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Today's Letters: St. Petersburg night life

St. Petersburg night life

Complaints reinforce city'sold reputation

Two articles in the Aug. 22 edition of Neighborhood Times make St. Petersburg sound like its old reputation: God's Waiting Room, or the place you send your parents, when you retire to Sarasota. The articles concern noise (or music, as some call it) and erotic art.

I think we need some new, young blood leading the two downtown neighborhood associations. The current presidents sound like prissy, little old ladies complaining about things that bring a city to life.

I moved here eight years ago, because it felt like St. Petersburg was about to pop! It has lived up to that expectation. It is becoming a vibrant place to live, eat and be entertained. The so-called "Downtown" neighborhood associations should be proud of that blossoming, not complaining that it has gotten too urban.

Hal Freedman, St. Petersburg

Don't like city? Move

You complaining folks who want peace and quiet, why live in a city? Who are you kidding? More people, more noise: "That's life in the big city!" Action is what any decent city wants.

For those who don't like it, move to Sun City or Port Charlotte, where the retirees now go. St. Petersburg has outgrown you.

Michael Alexander, St. Petersburg

Erotic Art Show in St. Petersburg

Artists foster progress

As one among the throngs at Friday night's Erotic Art Show grand opening, I can say that it was wonderful to see St. Petersburg continuing to shed its stodgy, conservative image.

The site of the show was, fittingly, the Grand Central District, which owes its revitalization to St. Petersburg's burgeoning art community. It seems that artists are once again paving the way of progress by breaking down old stereotypes and making room for diversity.

William Rothstein, St. Petersburg

Decadence precedes fall

Kudos to the Roman Catholic diocese of St. Petersburg for its stand against "erotic art." Where are all the other churches who are supposed to be the bastions of our morals? Many say it's a sign of St. Peterburg's "vibrancy." Or is it a sign of its decadence?

I am told that past behavior is a reliable predictor of future conduct. Therefore: Remember the fall of the Roman Empire.

Jerry Heidler, Dunedin

Adult recreation centers face cuts Aug. 19, story

No more disruptions

It is a bit gratuitous for Barbara Hawkins, president of the Greater Pinellas Point Civic Association, to suggest renting out the Bay Vista Recreation Center more aggressively to meet budget shortfalls (rather than be willing to pay a $20-per-hour fee for the association itself to rent it).

With respect, she does not live next door to the center nor has she had, in the past, to deal with the consequences of such activities. These have included evenings being disrupted by thudding bass systems that drown out TVs and disrupt sleep (think of a car with a booming stereo parked across the street); screaming and yelling partygoers after midnight (in a park that is supposed to close a half hour after sunset); occasional calls to the police, including one that required three squad cars; cars overflowing the small parking lot and spilling onto the street or grass (again, illegally); cars screeching out of the parking lot late at night; and assorted trash (sometimes nasty) often finding its way into the park and neighboring yards.

What this well-intentioned lady and others like her don't seem to realize is that Bay Vista is in a residential zone - not a commercial one or in an "entertainment district."

It has limited parking and is very close to an over-55 condominium complex. Having made the decision to locate the facility where it did, the city now has a responsibility to the neighbors not to allow their lives to be unnecessarily disrupted on a regular basis.

Indeed, the recreation department folks have proved to be very responsive to neighbors' concerns, and current arrangements, which include occasional rentals, seem to be working very well. The last thing we need to do is exacerbate the problem by trying to turn the center into a regular party central!

David Henderson, St. Petersburg

Firetrucks a distraction

The other morning I was out driving and came up to a school zone that had firefighters with their trucks out holding signs to encourage drivers to slow down and look for kids crossing to go to schools.

This would be great except I was too busy trying to see what they were doing and too busy trying to read the tiny print on their signs to pay any attention to children who might have been in the area!

I fell into the trap all of us do by looking at the firetruck and the firefighters to see what was going on, so I was not actually able to pay attention to much else in the area.

If they are going to do it, they should be a block or two away from crossings to encourage people to slow down and have signs with large enough print so that I am not having to really concentrate on the sign.

How about just SLOW DOWN, SCHOOL IN SESSION instead of three or four sentences crammed onto a small sign.

The firetrucks are very distracting when we should be paying attention to the children on the road. I am in my 40s and was in no hurry to get anywhere that morning but ended up seeing the firetrucks, not the kids. Put a 70-year-old or someone on their cell phone and in a hurry in this situation, and it only gets worse.

Holly Oswald, St. Petersburg

Biker behavior too risky

It seems that a day doesn't go by when I don't pick up the newspaper and find another person has died on a motorcycle.

However, I travel daily on U.S. 19, and I see many motorcyclists taking so many risks - cutting in and out of traffic, squeezing between two cars, not wearing helmets, etc.

I'm not saying all cyclists take too many risks, but for those who do, what are you thinking? Are you looking to be the next headline in the newspaper?

Pam Pilutik, Palm Harbor

[Last modified August 28, 2007, 23:10:09]