07.01.2024

Today’s Forecast

Wish we could turn back time

Tampa Bay’s 1999 time capsule

A palm tree and the Tampa skyline with a search bar reading "Tampa Bay 1999"

Hey Google, what was Tampa Bay like in 1999? | Photo via Canva

Do you remember 1999? Ricky Martin’s “Livin La Vida Loca” topped the charts, we were scared of the Blair Witch, and Google officially launched.

To celebrate, Google Trends opened its time capsule to see which fads were titanic in 1999. According to the report, adults were watching “The Matrix” and “The Sopranos” while kids were into “Toy Story 2” and “Teletubbies.” People also used the search engine to learn about David Beckham or evaluate their Pokémon cards, and searches for hot sauce set the web ablaze.

Livin La Vida Local

Want to know what life was like in TBAY? We dug up some data to help us remember the final year of the 20th century — thanks to some help from a 25-year-old search engine.

Do you remember 1999? That year, Google officially launched. To celebrate a quarter century, Google Trends opened its time capsule to look at the world’s search history.

To explore our local time capsule, we used the 25-year-old search engine to take a glimpse at life in Tampa Bay at the turn of the millennium.

Median family income: $45,600
City’s population: 290,973
Average cost to buy a home: $90,900 (quarter 4 1999)
Average cost of a gallon of gasoline in Florida: $1.18
In the news: Benito Middle School student Nupur Lala won the National Spelling Bee — a moment that would become subject of the documentary “Spellbound.” Perhaps Bruhat Soma will have a documentary
Citrus Park Town Center opened
Who was performing: Cher made a comeback with her “Do You Believe?” tour at the Ice Palace — now Amalie Arena. The same venue also hosted Billy Joel, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jimmy Buffett, the Rolling Stones, NSYNC, and Bob Dylan all in the same year. What a time to be alive.

Events

Monday, July 1

PVRIS 2024 | Monday, July 1 | 6 p.m. | Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg | $33 | The pop rock band takes the stage in at the iconic downtown St. Pete venue.
Tampa Tarpons vs. Lakeland Flying Tigers | Monday, July 1-Wednesday, July 3 | 6:30 p.m. | George M. Steinbrenner Field, 1 Steinbrenner Dr., Tampa | $2-$12 | Start the week in patriotic fashion with America’s favorite pastime — plus daily deals.

Tuesday, July 2

Teak Champagne Dinner | Tuesday, July 2 | 6-8 p.m. | Teak on the St. Pete Pier, 800 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg | $120 | Savor an evening of steak + champagne with unbeatable views of the Burg’s waterfront.
Armature Works Book Club | Tuesday, July 2 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Armature Works, 1910 N. Ola Ave., Tampa | $34 | Join the monthly book club to discuss Nikki Erlick’s mysterious New York Times bestseller, “The Measure.”

Wednesday, July 3

A.C.E. | Wednesday, July 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Ferguson Hall, 1010 N. MacInnes Pl., Tampa | $50 | The K-Pop quintet is bringing its US Tour to the Cigar City.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Sports

Thanks for the memories. The Tampa Bay Lightning are saying goodbye to defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who was traded to the Utah Hockey Club this past weekend. Sergachev spent seven years in TBAY, winning two Stanley Cups during his tenure. (ESPN)

Civic

The City of St. Petersburg is encouraging voter registration. The “St. Pete Votes!” initiative aims to increase turnout at the polls later this year. You must register by Monday, July 22 to vote in the presidential primary in August. Tampa residents can register on the City website.

Ranked

No. 8. That’s where Pollstar ranks Raymond James Stadium globally for concert sales revenue in 2024 so far. The Bucs’ home amassed $23.9 million through the first two quarters, thanks largely to two sold out shows: Billy Joel/Sting and Kenny Chesney. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Open

Can I please get a waffle? Crisp Waffle Company is now open in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. Head to 2414 Central Ave. for made-to-order Belgian waffles, specialty coffee, ice cream, and other sweet treats. Owners hope to open a Tampa location next. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Travel

Direct flights between Tampa International Airport and Mexico City aboard AeroMexico begin today. But wait, there’s more. TPA is giving away two free round trip tickets to celebrate the occasion.

Giveaway

Salt Shack on the Bay is celebrating its fifth birthday today. The acclaimed waterfront restaurant is giving away $500 today to one lucky raffle winner. That’s a lot of calamari.

Today Is

The first day of July. The seventh month of the Gregorian calendar is named after Julius Caesar. If you need your fix of Roman Empire thoughts, we already did some digging.

Listen

The draft picks are in. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Orlando Magic with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Sports

95 days until hockey season

The back of Steven Stamkos at Amlie Arena. A "Bolts Win" flag flies ahead of Stamkos, who is facing the crowd following a victory.

Is this the end? | Photo by Tampa Bay Lightning

It was a busy weekend for our Tampa Bay Lightning. Following the NHL draft in Las Vegas, a slew of new faces + sad goodbyes is taking hold of Bolts nation.

It seems the long-running drama is over — Steven Stamkos’ storied Bolts career may finally be at an end. Stammer hits the free agency market on today after not reaching a deal with the team. His future? It remains uncertain.

Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is among the other notable departees, and will hit the ice in Salt Lake City for the NHL’s newest team: the Utah Hockey Club. In return, the Lightning acquired J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, and future draft picks.

In other trade news, forward Tanner Jeannot is also heading west, and will join the Los Angeles Kings.

The Bolts also traded for Carolina Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel. He’s a free agent starting today as well, but it’s expected the team will try and sign him long-term.

The Buy

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Answered

Last week, we asked which sister city you wanted to read about next.

A couple's silhouette stands against the Temple of Concordia. The temple's gigantic yellowish pillars are lit up against the dark night sky in the background, which has streaks of blue from the recent sunset. — The Temple of Concordia was built around 440-430 BC.
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Photo via Canva

After writing about Tampa’s Sicilian sister city, Agrigento, we asked where you’d like to visit next among TBAY’s twin towns.

With a whopping 65% of the vote, our next figurative trip will be to a significantly different part of Europe — Stirling, Scotland.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico had the second most votes, so if you’d like to envision somewhere sunnier, have your say.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Patrick

From the editor

Independence Day is on its way. ICYMI: We rounded up some events to celebrate the United States’ 248th birthday.

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