St. Petersburg Pier - the final days

I am proud to be born and raised in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. The colorful inverted pyramid that sits on our gorgeous downtown waterfront has been a source of many memories for me and millions of others - tourists and residents alike. This May, the St. Petersburg Pier as we know it will be closed forever. It is a bittersweet feeling for me and my peers who have known nothing else in that spot.

1973-2013

I am making a big push to remind everyone to get out to the Pier and see it one last time before it's gone. What better way to do that than to make a toast to the St. Pete Pier! While almost all of the food at the Pier is forgettable, the sights of our beautiful city are not. Each of the 3 main restaurants at the Pier have a gorgeous view. I encourage you to get out there, grab a drink, make a toast, and enjoy the view!

The 3 dining destinations at the Pier:

Jonny Reno's is a surf themed restaurant on the first floor, with indoor and outdoor seating, and a full bar outside. Sit outside and watch the bikers, rollerbladers, and couples strolling hand in hand around the perimeter of the Pier. This is a good place to grab a drink with friends.

The Columbia, St. Pete's branch of the famous Florida chain, is located on the 4th floor and features 360 degrees views. Day or night, grab a seat by the window and enjoy the view. The Columbia features Cuban food, sangria, and the famous 1905 Salad.

Cha Cha Coconuts is on the top floor (#5) of the Pier, which is also the observation deck. They have indoor and outdoor seating with one of the best views in the 'Burg. Cha Cha Coconuts serves casual Caribbean style food.

As many times as I have been to the Pier, I had never tried Cha Cha Coconuts. I can now say that I was not missing too much! The food was ok and the scenery was amazing, but for the same price I could have had a better lunch at The Columbia. I will certainly miss my local connection to 1905 Salad between now and the opening of the Lens in 2015!

Dining outdoors at Cha-Cha's

Observation deck on the top floor

What a view!

Grilled grouper sandwich 

Smothered chicken sandwich

Fish spread

The current St. Petersburg Pier will open and close for the last time on Friday May 31st. Whether you have never been to the Pier, or you've been a thousand times, everyone owes the Pier a final farewell visit. While it will be strange to no longer have our famous Pier, we can only hope that the Pier of the future, The Lens, will make us proud in the years to come!

Walking away from the Pier one last time

Cheers to the future of downtown St. Petersburg!

What is your favorite memory of the St. Petersburg Pier?

Check out the Pier restaurants on UrbanSpoon: 

Jonny Reno's

The Columbia

Cha-Cha Coconuts