We’re a few years removed from a BOTB award which recognized that asshole who started a disco ball fire at Amphitheatre in 2016, so here’s an accolade for a group bringing a new kind of heat to 7th Avenue. In June, the minds behind Burn Rubber teamed up with FILA to create a custom show dedicated to the neighborhood, and one month later they teamed up with Tampa art collective Mergeculture to put on a Smithsonian-level custom classic Reebok exhibition. Couple a commitment to carrying local designers with the general bravery it takes to operate a retail store in this day and age, and what you’ve got is one of the best shoe and streetwear shops in Tampa Bay. 1517 E. 7th Ave., Ste. B., Ybor City. 813-442-7745, burnrubbertampa.com. —RR
Goods & Services: Local business is good business.
- Runner Up: Carrie Graves — The Wellness Tree
- Runner Up: Seminole Heights Community Acupuncture
- Runner Up: Knot on Main Dunedin
- Runner Up: Seminole Heights Antique
- Runner Up: Town Shores of Gulfport
- Runner Up: Beacon 430
- Runner Up: Blick Art Materials
- Runner Up: Hobby Lobby, U.S. 19 & Sunset, Clearwater
What do you do when your small town lacks culture? If you live in Palm Harbor, you go to the library. Palm Harbor Library director Gene Coppola has been trying to fill the void in Palm Harbor’s cultural scene for years. If you’re looking for art, literature, language classes, museum passes, or a print copy of Creative Loafing in PH, then you should head to the Palm Harbor Library. While you’re there, wish them a happy birthday — Palm Harbor Libraries turned 40 this year. palmharborlibrary.org. —Jennifer Ring
Nothing, I repeat, nothing, gives me more anxiety than taking my car to the mechanic. Be it something serious and mysterious or a routine oil change or maintenance, talking to someone about what ails my steel steed and then fretting over the cost makes me wanna puke. That said, trust is everything, and Bob at AutoWorks of Tampa goes just short of straight-up holding your hand when explaining the options you’ve got. His team has never pushed me into getting a service, and they’ve always been great about honoring warranties on work and parts. They may not be the least expensive team out there, but it’s hard to put a price on peace of mind and a crew that does business by a decent, customer-forward set of principles. 5507 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-237-3993. autoworksoftampa.com. —RR
- Runner Up: Bob Lee’s Tire Company, St. Petersburg
- Runner Up: Murray Motive, Oldsmar
Need a postcard? Here. Need a newspaper? Here. Need a sundress? Yup. How about tickets to anything — and we mean anything — happening in town? The Gulfport Beach Bazaar has it, along with books, jewelry, antiques and snacks. Snacks, people! A few years ago, Gini and Mike Fagan bought the variety shop and slowly started adding in Gulfport-style sundries, and now it’s the place to go if you want to see, be seen, mail a package or find a beachy outfit for your weekend on the shore. And yes, we’re serious: If only they’d put in a soda fountain, we’d never leave. 3115 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport. 727-381-8548. —CS
