Fellow St. Pete residents: It's finally our turn to brag.

State of play: The Sunshine City has the best public park system among large cities in Florida, per a new report from the pro-park nonprofit Trust for Public Land.

• And it's not close. St. Pete's parks ranked 11th nationwide, up from 15th last year.
• The next Florida city on the list is Miami at 36. Tampa fell three spots from last year to land at 49.

Why it matters: Residents in high-scoring cities are more socially connected with their neighbors, per the report — including those from other socioeconomic groups, with whom they might not otherwise commingle.

How it works: The Trust for Public Land annually scores major cities' park systems based on access, acreage, amenities, equity and investment.

• Each city is awarded points based on those factors and is then given an overall "ParkScore" of up to 100.

The big picture: St. Pete's 193 parks spanning nearly 4,700 acres received a score of 71. (The top-ranked city, Washington, D.C., had a score of 84.8.)

• The highest-scoring categories were equity and investment. Acreage got the lowest marks.
• Tampa's score was 55.8, with high marks for amenities and equity and, like St. Pete, low marks for acreage.

By the numbers: 78% of St. Pete residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

• That percentage is even higher for low-income (79%) and Black (89%) residents, according to the report.

Zoom out: The report also pointed out areas around the city that could benefit from more park space. Those pockets were mainly in the northern part of the city west of Interstate 275 — including Clearvista, Live Oak and Tyrone.

Fun fact: Among park amenities, St. Pete got a perfect score for bathrooms.

💭 Kathryn's thought bubble: Whoever came up with that hasn't had to pee in a bush at Lassing Park.

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Before Florida had air-conditioning, architects had to get creative to design homes that beat the heat.

• Enter the mid-century "Vision-Aire" home, designed to maximize air flow from Tampa Bay breezes.

Why it matters: Only 13 of the homes were built — and one just hit the market.

The big picture: Better known as "bird cage" houses because of their unique design, the homes are clustered in Pinellas Point.

• They were built facing southeast to capture bay breezes with lots of outdoor space, wide overhangs for shade and jalousie windows for ventilation, per the Tampa Bay Times.

What they're saying: "Don't fight Florida's climate!" read an old sales brochure, per the Times. "Take the good things Florida offers."

Zoom in: The 1,400-square-foot home for sale at 711 Pinellas Point Drive S has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 600 square feet of screened-porch space, split between two levels. It's priced at $800,000.

• It was built in 1954 and designed by architect Glenn Q. Johnson, who drew from his experience stationed in the Philippines during World War II, according to the listing.

And yes, it does have air conditioning. Per the listing, the HVAC was updated in 2019.

Go deeper

💼 Two top officials are resigning from Mayor Jane Castor's administration: Alis Drumgo, deputy administrator for development and economic opportunity, and Erica Moody, community redevelopment agency director. (Tampa Bay Times)

St. Petersburg police have made arrests after a group of teenagers fired gel pellet guns into a crowd downtown over the weekend, hitting several people including two officers, as well as a police horse. (WFLA)

💰 Student athletes at Florida high schools could begin signing endorsement deals as soon as the next school year after the Florida High School Athletic Association's directors approved name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation. (Creative Loafing)

A Sarasota County Public Hospital Board member flew an upside-down flag outside his home the day after former President Donald Trump's conviction in New York, causing concern among neighbors. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

• The upside-down flag has been linked to the "Stop the Steal" movement that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Backyard food and drink stations offer a hot backyard upgrade, custom architects nationwide say.

The big picture: Nearly a third of bespoke homes designed in the past year include an outdoor kitchen, according to a new survey by Residential Design magazine and John Burns Research and Consulting.

• Beverage fridges, grills and fire pits are some of the most common al fresco features.

Yes, but: You don't need to devote tons of your own time and money to spruce up the backyard.

• Taskrabbit backyard bookings climbed 12% through April compared to the same time period in 2023, per data from the gig marketplace.

📆 Start planning your days ahead.

Tampa Plant Market and Plant Swap at Cactus Moon on June 23: An opportunity for plant enthusiasts to exchange plants and explore local vendors. It's a chance to discover unique plants, connect with like-minded individuals, and support local businesses.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

👋 Kathryn here. If you read our outros, you know by now I'm a lap-swimming enthusiast.

• That's thanks to my parents, who enrolled me in swim lessons early.

Yes, but: It's easy for those of us who grew up swimming to take for granted that not everyone learns from a young age.

We want to know: Did you learn how to swim later in life? Or are you starting swim lessons as an adult this summer?

• 📬 Hit reply and tell us about it. We may include your response in a future story.