Those who work and play in downtown St. Petersburg already know it, but now the New York Times has recognized the city as a top destination to visit.
In the newspaper's edition of "52 Places to Go in 2014," St. Petersburg makes number 49 on the list, falling before Belize and after Varazdin, Croatia.
The article states the city is "anything but stationary" and is in the process of "reinventing a Florida city's reputation."
It also lists St. Petersburg's waterfront, Dali Museum and restaurant scene as reasons to visit.
Residents in the area are happy to hear the news.
"The town has been improving," said Tony Harwood. "We've lived here about eight years, and I would say every year it's a better tourist destination."
"We came from Coranado, which is a really great town," said Jane Harwood. "We maybe even like it better than Coranado, for things to do, we like it better here, its great."
"I've seen the growth," said Good Night Moon owner Diane Lyle. "I opened my store in '99, and definitely the food culture wasn't the same. It has always been a lot of art culture. So I can definitely see the difference as far as that -- a lot of new restaurants and a lot of vibrancy downtown."
Cape Town, South Africa is number one.