After years of complete civil war in downtown Saint Petersburg and $92 million dollars of cost, downtown Saint Petersburg’s Pier has finally opened.  As expected, the pier will continue to get mixed reviews for decades since the old pier (actually #3 in history) was the place for thousands of memories.

The shark modern design and condensed space will shock people used to the towering inverted pyramid.  There is no aquarium or Columbia Restaurant.  The clustered carnival atmosphere of gift shops and commercial promotion has been replaced with a clean, almost museum-like atmosphere.  This will draw divided feelings from people who remember the old Pier.

The only people I found without an opinion were the pelicans.  They did seem confused where to find a food handout.

Instead of a long asphalt runway with adjacent parking lots, people will find a unified park-like setting complete with a statue finally informing people that commercial aviation began here when a by-plane delivering some meat and St. Petersburg’s daring mayor landed from Tampa. The plane flew so low and so slow that trolling for fish could have been an added activity.

As a historian, I am glad that the integrated design should benefit the St. Petersburg History Museum that stands at the start of the pier. The layout is more park over water than tourist district.

Some of the immediate concerns is that while the new parking lots do not resemble the ugly mass that used to exist, I think in the middle of the winter tourist season there is not going to be sufficient parking.  Most visitors do not realize the location of the town’s efficient downtown bus service to parking lots and garages.

When my family came over from Tampa, a visit to the pier mainly meant a stop at the Columbia Spanish restaurant and a lot of camera photographs.  That restaurant is gone and the upscale restaurant on the fourth floor, called TEAK, is rather expensive for a menu loaded with standard dishes.  The lobster invested Surf and Turf burger was the big winner although the restaurant was designed more to maximize great views than win fussy eaters..

The ground floor DRIFTWOOD CAFÉ resembles a “grab and go” spot at a resort hotel.  If you want a ten-inch pizza and a cold drink to sit at the pier than this place fits that spot.

I thought the SPA BEACH BISTRO, despite a neat location by the splash pool, was the least impressive dining experience.  More pizza and comfort food at vacation prices.

PIER TEAKI on the roof is the sunset romance spot for couples, who expect the fancy drinks pay for the view of downtown Saint Petersburg.  It will be very popular and crowded at night for the active crowd. More than my Tampa, St. Pete’s downtown has more scenic rooftop food stops.

DOC FORD’S RUM BAR and GRILL is a waterside spot not in the Pier Point and Floridians will recognize it is named after the popular character created by local writer Randy Wayne White.  It is one of those seafood, funky places that serves a semi-Caribbean seafood menu, has a glorious bar, and looks like they bought every nautical item that Jimmy Buffett couldn’t locate.

And, guess what?  It works when the seafood is good and the atmosphere feels like you are in a vacation at least within driving distance of a white sand beach.

The Pier Point is very attractive at night, but it appears like a long walk for seniors.  That is in part that it isn’t as gigantic as the old pier and the amount of landscaping in the pier park is great in daytime but darkens in the evening.

It will certainly become the most photographed spot in downtown Saint Petersburg. (Sorry – Dali Museum)