The city's rich history and cultural diversity have helped shape a dynamic city for both residents and visitors. The story of St. Augustine, carefully preserved through archaeological digs and scholarly research, is the foundation of sightseeing tours via tram, trolley, horse-drawn carriage or cruiseboat. Still other landmarks are the Ponce de Leon and Alcazar hotels built by Standard Oil magnate Henry Flagler in the late 19th Century. Today those grand Victorian structures house Flagler College, St. Augustine City Hall and Lightner Museum, a Victorian collectibles museum. The city has more than 50 attractions, historic sites and points of interest.
Accommodations are plentiful and range from splendid resorts to charming bed and breakfast inns.
Similarly, the myriad of unique restaurants sprinkled throughout St. Augustine ranges from quaint cafes to four-star rated dining establishments with many restaurants serving as attractions themselves. Shopping in St. Augustine is a buyer's delight with boutiques, unique gift shops, antique stores, and museums waiting to be discovered on nearly every downtown street. Scheduled for groundbreaking soon, the St. Augustine Centre will feature a major shopping mall, hotel offerings, and residential and commercial developments, all adding to the vital business environment of the I-95 corridor. Downtown St. Augustine offers established neighborhoods, several on the National Register of Historic Places. Home ownership and rental property are available here, many with restoration and renovation possibilities.