05.30.2024

Today’s Forecast

📸 Make it snappy

Your Tampa Bay area photo submissions

An orange sunset overlooking the water in Tampa Bay. Water is rippling, and a wooden dock protrudes toward a boat in the foreground. The horizon in the distance appears to have mangroves, greenery, and a couple of buildings set beneath wispy clouds.

It can be hard to capture the beauty of local sunsets. | Submitted by Barry H.

Well, well, well. There are certainly some photography experts among our wonderful readers. We recently asked for your best local shots, and you did not disappoint.

The sunset photo above was among the submissions, depicting the serenity of the golden hour on our waters. Fun fact: St. Pete alone boasts 244 miles of coastline.

That’s one reason why Tripadvisor ranked the Burg No. 2 in its list of trending destinations earlier this year. The travel site also mentioned the city’s outdoor spaces, leisure options, and 361 days of sunshine per year, meaning sunsets like this are all too common.

A shot of the Riverwalk in downtown Tampa. The Selmon Expressway runs along the front of the picture, with greenery and mangroves below. High rises are behind, including the Rivergate Tower, which sits below mostly blue skies with partial wispy cloud cover. — From coastline to skyline.
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Submitted by Gilcelia B.

While the Tampa Bay area’s natural beauty is often at the forefront of local photographic exploits, we shouldn’t neglect our concrete jungles.

One of those is found in downtown Tampa, where high rises regularly pierce cerulean skies, captured perfectly by Gilcelia B.'s photo. While mangroves and palm trees remind us of our tropical location, this shot encapsulates the hustle and bustle of our thriving home.

It’s an example of why WalletHub ranked the Big Guava No. 2 in its list of best US cities for jobs, and its No. 6 ranking among best foodie cities shows how pleasure accompanies business here.

A blue heron sits by a lakefront, surrounding by flora. There are green leaves in the foreground, and palm trees surround the bird in front of the still water surface. The surface reflects the mangroves behind it, and there are streaks of sunlight filtered around. — We share Tampa Bay with an abundance of wildlife.
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Submitted by Todd S.

Last but certainly not least, this blue heron stands between lush greenery on the hunt for some lunch. This shot epitomizes our home’s natural beauty, featuring calm waters, palm trees, and sunlight streaks.

There are birdwatching opportunities aplenty in TBAY, including at Lettuce Lake, among a host of other choices. You can also support local avian wildlife at the Seaside Bird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, or at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, which frequently offers talks + guided hikes.

We’re always on the hunt for more photos of the Tampa Bay area, so send in your best.

Or send them here

Events

Thursday, May 30

Rays vs. Athletics | Thursday, May 30 | 1:10 p.m. | Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg | $10+ | It’s the last chance to catch a ballgame in the Burg before the Rays hit the road.
The Tombolo Book Club Reads “Martyr!” | Thursday, May 30 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg | Free with reservation | Meet with fellow bookworms to discuss this month’s choice — the tale of a troubled young man far from home.

Friday, May 31

Red, White, & Brews | Friday, May 31-Sunday, June 2 | Times vary | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 10165 N. McKinley Dr., Tampa | $65+ | Savor culinary creations on summer weekends at the theme park, including fried Oreo cupcakes and mini corn dogs.
Kane Brown | Friday, May 31, Saturday, June 1 | 7 p.m. | Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa | $29+ | Catch tunes from the Billboard-named “future of country music” as he plays two nights in the Cigar City.

Saturday, June 1

St. Pete Indie Night | Saturday, June 1 | 6-10:30 p.m. | The Floridian Social, 687 Central Ave. N., St. Petersburg | $20+ | Local indie rock and alternative bands light up the stage in the Burg — the show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 2

Sunday Market in the Park | Sunday, June 2 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | England Brothers Bandshell Park, 5010 81st Ave. N., Pinellas Park | Price of purchase | Browse 80+ local vendors selling food, arts, crafts, clothing, home decor, and all sorts of treasures.
OE Children’s Book Fair | Sunday, June 2 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Oxford Exchange, 420 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa | Free with reservation | Fuel your little one’s literary enthusiasm at this annual event featuring local children’s authors and summer reads aplenty.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Announced

Here comes the Sun. TBAY’s first professional women’s soccer team recently announced their historic home opener. Tampa Bay Sun FC will play Dallas Trinity FC to kick off the inaugural USL Super League season on Sunday, Aug. 18. The game takes place at downtown Tampa’s Riverfront Stadium. Get tickets.

Development

Ybor City’s huge Gasworx project is one step closer to reality. The developer, Kettler, just secured funding for a mixed-use community set to open in early 2026. Plans include 390 residential units and 8,000 sqft of retail space.

Concert

Let’s go to the Bay, Bay. Nicki Minaj is bringing her “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” to Tampa later this year. The rapper and singer will perform at Amalie Arena on Saturday, Oct. 5. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, May 31, at 9 a.m.

Real Estate

A historic home in St. Pete’s Bahama Shores neighborhood is on the market. The $1.6 million house was built in 1924, and designed by esteemed architect Edgar Ferdon. There are five bedrooms, 4,300+ sqft, an orchid greenhouse, and a 55,000-gallon swimming pool. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Biz

Happy eighth birthday to On Swann. The modern American eatery in Hyde Park opened its doors back in 2016, and has been serving up delectable medleys of seasonal culinary splendor ever since. Go on, treat yourself.

Travel

Guten tag. Discover Airlines is now offering daily flights from Tampa to Frankfurt, Germany. The route was previously offered five days per week, and 270,000+ passengers have taken the flight since it was reintroduced in December of 2021. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Eat

Nebraska Mini Mart is offering some juicy burger deals for the next few days. The Seminole Heights spot has BOGO burgers today, new menu item drops on Saturday, June 1, and a kids-eat-free special on Sunday, June 2.

Ranked

No. 8. That’s where Tampa ranks on WalletHub’s list of best US cities for hockey fans. The rankings were compiled using metrics like ticket prices, stadium capacity, and of course, team performance. Go Bolts, baby.

Watch

Hide the honey, honey. A black bear has recently been seen walking through Hillsborough County neighborhoods, rummaging through trash cans. It was first spotted this past Saturday in Town ‘n’ Country. (Fox 13)

Sports

How good is the Bucs roster ahead of the 2024 NFL season? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Biz

Looking for a way to stay on top of the world’s latest business news? Meet The Daily Upside, a free, no-BS newsletter from Wall Street insiders delivering actionable insights on the latest market news. Skip the clickbait and stay informed alongside 1,000,000+ fellow readers. Try it for free.*

City

Enviable environmental enterprise

St. Pete receives recognition for environmental efforts

A view from the St. Pete Pier back toward the city. High rises emerge behind waterfront, with people walking back toward the building. There are palm trees lining the peer, and a largely cloudy sky sits atop the Burg.

The Burg’s greenery is one of its defining features. | Photo via the City of St. Petersburg

Unlike many cities, St. Petersburg is defined by its natural beauty as much as its urban core. That’s no secret to the city’s Office of Sustainability and Resiliency, which was just selected by the US Green Building Council to begin the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program this year.

LEED is a worldwide metric used to rate green building and sustainability since 2017, helping local governments fight against climate change + advance social equity and resilience. In short, St. Pete will receive insights into its environmental performance via the LEED for Cities rating system, offering the chance for reflection and improvement.

This will assist the Burg’s unique environmental challenges due to its proximity to water, flooding propensity, and tropical climate. Leaders recently approved almost $8 million to tackle flooding in the Shore Acres neighborhood, which is often impacted.

Tampa received its LEED gold certification back in 2021, with St. Pete now looking to follow suit.

The Buy

The Buy 5.30.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

A bristle-free grill brush — so you can clean your grill until it’s like new without bristles shedding onto your cooking surface.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Patrick

From the editor

If you’re looking for some more doggo content, we recently went to a photo shoot for rescue dogs, and documented the experience on Instagram.

As we recently found out that barking loads of our readers have dogs, we’re here to help you find Fido a cute gift, or maybe something more playful.

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