the museum with my mother-in-law.
We’ve wanted to check it out . . . yesterday presented the perfect opportunity since Julie and Bruce were performing.
Looks like a marvelous time…and now that I am deep in the throes of putting the finishing touches on a few of my kids’ more complicated Christmas Lego play sets, I couldn’t help but be reminded of those colourful little blocks when I saw that first shot!
Making an inverted pyramid would be a great Lego trick, Anne! That makes me want to post some of the amazing Lego sculptures we saw this summer at Disney.
The architecture on the pier is absolutely magnificent. Great shots.
Thanks, Don. It’s unique . . . with waterfront restaurants on 3 of the 5 levels.
With central jersey enshrouded in one giant fog bank, I feel like one of those pelicans.
That might put you in the mood for Fish ‘n’ Chips!
A fun ode to a pier 😄 It’s quite a bizarre structure
Isn’t it? Maybe the city planners considered it “avant garde” when constructed in the early 70′s.
Nancy, it looks very modern in your photo – I can’t believe I’m older than it… I hope I look that good! I mean really hope…
It had a few nips and tucks in the late 80′s . . . a “facelift” if you will. Now, they’re planning a more extensive overhaul.
It looks like a fun place!
Glad we had a chance to check out its iconic features before the scheduled demolition. Perfect day for it with Patchouli performing, a guy in dredlocks bouncing about on “spring-loaded stilts,” a few people jugging sticks, etc.
Very cool, Nancy! Such a unique structure… I’m surprised I haven’t seen photos of it before now! Love yours, though! And your poem!
Nice!
Tourist literature for St. Petersburg contains a shot or two of The Pier to entice visitors away from the beaches and to the downtown shops, restaurants, and galleries. If Patchouli hadn’t been playing, we probably would have left the pier to check out downtown. We decided to save that for another day.
Recession? What recession?
I never understood the reasoning behind demoing landmarks like this. Yankee Stadium is a perfect example. The excuse is always it’s cheaper to rip it down and start all over…..I don’t believe that. Are they going to rebuild it? If not, what a waste of money. Why not just update it?
I’m not sure of all the reasoning. Perhaps the pier’s footings have lost stability and need to be replaced.
Plans are to rebuild in stages. But renovation is still under discussion (in some quarters).
Holy Smokes! Had no idea!!
The Pier will be open until May 31st. So you’ll have time to visit it when you head south . . . if you head south.
Shoot! Hit the post button before I finished. I love the clapping and cheering pelicans..
They are such fun to watch . . . so graceful in flight and in float, so awkward on land.
Ooh, I love the pelicans!
They never fail to make us smile . . . “PELICANS!!!”
There’s nothing like a pier, Nancy. And yours is quite spectacular!
There’s a small airstrip just to the south of the pier . . . we enjoyed watched the small planes buzzing off the runway to soar over the water.
That is a unique building…not everyday you see an upside down pyramid. I couldn’t help but note how the structure is going to be 40 and now the options are reno or demo….I’m going to be 40 this year…I’m afraid to ponder my options
Go 40! You’re still on the uphill climb. You’re not “over the hill” until you see the back side of 50 (or 60) (or 70). That’s because our cells regenerate, renovate, and repair on an on-going basis.
Every 7 years, we’re brand new.
Sort of.
We love piers. Some are more spectacular than others, but each has personality! This is a particularly nice one! I would love to sit in the sunshine, enjoy a beer AND the pelicans, and just chill! The pyramid, upside-down though it may be, is spectacular! It looks a little bit like an alien spacecraft!
It does look like a alien spacecraft! Oddly enough, the air temp was high enough that we sought shade. In January. Go figure.
Great photos of St. Peter’s Pier! I know I would enjoy being there as I love water, music and good food.
The Pier offers water views and 4 food venues every day, with live music on Sunday afternoons. When we heard that Patchouli would be performing on the 13th, we decided to check it out (before its pending facelift).
I so hope they don’t follow the frequent trend of replacing with bigger – and not nearly as good.
Time will tell. Now that we’ve visited once, I’ll focus on the debate with greater interest. The concierge at The Pier said that plans are to rebuild in three phases. At first, The Pier would be just that . . . a pier. No shops, restaurants, or boutiques.
Ah, just somewhere to walk along with an independant air so you hear the girls declare, ‘He must be a millionnaire!’
I can see Danny Kaye tapping his toes to your jive beat!
Oh my gosh, that pelican scene is right out of Hitchcock’s movie! I don’t like feeding the seagulls and now I know not to feed the pelicans either.
Note to self: Don’t carry fish through the middle of a gathering of pelicans.
Well done!
Thanks, Tok! It was a lovely outing for a Sunday afternoon. This afternoon we went to a piano concert by Davide Cabassi. Wow! Just stellar.