5 Ways You Can Celebrate 727 Day In St. Pete

July 27 might be a regular day to most people, but not for us here in the bay area. July 27th here is known as 727 Day. A day to celebrate Pinellas County and the fabulous area code that is 727. We should celebrate our beautiful city every day, but if you haven't, I have 5 ways you can celebrate 727 Day.

As it is written on StPete.org, 727 Day is all about celebrating all the amazing things Pinellas County has to offer. It’s a day to come together, have fun, and show the community why St. Pete is the jewel of the 727 area code. So I made a list of things you can only do in the Saint Petersburg area.

The Rays may be claimed by Tampa Bay, but the real fans know their home is in Saint Petersburg at Tropicana Field. Not only have the Rays been a staple in the 727 for the last 26 years, but Tropicana Field has been so as well. The field has actually been around 8 years longer than the team.

If you want to show your appreciation, the Rays will be taking on the Cincinnati Reds on the 27th and WiLD will be there celebrating as well. We are even having a huge game of "Simon Says" following the game for a pair of Rod Wave tickets. So please don't drink too much at the game, it may land you some FREE TICKETS.

You can make an entire day out of checking out what's at the St. Pete Pier. Check out the tents at the marketplace, learn about marine life at the discovery center, lay under the "Bending Arc" net sculpture, or eat at one of the many restaurants. The waterfront views are the perfect way to admire the 727.

If you're not trying to break the bank at the pier, you can always have a relaxing day at Vinoy Park. The two-mile stretch of waterfront views in downtown St. Pete has more than enough space for everyone to enjoy it together. Grab some of your own food and enjoy a picnic on the grass or on the beach. Just make sure if you're going on another day than 727 days, to check their schedule. They tend to have festivals and events at the park sometimes.

This one is for my drinkers, but let's be honest there isn't much you can't do on Central Ave. If you want to shop, they have stores for that. Want to see some art? They have it EVERYWHERE. However, drinking is why we are really here. It's hard to suggest a specific bar for you, but believe me there are more than enough to choose from. My suggestion would be to go and throw some axes at the Hatchet Hangout. And yes, you can have some drinks there too.

Which beach? Funny you ask. Pinellas County is a peninsula with 35 miles of sandy beaches on 11 barrier islands. So there are a lot to choose from. St. Pete Beach, Pass-A-Grille Beach, Fort Desoto Park, Sunset Beach, Treasure Island, and Madeira Beach are just a few I can name. Each beach offers an unobstructed view of the sun dipping into the Gulf of Mexico, providing a perfect backdrop for a picturesque sunset.

If I forgot something, let me know what you would do on 727 Day.

There are a lot of things to consider when moving to the Tampa Bay area. Affordability, night life, walkability, safety, etc. Maybe you're thinking of moving from Hillsborough to Pinellas or from out of state and now all that's left to pick is the area. Well, these are the best neighborhoods in St. Pete, according to locals.

We were browsing on the St. Pete reddit thread the other day when someone was curious about the perks and positive experiences of different neighborhoods in St. Pete. Local redditors weren't afraid to voice their opinions. What's nice is it seems like most of the chatter was positive, which is a pretty rare thing to see when talking about how Tampa/St. Pete has changed over the years.

Locals and transplants can find common ground on why Tampa is such a great place to live. There are lots of reasons why people save all year just to visit. The year-round warm weather is a big selling point for those relocating from colder states. We have some of the best beaches in the country, a melting pot of foodie culture, soon to have a stellar baseball stadium and across the bridge we have championship winning sports teams.

Of course, with all major cities, you'll run into a few cons as well. Many complain about growing homeless population, cost of living, HOA's among others.

Before we get into the best neighborhoods in St. Pete (according to locals), we need to include these honorary mentions. These are great neighborhoods that a few people pointed out in the reddit thread:

This was the most common St. Pete neighborhood shouted out on the reddit thread. But not for the reasons you may think. Everyone seems to love this area because of all the peacocks grazing around the lake.

Driftwood, located on Big Bayou just south of 22nd Avenue South. Many homes in the neighborhood were designed during the 1930s-40s and still remain. They have a very tropical features with jungle-like landscaping. We hope they never start to govern the overgrown greenery because that's what makes the area so special.

Historic Old Northeast is just a stone throw away to Downtown St. Pete and includes the North Shore Park. It claims to have 3,000 historic buildings within its boundaries. The area also borders Coffee Pot Bay, famous for its resident manatees. Some redditors also mentioned this is the neighborhood to check out during the holidays because they go all out. But again, good luck finding a house that sells less for $1 million in this area.

Centrally located but not too loud/busy. Residents say there's more space and larger lots than Old Northeast and Euclid, less expensive than Crescent Heights, no flood zone, and just a 6 minute bike ride to the water and a 10 minute bike ride to northeast park by Vinoy.

This was the first residential subdivision in Downtown St. Pete. It's filled with a wide variety of architectural styles like Bungalow, Prairie, Foursquare, Craftsman, Mediterranean Revival, Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, and Tudor Revival.