The city hosts Florida’s biggest gay pride parade - dubbed, appropriately, St. Pete Pride - in late June, recently drawing more than 75,000 participants and spectators. But, St. Petersburg is a gay-friendly travel location year-round. There’s a strong LGBT presence in Grand Central, a neighborhood in Historic Kenwood that is West of Downtown. An artsy enclave, this section of town is the home of St. Pete Pride. There has also been a growth in gay business as major revitalization efforts have taken place on Downtown’s Central Avenue.

Gay and lesbian travelers also should consider a short road trip outside town at some point. Head 20 miles north of St. Petersburg to gay-friendly Dunedin, where locals, both gay and straight, crown a drag queen during the annual Miss Mardi Gras Pageant. From there, you can catch a ferry to Caladesi Island State Park or take in the gay-friendly bars and restaurants.

Back in St. Petersburg, travel gurus say Clearwater Beach to the north of the peninsula and St. Pete Beach to the south draw the biggest crowds. You can join gay and lesbian bathers at Sunset Beach, which is located on the Southern tip of Treasure Island, or at Pass-A-Grille Beach, which sits in a residential community on the South end of St. Pete Beach.