It didn't take long after opening for Black Crow Coffee to weave itself into the fabric of Downtown St. Pete’s java community. Nestled in an unassuming retail building in Historic Old Northeast, Black Crow has become a space where creatives gather to share their art, where community members sip coffee and chat about the town, and where those trying to escape an office can read, study, work, or dream.

Black Crow's story began back in 2007 when Greg Bauman opened his first coffee concept on Gulf Boulevard in the beach town of Indian Shores, FL. Nestled between the gulf and the intercostal, the appropriately named Indian Shores Coffee Co. found its place in the community. Eight years later, Bauman set out to create more spaces for the community in other parts of Pinellas — which brought him to St. Pete.

Located just west of Downtown St. Pete, Historic Kenwood has always been a place of community with charming bungalows, front porches, and tree-lined streets. As Downtown St. Pete has grown over the years, so has the demand for housing in and around the neighborhood. In 2016, a report noted Historic Kenwood’s zip code as being one of the hottest areas in Tampa Bay for house flipping.

Especially in the western portion of neighborhood, the change could not be more evident. While the western side of Historic Kenwood, specifically south of 5th Avenue North and west of 31st Street, is primarily commercial properties, the rest of the neighborhood predominantly consists of single-family homes.