02.16.2024

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Today’s Forecast

What’s in a (street) name?

Historic street names in Tampa Bay

A colorful home in Seminole Heights brightens the corner of Mohawk and 11th. | Photo by TBAYtoday

The cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg were both incorporated in the latter half of the 19th century. Since that time, bustling + diverse communities have emerged, leading to streets chock-full of vibrant history.

It’s safe to say that over the years, our area has been touched by countless historical figures and happenings — many of which have shaped the names of the Tampa Bay area’s buildings, parks, and streets. In this guide, we’re delving into the history of TBAY’s streets — specifically, how they were named.

Downtown Tampa

An area of the Big Guava that is especially rich in history is downtown. Throughout its seven neighborhoods, there are streets named after a host of storied people.

Kennedy Boulevard — renamed in 1963 in honor of the 35th president of the United States who visited Tampa just a week before his death. The bridge that crosses the Hillsborough River was also renamed in JFK’s honor.

Davis Islands — just a hop, skip, and jump from downtown Tampa sits this sought-after neighborhood with streets named after global locations. There are geographical references to island nations (Jamaica Avenue), the Great Lakes (Huron Avenue), and rivers (Severn Avenue).

Davis Islands is home to location-based street names.
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Photo by TBAYtoday

St. Petersburg

Ever wonder why in St. Pete, most street names are numbered rather than having a name? In 1928, an ordinance forced the transfer of ~600 street names to a numerical grid system to alleviate confusion.

Queen Street — there are some exceptions to the Burg’s numbers-only rule. “Q” is letter No. 17 in the alphabet, and lies ~17 blocks away from 1st Street. This follows a lexical-numerical pattern with other names too, such as Burlington Avenue + Dartmouth Avenue (around two and four blocks away from Central Avenue respectively).

Coffee Pot Bayou — the Tampa Bay Times tried to uncover the reason for Coffee Pot Bayou’s name to no avail. However, the connecting Snell Isle has European-inspired street names (such as Catalan Boulevard, Alora Street, and Seville Lane) at the behest of developer Perry Snell.

City Guides are sponsored by Water Street Tampa.

10+ more historic streets

Asked

You have the opportunity to name a street in Tampa Bay. What do you name the street after?

A. A loved one
B. My pet
C. My favorite athlete
D. Someone who’s made an impact in the community

Play the name game

Events

Friday, Feb. 16

“One Slight Hitch” | Friday, Feb. 16-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Early Bird Dinner Theatre, 13355 49th St. N., Clearwater | $50 | It’s the final weekend to catch this comedic show about a wedding day with an unexpected twist.
Gasparilla Music Festival 2024 | Friday, Feb. 16-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N. Blvd., Tampa | $50+ | The time has arrived to watch 50+ bands along Tampa’s waterfront, with proceeds benefiting youth music education in Hillsborough County.

Saturday, Feb. 17

Tombolo’s Fantasy Book Club reads “Nettle & Bone” | Saturday, Feb. 17 | 9-10 a.m. | Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg | Free | Book club members will meet to discuss this tale of kingdoms, marriage, and mythical quests.
Aerobics | Saturday, Feb. 17 | 10-11 a.m. | Midtown Tampa, 3659 Midtown Dr., Tampa | Free with registration | Start your weekend by getting a sweat on at this outdoor class.
Laura Wright & Cynthia Watros | Saturday, Feb. 17 | 4-5:30 p.m. | Tampa Funny Bone, 1600 E. 8th Ave., Tampa | $55-$105 | Settle in to watch these stars of “General Hospital” fame discuss their life, tell fun stories, and share tales of friendship.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers | Saturday, Feb. 17 | 5 p.m. | Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa | $79+ | Catch a Bolts game as the postseason enters the horizon.
North Mississippi Allstars | Saturday, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m. | Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg | $23 | Enjoy the sounds of blues and southern rock in the heart of the Burg.

Sunday, Feb. 18

Water Street Tampa Market | Sunday, Feb. 18 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Water St., Tampa | Price of purchase | Celebrate Black History Month by browsing wares from local vendors, enjoying eats, and soaking in live performances.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Announced

Meet TBAYtoday’s new partner

We have some exciting news to share and wanted our loyal readers to be the first to know.

Starting next week, you might start to see TBAYtoday and WTSP sharing more of each other’s content on our respective platforms. This may include weather forecasts, sports news, morning show content, traffic reports, and other relevant news.

While this new partnership won’t change the uplifting and informative content you see in this newsletter, it will help us to celebrate more news and events happening in Tampa Bay together.

And that’s our mission: Spread the word about the amazing things going on in this city, and share our deep pride in this community with as many people as possible. Thanks for being a part of that.

News Notes

Real Estate

If you’ve got $14 million burning a hole in your pocket, a for-sale private island could be just the property for you. Pine Key — better known as Beer Can Island — is on the market. The longtime party spot lies between MacDill Air Force Base and Apollo Beach. (WFLA)

Shop

Indie Flea’s St. Pete Flea returns this Sunday, Feb. 18. The rescheduled event at Fairgrounds St. Pete runs 12-4 p.m., with 200+ vendors selling a range of wares. Browse handmade trinkets, vintage duds, as well as art, plants, and eats.

Plan Ahead

Block out the calendar for Jenny. J-Lo is returning to Tampa on her “This is Me... Now” tour, and is performing at Amalie Arena on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Pre-sale begins on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Announced

The Tampa Bay Lightning just launched a new third jersey. The fits honor past + present Lightning teams with specific design elements, like Stanley Cup victory dates, black as the predominant color, victory stripes, and 3D numbers. The team also announced when they will wear them.

Seasonal

There are only a few days left to enjoy the Florida State Fair for another year. The event runs through Monday, Feb. 19, featuring classic fair rides, eats, animal shows, and more. City Editor Bailey already tried some of this year’s delicacies.

Concert

We’re gonna party like it’s your birthday, because 50 Cent is coming to Tampa. The rapper takes the stage at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Sunday, March 17. Tickets are already on pre-sale for the 11 a.m. daytime show. (That’s So Tampa)

Opening

J.Crew is opening a store in St. Pete’s Northeast Shopping Plaza. Located at 226 37th Ave. N., the retailer will offer its classic, preppy clothes + accessories across ~5,000 sqft of floor space. An opening date has not yet been announced. (St. Pete Rising)

Number

$4.5 million. That’s how much an Indian Rocks Beach home just sold for. The property at 1610 Beach Trail boasts 4,100+ sqft, as well as Gulf of Mexico views, five bedrooms, a pool, a hot tub, a putting green, and other luxe amenities. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Travel

Allegiant Air just launched a new direct seasonal route from St. Pete-Clearwater International to Kansas City (Hi KCtoday). The route from PIE to MCI will operate up to twice per week. (WFLA)

Sports

Football season is over, but recruitment continues for Florida State. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews and more from local experts of the Seminoles with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Holiday

🐉 It’s the Year of the Dragon

Get ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the Tampa Bay area

People carrying a long paper dragon. The animal is orange and there are green plants in the background in Water Works Park.

Lunar New Year has been celebrated for 3,000+ years. | Photo by City of Tampa

The annual Lunar New Year celebration at Water Works Park (1701 N. Highland Ave.) returns on Saturday, Feb. 17. Lunar New Year usually falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20, and is honored by people of various descents, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean communities.

We rounded up some info for this year’s celebration:

The free event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features 20+ food vendors, musical performances, art demonstrations, martial arts, plus a host of souvenirs.
There will also be traditional dragon and lion dances.
Keep your eyes peeled for a red envelope. Giving one is a wish of good luck for the year ahead.
Heads up: The food lines could get pretty long.

If you can’t make it, Armature Works is hosting its own free Lunar New year event on Saturday, Feb. 24, featuring food specials + live performances.

The Buy

The Buy 2.16.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Cute, matte black shower shelves that stick to your shower wall + give you way more room to store products. Our favorite feature: The shelves are 100% rust-proof, meaning they’ll last over time and allow for easy cleaning.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Patrick

From the editor

It looks like there’s rain on its way this weekend. That calls for one thing: Brunch in the great indoors. Luckily for you, we rounded up 50+ options.

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