People who live in the ‘burg know it’s a gem like no other, but is it underrated? According to the travel website Conde Nast Traveler, it is.
“Florida has higher-profile destinations (Miami, Orlando, Key West…) than St. Petersburg,” senior digital editor Lauren Dannen Redman writes. “But this Gulf Coast city stole our hearts recently with its new Salvador Dali museum.”
First of all, I’m not sure St. Pete can be fairly classified as underrated considering it was recently listed as one of the New York Times’ top 52 places to visit in 2014 along with the likes of exotic hotspots in Africa and South America as well as popular vacation destinations like the Vatican and Switzerland. The city was also ranked as the top arts destination in mid-sized cities three years in a row from 2010-2012 by American Style.
That’s a lot of impressive ranking to be called underrated, no?
Another thing to note about this writer, she’s clearly not a ‘burger. No one who’s lived in the Sunshine City for more than five-minutes would ever take the extra time to say St. Petersburg instead of just St. Pete. Plus, she calls the Dali Museum “new.” Psshh. That was so three years ago!
Nevertheless, it’s still an honor to live in a city where, even with a growing list of accolades praising our museums, craft beer scene and sandy white beaches, some outsider out there still thinks we’re underrated.
So, what characteristics land a city on this list?
“To start, it can’t have its own TV show. (Sorry, Portlandia. You too, Philadelphia,)” the blog answers. “Sometimes, it takes a wedding or a business trip to bring us to different parts of the country, but these 10 American cities—from Portland, Maine to Boise, Idaho—make great destinations unto themselves. We love them for their dining or microbrew scenes, cultural attractions, or that under-the-radar charm.”
I should also point out that, though St. Pete doesn’t have it’s own T.V. show, it has been featured in multiple movies over the years – George Clooney and Brad Pitt had fans swooning when they filmed a scene for Ocean’s 11 at the Grayhound track – and neighboring Clearwater has its own movie (and sequel!), Dolphin Tale.
I think we’re on the map, but thanks for the props anyway.
