05.29.2025

From our friends at

94º | 20% chance of precipitation

Sunrise 6:34 a.m. | Sunset 8:20 p.m.

Tides | Old Tampa Bay | High: 4:07 p.m.

Clearwater Beach | High: 1 p.m. | Low: 6:49 a.m. + 8:55 p.m.

Full Weather Report | Traffic Report

Checking in on TBAY’s (unofficial) goals

A sprawling tree at Eureka Springs Park. There are tentacle-like branches covered in Spanish Moss and greenery surrounding the arbor. A blue sky is visible through the leaves and plants sit beneath the tree.

Tampa Bay parks offer serenity and calm in the great outdoors. | Photo by Hillsborough County

We recently asked our readers what Tampa Bay needs the most. The answer was overwhelmingly affordable housing and public transportation.

We’re checking in on a couple local projects that tick boxes on some of our area’s list of needs:

New Pinellas affordable housing

Another affordable housing project is a go. Pinellas County Commissioners recently okayed two bond sales that will help pay for 448 units of affordable housing units in Largo + Tarpon Springs.

The $74.16 million will go toward fixing up the Riverside Apartments in Tarpon Springs + the new Olea on 126 complex.

Tampa finishes a major resiliency project

Leaders just announced the completion of the massive Tampa Neighborhoods Project. The project beefed up water systems + planted plenty of trees in four Cigar City neighborhoods — East Tampa, Virginia Park, MacFarlane Park, and Forest Hills.

Okay, but what does that mean?

As many of us know, Tampa’s pipes are pretty old — some are 80+ years old — which can cause leaks and low water pressure. During hurricanes, aging pipes can wreak even more havoc, bursting and flooding our already-flood prone streets.

What did crews do?

Asked

How many new trees does Mayor Castor want to plant by 2030?

A. 12,000
B. 10,000
C. 45,000
D. 30,000

You've got this

Events

Thursday, May 29

What’s Pop-In: Downtown Core | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Top Shelf Sports Lounge, Tampa | Free entry | Sip on brews and sift through your questions, complaints, and ideas for city staff for serving the downtown neighborhoods — plus, pick up perks, treats, and giveaways.

Art Feast | 4-7 p.m. | Spain Restaurant & Toma Bar, Tampa | Price of purchase | Experience bold, playful, and profoundly moving art alongside live flamenco guitar and poetry performances.

Pilates in the Park | 6 p.m. | Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park | Free | No ClassPass credits needed for this satisfying outdoor sweat from the folks at BODYBAR Pilates — BYO-mat.

Friday, May 30

Story 360 Writing Conference | Friday, May 30, Saturday, May 31, Sunday, June 1 | Times vary | Centre Club, Tampa | $209+ | Get tickets to this one-of-a-kind writing workshop featuring master classes, keynotes, and workshops each day — plus, don’t miss the anniversary party and fundraiser on Saturday night.*

Boujee Pet Boutique Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Celebration | 2-3 p.m. | Boujee Pet Boutique, St. Petersburg | Free | Tour the Burg’s latest puppy-approved boutique, enjoy refreshments, network, meet special guests, and shop.

“Ragtime, Blues & All That Jazz” | 8-10 p.m. | The Straz Center for the Performing Arts | $20+ | Don’t miss Byron Stripling’s showcase featuring ragtime masters like Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton + blues legends B.B. King and Muddy Waters.

Saturday, May 31

National Pediatric Cancer Foundation 5K & Stadium Stair Climb Challenge | 7 a.m.-12 p.m. | Raymond James Stadium | $43+ | Run — or walk — the route through the winding ramps and pathways of RayJay, and finish triumphantly at the 50-yard line in this 5K supporting cancer research.

2025 Hurricane Preparedness Expo | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | David Barksdale Senior Citizen Center | Free | Hurricane season starts this weekend — finish your prep by picking up free sandbags, tips, and learning about the city’s emergency system.

Sunday, June 1

“MIDSUMMER: a fae cabaret” | 8-11:30 p.m. | Italian Club of Tampa| $25+ | Festoon yourself in your best fae threads for a high-flying burlesque journey to Avalon featuring fae creatures from one of Tampa’s cabaret companies.

Great weekend on the way

Click here to have your event featured.

Finance

Be an early-stage investor in this proven founder’s new venture

Presented by Pacaso

Pacaso’s platform offers easy purchase, ownership, and enjoyment of luxury vacation homes. | Photo by Pacaso

The wealthiest companies target the biggest markets — like Nvidia, skyrocketing ~200% higher in 2024 on the $214 billion AI market’s tailwind. That’s why investors like Pacaso.

Created by the founder behind a $120 million exit, Pacaso’s platform offers easy purchase, ownership, and enjoyment of luxury vacation homes. And their target market is worth $1.3 trillion.

No wonder Pacaso earned $110 million+ in gross profits already. And you can join notable investors like Maveron as a Pacaso shareholder for just $2.90/share.†‡‡

Invest

News Notes

Weather

The sun will come out tomorrow and so will the storms. Forecasters say we’ll see showers and storms starting today. Tomorrow, a frontal system will move in likely bringing heavy + strong storms in the afternoon and overnight. We could see up to an inch of rainfall. (WTSP)

Opening

Supper clubs are back. The Sapphire: Lounge and Supper Club opens in South Tampa later this year. Like a 1950s era supper club, diners can expect live music and dining “all within an atmosphere designed to be both timeless and luxurious.” (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Development

What’s next for the Trop? The Tampa Bay Times + local leaders will discuss the road forward next Tuesday, June 3 at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg’s Center for Health Equity. Register online for “Beyond baseball: New perspectives and possibilities for St. Pete’s 86 most contemplated acres.” (Tampa Bay Times)

Drink

HTeaO is opening its first TBAY location in Largo. The Texas-based brand offers 20+ flavors of iced tea. Think Cherry Peach Tea Lemonade Refresher, Root Beer Tea, and Texas Chai. We’ll keep you posted on the drive-thru’s opening date. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Shop

It’s nearly time for the Sunshine City’s HAAPI (Honoring Asian American & Pacific Islanders) Festival. Head to Albert Whitted Park on Saturday, May 31 from 3-10 p.m. for performances by Flo-Raw Music, local bands, lion and dragon dances, a karate demonstration, robot dance performances, and Asian folk dancing. (I Love the Burg)

Ranked

Home sweet Tampa. The city ranked No. 10 on ConsumerAffairs’ list of US cities with the most new homes. The study assessed the number of building permits issued + new home sales, and growth in the Big Guava was attributed to its steep number of new building permits.

Sports

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is confident in his linebacker. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Number

4.5 million. That’s how many people start their day with 1440, your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. Psst — It takes five minutes to read. Subscribe free.*

Stat

$4,000. That’s how much an ounce of gold is expected to cost in 2026. Have FOMO? Explore gold IRAs, which let you own physical gold while taking advantage of IRA tax breaks.†*

Ditch the distance, hire local

Graphic by 6AM City

Tired of wading through resumes from applicants that are states away? Ditch oversaturated national job boards for our locally focused TBAYtoday Job Board.

We’ll connect you with candidates from our community who understand the local culture and can actually start next week — not next month. Whether you’re hiring baristas, bookkeepers, or bike techs — skip the big platforms and find folks who are already nearby.

Get started at no cost. List your job for free — and boost your visibility with a Featured Post in our newsletter. You can post unlimited job listings for free.

Local applicants are waiting

The Buy

A rechargeable handheld fan to keep you cool all summer long. With a battery life of up to 14 hours and three adjustable speeds, it’s our favorite hack to keep from overheating in warm weather.

More worth The Buy

Games

The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.

Let the games begin

The Wrap

Today’s edition by: Bailey

I took part in my first “raft up” over the weekend with the Boca Ciega Yacht Club. If you’re like me (two weeks ago) and have no idea what that even means: Basically a bunch of sailboats set their anchors next to each other + tie themselves together for a day of relaxation and drinking.

If you have enough boats, you can actually form a circle and go swimming in the middle. The club broke the record in 1996 with 179 boats — it even made the cover of Boat/US magazine.

The view of multiple sailboats tied together on Boca Ciega Bay. — No, Bailey does not own a sailboat.

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