Not everyone’s fleeing Tampa for St. Pete. Dysfunctional Grace, a dark and lovely little outpost of oddities co-founded by Liz Furlong and Daniel James, is a twisted but artful novelty shop and gallery that opened in the 600 Block area of downtown St. Pete in March 2012. Starting out their biz as a showcase for James’s taxidermy sculptures and peculiar doodads from the past, the couple heaved ho to Ybor spring this year and started out its new tenure on a remarkably better footing: DG sold more in eight days in Ybor than one month in the ’Burg. Perhaps, more night crawlers equals more business for a strange little shop, which trades in creepy medical equipment you might find in a Trent Reznor video or, better yet, a stuffed grizzly bear wearing a fez. 1903 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, dysfunctionalgrace.com
Goods & Services
Blame it on the amount of work he was getting, or on the arrival of the Warehouse Lofts, but Tampa craftsman Andrew Watson had to move his workshop out of Seminole Heights and into “NoHo.” The relocation effectively closed Chris Kelly’s Workspace art gallery, the trendy BackForty retail space in the back of the building, and moved BUILT to a block that suffered extreme flooding this summer, resulting in serious damage to Watson’s equipment and hand-crafted furniture. We’re all about the positive growth of neighborhoods, but can’t we find a way to keep the artists around, too?
Runners Up: Josh Hansen, Dr. Sandy Carter
It’s 2015 in Tampa, and you don’t have to own a bicycle to see your city at a pace that lets you appreciate all its nuance. Coast Bike Share’s beautiful blue fleet features tires that never go flat and a smartphone-based rental app that is nearly idiot-proof (you’ll still have to walk Uncle Dave through it). With membership rates dropping to $15 for up to 90 minutes of riding a day, you might even consider abandoning your auto commute a few times a week.
Runners up: Antiques and Uniques, Vintage Post Marketplace
Runners Up: Reeves Import Motorcars, Suncoast Jeep & Chrysler
Runners Up: Lim's Autobody and Repair, Bob Lee
