Living on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Tampa Bay area is home to some of the most beautiful spots in the country. As residents of St. Petersburg, we know how our scenic city appeals to people all over the nation and even worldwide, some of whom are renowned filmmakers. Tampa Bay is no stranger to movies being filmed and set amongst its urban and coastal settings.

For example, director Martin Scorsese’s masterful crime drama, Goodfellas (1990), has a scene shot at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. While the majority of this movie was filmed on location in Queens, Long Island, and New Jersey, Florida’s west coast has a small but recognizable cameo in this groundbreaking film.

The first in its infamous series, Magic Mike (2012), shows the restaurant Caddy’s in St. Pete Beach and locations on Treasure Island. Not to mention, Magic Mike star Channing Tatum himself graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1998 and has stated that much of his acting inspiration for this role came from his experiences growing up in Tampa.

Other examples include Ocean’s Eleven (2001), which features a scene in which Brad Pitt’s character visits St. Petersburg’s Derby Lane to begin planning a Las Vegas heist. Spring Breakers (2012) highlights many of St. Pete’s beachy landmarks, such as the delicious ice cream-shaped shop Twisty Treat. While not filmed in St. Pete or Tampa, the dollhouse-like houses in Edward Scissorhands (1990) were filmed in Pasco County, all of them being real homes that people made available during filming.

All in all, the Tampa Bay area is home to some of the most beautiful and characteristic locations in the country, so it is no surprise that filmmakers enjoy showcasing its beauty, yet sometimes trashy energy.