Howdy, pals!

Hope everyone’s having a great week! Did any of you make it out the Cliff Diving event last weekend? We paddled out to watch it, and it was such a blast. Those athletes are wild. I’m not even good on the high dive at our local pool.

Ok, once again, let’s dive in (yeah, pun intended).

In fairness, maybe just earth quaking, not shattering. If you were home Monday afternoon around 2 PM and noticed your water glass rippling, or felt your chair shift for no reason, you weren't imagining it.

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Mexico just off Cuba's northwest coast on June 8, about 65 miles from shore and 16 miles underground. The U.S. Geological Survey originally measured it at 6.4 before revising the figure down. Either way, it's among the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the Gulf's history.

Neither my wife nor I noticed it where we were in Disston Heights, but more than 100 St. Pete and Tampa residents reported the shaking to the USGS, part of more than 5,000 reports that poured in from across Florida, stretching from South Florida all the way up to Jacksonville and Tallahassee. My friend downtown said her entire building shook (she thought it might be construction nearby), and lots of folks evacuated out of concern.

Geologists found this one a little strange. The quake happened inside a tectonic plate rather than along the edges where most earthquakes originate. It was fairly large and in a somewhat unusual spot, since no quakes above magnitude 5.0 had been recorded within 250 kilometers of the site.

No local injuries or structural damage were reported, and there was no tsunami threat. Just a very strange, very memorable Monday afternoon in St. Pete.

The world's biggest sporting event is here, and St. Pete is ready. PMB Events, American Outlaws St. Pete, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies have lined up official watch parties for all three of Team USA's group stage matches at three downtown venues, each with a 20-foot LED screen, multiple bars, and pre-game pep rallies led by the American Outlaws chapter.

June 12 brings the opener: USA vs. Paraguay at Al Lang Stadium. Family-friendly, all ages, kickoff at 9pm. On June 19, catch USA vs. Australia at Jannus at 3pm, the same outdoor venue that went wild for the 2022 knockout run. June 25 wraps with USA vs. Turkey at Ferg's Pavilion at 10pm, the new covered concert space behind Ferg's Sports Bar. One lucky pair at each venue wins tickets to a live World Cup match in Miami.

Tickets (linked above) are $10 (with fees, closer to $15). Proceeds from the official parties benefit OceanAid360 and The Williams Park Partnership.

If you’re looking for some spots to watch the games for free, here are a few options:

Mary Margaret’s is the go-to spot for a rowdy, classic pub soccer match experience. There are tons of drink deals available during the matches.

Green Bench Brewery will have free watch parties with the games on all the TVs (with sound on), plus $20 Postcard Pils and Bench Life Lager buckets.

The German American Society in Pinellas Park is a great place to watch the USA and Germany games with 8 high-def screens and a full bar.

Green Turtle Brewery & Public House and the Horse & Jockey are two more spots that are great for catching soccer matches, especially if you want the British experience!

Carl may be a mess, but Soft Bar in Brookyln isn’t going to be the only zero-proof bar on your mind this summer. If you didn’t get that reference, Bravo reality TV shows like Summer House must not be your wife’s guilty pleasure. Consider yourself lucky.

The sober-curious movement has been building here for a while. St. Pete's NA bottle shop Herban Flow has a cult following. Now the area is getting something with full bar energy: Sober Bar, a zero-proof craft cocktail and coffee lounge, opens to the public on Tuesday, June 16, at 3062 Beach Blvd S in Gulfport.

The space looks upscale, with a large bar, indoor & outdoor seating, and delicious zero-proof cocktails. There will also be coffee, kava, functional beverages, and food options. Plus, they plan to host regular events for the community to gather.

Their soft opening on June 15 has already sold out, but be sure to make time to head on over once the doors are officially open for good!

Guest post by Crista @theburgcoffeeguide on Instagram.

A European-style pastry café has arrived in the heart of downtown St. Pete. Forest Vibe Cafe opened just two weeks ago, serving up crepes, croissant sandwiches, espresso drinks, teas, macarons, and gorgeous pastries (too many to count!). Everything is made fresh on-site or locally sourced.

The pastries are calling my name, but they'll have to wait for another visit. For now, a hot latte and Americano were exactly what we needed.

Forest Vibe Cafe
449 Central Avenue
Downtown St. Pete
Open daily at 7:30am (except for Sundays, opens at 10:00am)

I wrote about the USA Today Best Beaches voting last month, and the results are officially in. Pinellas County took home 3 of the top 10 spots in the state with St. Pete Beach taking 6th, Clearwater Beach taking 3rd, and Treasure Island coming in 2nd place.

Delray Beach took the top spot for the second year in a row, but who wants to hang out on the Atlantic coast anyway? Not this Gulf coast native. I need that warm, warm water.

Do you agree with the ranking? How would you rank our Pinellas Beaches? I’m taking St. Pete Beach all day, but I’m biased because that’s my old neighborhood and where I got engaged.

🎨 The Artist Sustainability Fund plan was just approved by the City Council's Economic and Workforce Development Committee to address the drop in St. Pete's art gallery count from 15 in 2014 to 7 in 2025. The proposed plan lets developers purchase extra density (an additional 1.5 FAR) in exchange for contributions to a City arts fund, with no changes to height limits. The proposal goes to the Development Review Commission this month, then to the full council for a public hearing.

🗳️ St. Pete free mayoral forums are a great way to hear from the candidates as the August 18 election draws closer. In case you missed the NAACP forum at the Main Library yesterday, you can attend the League of Women Voters' nonpartisan candidate forum (free, but requires tickets) June 18 at MC Music Center at 6pm.

📈 See the numbers from the annual State of the Economy address at the Mahaffey: $1.44 billion in construction value in 2025 (a record, much of it Helene and Milton rebuild work), unemployment at 3.6% against a 4.3% national average, and median household income up 18.5% over five years. The cost of living index came in at 97.3, just below the national benchmark of 100, and downtown now has 11,800-plus residential units with 2,391 more in the pipeline.

⚡ St. Pete's 30-year contract with Duke Energy expires in August, and City Council voted 4-3 last Thursday to spend up to $590,000 studying whether to form a municipal utility. Proponents point to success of other Florida cities who have done so and the rising prices/profits for Duke. Opponents cite the massive differences in complexity/timing of other municipal energy versus St. Pete. WUSF wrote a great piece on the topic.

Want to spread the word about your business, a project you’re working on, an exciting event, a hiring opportunity, or just want to say hi to thousands of neighbors?

DINNER CLUB: Tomorrow’s is sold out, but there are still seats available for July 1. Reserve your seat while you can! Especially if you’re a guy :)

CROSSWALK SUPERSOFT TEE: 50% of proceeds donated to St. Pete Pride! Get yours in honor of Pride Month!

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Bubbles the dog or Big Bertha the cat. See them here.

FLIGHT DEAL: PIE → Chattanooga. $82 round trip in August. Might seem weird, but I’ve had multiple people tell me that Chatt reminds them of St. Pete!

‘BURG ABODES: Affordable mid-century modern in Meadowlawn. $299,000 | 2bd 1ba | 989 sqft.

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Pickleball

Your contributions go directly towards keeping Sunny St. Pete alive and well so we can have more fun and build a stronger community. I appreciate any and all contributions to keep this locally-owned newsletter (and passion project of mine) going strong!

Looking for love (or trying to find it for your bestie)? Head to Ferg's for a hilarious, light-hearted night of "Pitch-A-Friend." Watch brave wingmen and wingwomen take the stage to present quick, PowerPoint-style pitches on why their single friends are the ultimate catch and what they are looking for in a partner.

Not interested in pitching? No problem! Come out to relax, laugh, and meet amazing local singles. After the presentations, stick around for the Single Mingle Mixer to chat, grab a drink, and see if sparks fly in a completely pressure-free environment.

Admission is free, but if you want to actually pitch your friend on stage, you must sign up in advance! Spots are limited, and presenters get a complimentary drink for their bravery.

You can be my wingman anytime.

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charleston Battery | Al Lang Stadium | Jun 10, 7pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Local soccer match downtown

Art After Dark | Museum of Fine Arts | Jun 11, 5-8pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Nighttime rate at the museum, jazz, oysters

Makers & Shakers Market | St. Petersburg Distillery | Jun 11, 5-9pm | Free
Local makers market with cocktails

Flick & Splash | Jennie Hall Pool | Jun 12, 7-10pm | $1-$2
Family movie night at the pool

St. Pete Beach Seafood Festival | St. Pete Beach | Jun 12-14, 5-10pm | Free
Weekend seafood festival on the beach

Chad Mize Dance Party at FloridaRAMA Gallery | FloridaRAMA | Jun 13, 8–11pm | $15 🎟️
After-hours gallery dance party

BE Pride Bazaar | The Body Electric Yoga Company | Jun 13, 8am-1:30pm | Free
Pride-month bazaar at yoga studio

History in a Bottle – A Taste of Tequila | St. Petersburg Museum of History | Jun 13, 6-8pm | $70-$90 🎟️
Tequila tasting with local history

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Hartford Athletic | Al Lang Stadium | Jun 13, 7:30 PM | Prices vary 🎟️
Rowdies host Hartford Athletic

Beach Town Ballroom Dance Class | Beach Town Yoga | Jun 13, 2:00 PM | $10-$15 donation 🎟️
Beginner ballroom with Prestige Ballroom

St. Pete Indie Flea (Summer Series) | The Coliseum | Jun 14, 12-4pm | Free
Local makers & vintage market

Latte Mug Pottery Painting | Book + Bottle | Jun 14, 10am-12pm | $75
Relaxing pottery painting session

Want to see the full list of events this weekend and in the coming months? Plus, local shows and concerts coming up? Peep the guide below or check out the new Event Calendar page I’ll be officially unveiling soon.

Looking for details on markets this week?

Thanks so much for reading! As always, you can reply directly to this email with any feedback.

Stay Sunny,
Josh