You would think by my posts last month that Europe is the only cool place in the world to experience city life, but that is just not so.  The United States has some really wonderful pedestrian-friendly, people-powered cities.  One of those happens to be St. Petersburg, Florida.  If you have two feet and a bicycle, you can be happy as a clam in St. Petersburg.

One of my favorite parts of living in any city is the Saturday morning farmers market ritual.  This morning, I pumped up the tires on my bike and headed a mile down the road (on the amazingly convenient dedicated bike highway) to the farmers market.

The first place you always have to hit here is the big organic vegetable vender at the entrance.  Today the line was pretty long, and I’m guessing this was in part due to the fact that there is an increasing demand for organic (aka “safe”) produce.  It is always worth the wait because their veggies are so delicious and nutritious.

Then you can get some organic coffee, listen to some live music, grab a delicious pastry… it’s like a festival every Saturday!

There are all the colors and textures of European markets right here in our back yards!

You can see the innovative things that people are doing.

Plus, the parking in the city is no problem as long as you have the right vehicle!

Cities also provide unexpected sites and entertainment.  As I was headed downtown on my bicycle, I heard a band playing.  As it turned out, a bunch of college bands were practicing in the open parking lot nearby.  I enjoyed the show for a few minutes.

Then, as I was cycling back, I came upon an outdoor art fair that had closed down a few sections of street.

The BikeCaffe was on the corner.  What fun!

If you’re dying to experience the sites and sounds of a sophisticated city, check out a nearby American city… St. Petersburg, FL – Austin, TX – Boston, MA – Burlington, VT… there are so many wonderful cities in the U.S. where you can grab some humanity and culture.