My list of reasons to love the ‘Burg cannot be exhausted. Seriously, I’m constantly surprised by the many ways our awesome city calls me to new levels of love.

Other than small stints for school and early chapters in my career, I’ve lived in St. Pete my entire life. So, I walked into City Hall six years ago thinking I knew everything about my hometown. But, in the course of my work with the 3,000 servant leaders who carry our city forward every day I’ve learned lots about this awesome place, and I’m proud to say that much of the magic I love most are City services that are little known, but carry a big impact. Here are a few of my faves:

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#1 – Dog Training Classes

For $65, a fraction of the cost of private lessons, a trainer will give your pup six weeks of professional lessons. Classes end with graduation, complete with a doggie diploma! Sign up your over-achieving pooch by clicking here.

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#2 – St. Pete Trainer Tuesdays

Once you have your furry family trained, get yourself in gear. The expertise of a personal trainer is no longer out of reach, thanks to Healthy St. Pete’s Trainer Tuesdays. Once a month we meet up at an exercise zone in one of our city parks to educate, inform and inspire our citizens to become more fit. Check out the Healthy St. Pete website or follow Healthy St. Pete on Facebook for more details.

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#3 – Jazz up Your Brunch

In St. Pete we brunch on Sundays and you’ll find one of St. Pete’s best at Callaloo’s Manhattan Casino on Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This super cool scene brings together a delicious island-inspired menu with live jazz, in a historic building where greats such as Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald once serenaded St. Pete’s music lovers. Go once, and you’ll see that it’s not only the fresh catch that gets hooked at Callaloo.

Hope to see you soon somewhere cool in St. Pete – I’ll be the one standing in the sun, loving my city and serving with a smile…