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has always attracted those who live outside of conventional
society, and St. Petersburg is no exception. Certainly the
city has had more than its share of con artists and those who were
trying to escape either an unsavory past or an uncertain future.
On this page we will look at two unconventional former residents
whose ties to St Petersburg are as unconventional as the
personalities themselves! This driving tour will take about an hour, but is well worth the time.
Jack Kerouac, the most famous of the Beat Generation writers, died in 1969 in St. Petersburg at age 47. Over the years since his death, as he and his first and most famous book On the Road attained legendary status, many have traded on his name and almost everything he touched has turned to gold for someone. (The Fight Over All Things Kerouac from the St Petersburg Times.) Yet few who pass by this modest tract home would ever imagine it was the last residence of the most influential author of an entire generation. Kerouac purchased this house at 5169 10th Ave N, close to downtown St Petersburg, not too long before his death. He was not particularly happy about relocating to St Petersburg and moved here unwillingly with his mother. But as time passed he settled in and, according to letters written to his first wife, eventually became quite fond of his unassuming little house. In 1969, Kerouac wrote to Edith Parker: "I'm not rich like you think but the house is a beaut, the yard has a fenced in grass, shrub, tree and jungled area: There's a screened porch. Walk to store. Hurricane proof Spanish modern CASTLE, which explains where all the money went." Jack Kerouac Links
The
Beat Page
On the other side of town, at the intersection of Venetian Blvd. N.E. and Bayou Grande N.E., is the site on which Al Capone's St Petersburg residence was constructed in the 1920’s. The original structure has been razed, but one can still obtain a sense that this was more a hideaway than the normal home from the dense plantings in the front yard which are quite unlike any of the other yards in the area. If you walk behind the home and examine the dock (be sure to get the current owners permission before doing this!) you can see that Capone had the perfect setting in which to bring in his “products” from Tampa Bay via the protected waters of Bayou Grande. And more evidence of the Capone-St Petersburg connection can be found at the Jungle Prada Complex located at 1700 Park St. N.
The Jungle Prada complex was built in 1924 by developer Walter Fuller. It served as the shopping center for Fuller’s Country Club Hotel (now the Admiral Farragut Academy.) The structure is a wonderful example of Spanish Caribbean architecture. A decorative well that once provided water for the complex now serves as a container for flowers. The old Gangplank nightclub, which is located in the rear of the complex, was St. Petersburg's first nightclub. One can still feel a hint of the roaring 20’s atmosphere from the patio. The rear of the porch faces Boca Ciega Bay and juts out like the prow of a ship. Count Basie and Duke Ellington both played at the Gangplank and Babe Ruth was married there. Some of the magnificent terrazzo flooring (which was a novel decorative flooring at the time) can still be seen.
Al Capone was part owner of the Gangplank and an old airport, once located at what is now Tyrone Square Mall, provided him with easy access to the night club. An old safe, which has never been opened since the demise of the night club, may contain the business records of Capone and Fuller. It is located inside Saffron’s Restaurant, but to view it you must ask the management since it is kept discretely covered by a tablecloth! Al Capone Links
Chicago
History Files - Al Capone
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