Sundial St.Pete

Cool area with lots of offerings for shops. Definitely check at the «locale» market area. The ice cream there was to die for. All of the other foods in the area were a little on the pricey side. Lots of other cool shoppes to check out. Great time to spend an afternoon walking around. Not to mention the sundial is pretty awesome as well, check it out at night if possible.

So beautiful! This outside shopping center reminded me a lot of The Falls for my fellow Miamians, just smaller and even nicer. There’s a beautiful sundial figure at the entrance, serene low music playing, lots of nice comfy furniture to lounge on, nice fans for a little breeze, and lots of security.

Meh.
Many people seem to say and think that this is a huge improvement over Baywalk. My question is… where are these people? Maybe Sundial is hopping Friday and Saturday night while I am at work, but it is DEAD on the times that I have visited (with the exception of Locale’s opening week).
Sure, Sundial is prettyish. Although on my past trip the dolphins now have ropes around them and the security guards were staring down the three visitors (including us two) that Sundial had.
Let’s review and compare Baywalk vs. Sundial:
Baywalk — I would browse EB games and buy a video game. Then, I would visit Claire’s for some earrings. This would be followed by dinner at Too Jay’s or the sushi restaurant upstairs (I can’t remember the name). Then I would grab an alcoholic slushie at Wet Willies before heading to a movie at Muvico.
Sundial — I LOVE Locale. I browse for an hour and maybe buy an item or two. I can’t afford much more than that, but I love to look. Then, I walk out and glance at the expensive food options (Ruth Chris or Sea Salt) and decide to wait until I leave Sundial to eat. Then I consider a movie, but I remember how weird this Muvico has become. It still smells like feet. However, the movies are now assigned seats, cost more and they have some weird festival movies that I have never heard of. Nope, I will wait until I get to Regal on Park and 34^th St. I glance around at the other unappealing stores, nothing for me there. So I leave.
I know that Baywalk was a dying plaza. People didn’t want to park in a garage or on the street and walk to it. However, I still really miss it. The options were affordable. The stores were intriguing. I could actually spend money there.
I think that Locale is a huge part of why this plaza is still open at this point. However, I expect the hype to die even more than it already has and I don’t think this place will last either.

Is it just me or is the Sundial overrated? Parking is a bit of a pain in the ass, the shops are kind of generic, and security is a bit uppity. Sure the sculpture is cool, but that’s the only remarkable thing it seems. There are high end boutiques all over the place, now there’s just a couple more in one spot.
I guess it’s St. Pete’s way of trying to make downtown a bit more classy? The few times I’ve been it felt dead, even with Locale open. Not really worth checking it out unless you’re in the area.

My mother in law and I wanted a new place to go for lunch and neither one of us had been to the newly renovated Sundial in downtown st pete. Had lunch at the locale wine bar and we both had a peach salad it was very good. We’ll be back

Arrived on a Saturday at 5:45 pm with no reservation but wanting to eat in the bar. The bar is huge with about 30 — 40 seats at a square bar plus a lounge area (low sofas which are more appropriate for drinks only) and 3 high-​tops for two. We chose one of the high-​tops.
The restaurant is huge with window seating on three sides, large bar area in middle and outdoor balcony seating as well.
Service, atmosphere and people watching are all 5 stars. The Caesar salad is prepared like a sushi roll. After that the chef gave a complementary palate cleanser, a pickled pepper that was not hot but woke up my taste buds. My wife had veal ravioli which was outstanding. I ordered the hamburger which was good, however, I prefer the St. Petersburger next door. Our server then brought white cotton candy in a bowl, a sweet ending to an enjoyable visit.

It’s been a while since I’ve visited BayWalk… that I call it BayWalk tells you just how long it’s been.
Re-​branded the Sundial, it city center has undergone an overhaul and is quite lovely! From its open air design, to its stunning sundial sculpture with dolphins surrounding it’s base, you can tell that there’s been a small fortune sunk into the over haul and its well worth it.
High end shops line the promenade, A lot of restaurants have decided to populate this popular destination and of course Locale Market has finally opened, this means more foot traffic! This it certainly is a good thing for Down Town St. Pete.

Are you kidding me. How pretentious can this place be. No kidding sitting here at noon with our coffee in hand and a security guard asked us that we have both of our feet on the ground. No kidding!!! So I guess you are not allowed to cross your legs! Get a clue sundial if you are trying to keep the thugs out then train your team to know your audience. Two women in their late 40’s with Louie Vuitton bags will not run amuck! Really get a grip! Back to beach drive!!!

Sundial St. Pete is a great open air dog friendly shopping district in the middle of St. Pete. I love what they have done to it. Previously, it was Bay Walk, which was nice, but needed to be modernized. It also had few remaining open stores. Now it is an upscale, beautiful open area where everyone can just shop, eat, and socialize.
Locale Market is located here if you want to pick up some food to make, or to eat. They are also opening up a seafood restaurant called Sea Salt, as well as the Ruth Chris Steakhouse. The movie theater is also located here, as well as some boutiques where you can browse, and have fun spending money. Here is a listing of what they have to offer —
This is a nice addition to downtown St. Pete. Just think, you can paint a perfect Saturday visiting the Downtown St. Pete Farmers Market, strolling the downtown parks such as Straub Park, or taking in a festival at Vinoy Park, visiting the Dali Museum, or Chihuly, and then heading out here for some food, and shopping. What a perfect day!

Sundial is a much improved downtown retail and restaurant complex that is righting many of the wrongs of the former Baywalk. The design is much more open and more conducive to bringing people to and through the center core.
Now that Locale Market has opened for business I expect the flow of people day and night will definitely increase. More traffic means more vitality.
Three restaurants on the second floor will be opening in 2015. Farm Table Kitchen which is the upstairs dining component to Locale Market. Ruth’s Chris Steak House will bring a nationally known brand to the mix and Sea Salt, which is expanding from its original location in Naples, Florida, should bring additional attention and spark to Sundial’s dining options.
But the retail mix to date just does not do much for me because I can either find the same shops elsewhere — Tommy Bahama, Chico’s and Lululemon athletic clothing — or the new-​to-​the-​market or locally owned shops are limited in what they offer.
This is a lovely complex in the center of a lively downtown that should become a destination for food but also for other reasons that encourage spending time and spending money. Here’s hoping the retail can be amped up enough to shine just as brightly as its neighboring foodie-​focused businesses.

December 7, 2014
Today I was able to take my 83 yr. old mother to Sundial. I have been there on many occasions checking out this beautiful new sight in downtown St. Petersburg. Everywhere you hear it is now «open». Well many of the stores are, and they are gorgeous. But what they are not telling you is that you better go potty before you get there. Yes, you may not go to the restroom. I saw the huge RESTROOM sign on the second floor and proceeded to use the elevator to get to it. As soon as the elevator opened I was summoned down by a guard. I explained my need to use the ladies room. As I got off the elevator he said, Don’t you see that sign. Pointing to the elevator door. It reads, «Authorized personnel only». I turned to him and pointed up the RESTROOM sign and said, do you see that sign? He proceeded to tell me there were NO RESTROOMS, they were not open. In shock, I made my way across the street to The Witch & the Ale, located in the Plaza shopping center at 111 2^nd Ave NE. They graciously allowed me to use their restroom.
When leaving Sundial, I asked one of the guards who to register this concern of NO RESTROOMS to. He stammered a name and then reassured me the Restroom will be open the 17^th of December. Do you think you can hold it?
My sincerest thanks to Witch & the Ale. You rock:)
Nancy Howard

This place is looking beautiful already!
I know there isn’t much to review yet since many of the stores are still vacant but I can only imagine what it’s going to look like come this fall.
I’m excited to see Sundial, formerly known as Bay Walk undergo a huge makeover. Restaurants like Farm Table and Locale, I’m excited to try and also the salon on the corner, Marilyn Monroe spa/​glamour room.
Rumor has it (from a Tampa Bay Times article), there might be some restaurants owned by celebrity chefs moving in and also Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Whatever restaurant they may be, I know I’ll definitely be one of the first ones to put in a Unilocal review. :)
Sundial is going to be a fun and beautiful place to spend time and build memories with family, friends and visitors! I am so happy for downtown St. Petersburg!
PS. I’m giving Sundial a five star rating because I have high yet reasonable expectations for this place (I hope that doesn’t change). Will re-​review when they open.