I see St. Pete through my teenage eyes which is a negative view. I have contempt for my hometown since it did not provide. In the 80s, this place was dead. No art, no life, no food, no fashion, two malls, one museum. Nothing. Nada. Dead. Can you imagine a dead St. Pete?

In 1997 the sidewalk on Beach Drive was four rows of crumbling hex block. I couldn't walk in high heels on Beach Drive in my 20s.

This month, I purchased my third home in the city and put down some very serious roots for the latter third of my life. I'm asking a lot of St. Pete right now.

I'm asking her to provide a living and inspiration and beauty and joy and in return I give my energy back through my work in health and neighborhood projects.

I could never live somewhere and not contribute. Moving elsewhere and learning how to contribute would require a massive energy dump that I'm not sure I have in me while I'm working and raising a kid.

So I'm staying.

My concern is for people of great wealth moving here and not contributing.

I see developer money functioning as a great, mindless muscle that only takes and takes and takes. Like an Omnidroid 1000.

It doesn't know how to give. It has never been asked or taught to give. No one with political power requires it to give.

And every time a new mammoth structure is rubberstamped by our DRC and council it communicates an omnipresent message to regular folks:

"You don't matter." "We don't care." "Shut up. Take it and like it."

Facts are not feelings but that's how it feels.

I fear newcomers will move here and function as siphons because they bring money and little inspiration. I could be wrong. Tell me I am. I am really new to this exploding hometown thing.

There was a group of young people about 10-15 years ago who created a lot of cool stuff that we see burgeoning now: high-functioning neighborhood associations and events, legacy non-profits, WADA, art walks, SUAC, Pride, shuffleboard, Shine, maker's markets, Localtopia, Shopapaloza, Studio 620, Youth Farm, Saturday Morning Market, collard green fest, Saturday Shoppes, my beloved Haunted Hike..... I could go on and on.

St. Pete at the time nurtured all that experimentation. You could live middle class, work and build some funky stuff. Now, can you? Are we still here? Can the makers afford to live here?

Wil wealthy newcomers make contributions to the fabric of their newly adopted community? Will they become co-creators?