Shopping Tourists to Visit St. Pete, Gulfport

Getting the insider's guide to exotic places gives tourists a sense of community and place they don't otherwise have when they visit strange and exotic places.

Saturday, some tourists visiting St. Petersburg and Gulfport, courtesy of a tour bus, are coming all the way from Tampa, across the Howard Frankland Bridge.

Sure Tampa is neighbors with both communities, but residents may not know the places where locals go to shop and have a good time.

That is why Tampa shoppers will get to play tourist on Saturday, Dec. 10, in the first-ever Across the Bay Local Shopping extravaganza, which will take place in St. Petersburg and Gulfport.

Yelp and LocalShops1.com have partnered to offer the free bus trip to shoppers across the Howard Frankland Bridge. Shoppers will get an insider's guide to some of the best in indy stores and galleries.

"What do local businesses want? Shoppers! So that's what we're bringing them," says Ester Venouziou, founder of LocalShops1.com.

The Local Shopping Bus leaves Hyde Park Village at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and first heads to Gulfport, where shoppers will get discounts at many local businesses, including The House of Renee Originals, Domain Home Accessories, Bo-tiki and T & Me Tea Company.

Shoppers will also get time to wander around town and enjoy the city's third annual Holiday Hoopla, which includes arts, vendors and live entertainment.

The bus then heads to St. Petersburg for a tour of Cakewalk Art Gallery, a co-op that features some of the better handcrafted items from local artisans.

Shoppers return to Tampa around 4:30 for a free party at Irish 31 in Hyde Park.  Snacks, drinks and gift-wrapping included, courtesy of Yelp.

Seats on the Local Shopping Bus are free, but registration is required.

• Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Passengers may sign up for a free seat through Yelp.com: http://www.yelp.com/events/tampa-yelp-tampa-bays-shop-tour-2011.
• For more information, contact Ester Venouziou at ester@localshops1.com or 727-637-5586.

LocalShops1.com, launched in 2008, connects local, independent businesses and community-minded shoppers. The member-supported organization features an extensive online directory of independent businesses and a shopping card, the 1Card, that offers discounts at participating shops, restaurants and service providers.

Yelp, founded in 2004, is an online urban city guide that helps people find places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play, based on the informed opinions of a vibrant and active community of locals in the know.