At I Love The Burg, we regularly take a moment to marvel at the city—no tough task to pass a day sitting on one of the benches, breathing in a pristine waterfront view. One particular bench stands out, the swing bench at Flora Wylie. Since its installation in 2022, the swing bench at Flora Wylie (1400 N Shore Dr N) has become the most sought seat in the city. Now we are getting more.

Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation just announced the installation of new swing benches in multiple waterfront parks. Two swing benches will be installed beside the existing one at Flora Wylie. One swing bench will be installed at North Straub, Vinoy, and Coffee Pot. While the Waterfront Parks Foundation is collaborating with the city to install the benches, funds for the installation were gifted by the Majeed Foundation, which also funded the first swing bench at Flora Wylie.

Founding President of the Waterfront Parks Foundation, Phil Graham, says, “[The Majeed Foundation] has been a supporter of Waterfront Parks Foundation since I founded it. They came forward and wanted to beautify some of the high-focal areas. They’ve provided flowers at high-focal point areas. I came up with the idea for the swing and presented it to them, and they loved the idea. [In 2002], we put one in and took a public survey afterward and everyone loved it.”

“This relaxing spot was added by the Waterfront Parks Foundation in hopes of giving park goers another way to appreciate the beauty of the waterfront,” wrote organizers behind the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation. Classic Architectural installed the seat and frame of the new bench swing at Flora Wylie Park.

Take in the unrivaled beauty of St. Pete on these beautiful benches

Aside from the swing bench, Flora Wylie boasts the Continental Sundial, the Bayside Recreational Trail, and comes in at around 11.4 acres.

The Continental Sundial was made by local St. Pete sculptor Eric Higgs. It resides at the north end of the park at Vista Point and was commissioned for the continental celebration in 2010. This Sundial wasn’t the only one, though. From the 1930s-1970s, this same spot was taken up by a previous Sundial.

Where the Name Flora Wylie comes from

Flora Wylie Park gets its name from the first woman to ever serve on the St. Petersburg Planning Board in 1928. She was also a founding member of the St. Petersburg Garden Club, and was an avid activist for the St. Pete parks until her passing in 1965. Visiting Flora Wylie Park is a wonderful way to pay homage to one of St. Pete’s historical female figures.

The mission of the Waterfront Parks Foundation is to preserve, protect and promote the historic waterfront parks of St. Petersburg to ensure their future for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

This story will be updated as the benches are installed.