Tiffozi Apparel
When was the last time something came along that you didn’t know existed, but also couldn’t live without when you found it? Enter Tiffozi, the ridiculously meticulous vintage soccer (football if you’re cool) apparel shop located on the old Main Street near North Howard Avenue Boasting a seriously impressive collection of vintage soccer gear, from track jackets to jerseys and the like, Tiffozi has a collection worth gawking at, even if you aren’t a fan of the sport. What makes it even cooler? It’s appointment only, unless you can make it down on a Saturday to see the goods in person. I know where I’m headed for my next Steven Gerrard jersey. tiffoziapparel.com
Local Route Disc Golf Pro Shop
The burgeoning alt-sport of disc golf is not as simple as grabbing a Frisbee and aiming it at targets (actually, raised metal baskets). Beginners are encouraged to play with a minimum of three discs: a driver, a mid-range and putter. Advanced slingers can tote as many as 60 around the course in a wheel cart. Local Route Disc Golf Pro Shop consists of 4,000-square-feet stocked with more than 20,000 discs and a vast array of bags and accessories. The knowledgeable staff works with customers, especially newbies, to outfit them with the right discs so they can get off to a good start. Local Route is also a clearinghouse for the disc golf 411. The Tampa Bay area has 23 disc golf courses, just so ya know, most of which are free to play. localroute.com
See all the winners from Best of the Bay 2021
VeloFix (Scott Imrich)
Local bike shops are wonderful, and there are a handful that handled bikes (and your health) beautifully during the pandemic, but sometimes you just need someone to show up to your house and fix the steel horse you ride. While VeloFix is a Canadian company, its Tampa-St. Pete roving tech and repairman is decades long local bike nerd (and musical taste making host of “Saturday Asylum”) Scott Imrich who’s ready to drive his oversized shop van to your driveway and get to work. He tuned up my old Raleigh in less than an hour (complete with ball bearing overhaul) for $100. 10/10 would recommend, especially if the organization of your daily life is a mess like mine. velofix.com
Green Book of Tampa Bay
If you want to buy Black in Tampa Bay, “Green Book of Tampa Bay” is your best resource. The online directory, which started with about 200 listings, practically quadrupled in 2020 as businesses dealt with pandemic shutdowns. “Green Book of Tampa Bay” helped Tampa Bay’s Black-owned businesses when they needed it most—during the economic storm of 2020-2021. greenbooktampabay.org
See all the winners from Best of the Bay 2021
TPA2Go
Regular TPA travelers know the pain of being stranded apart from a dining option located in a different airside, but with an increased emphasis on reduced-contact food service, the airport introduced TPA2Go—a food delivery service that lets you order off any menu from any airside, turning our airport into Tampa Bay’s most secure food hall and extending the full slate of our best restaurant brands to every traveler—regardless of airline or destination—brought right to your gate. tpatogo.com
Empire Paint & Hardware
The discovery of Empire Hardware is life-changing for any DIY-er living in the Ybor/downtown area. Unburdening yourself from a Home Depot or Lowe’s parking lot alone is good enough reason for its recognition, and then you walk inside. Its impossibly large inventory for such a relatively small store and eager and helpful staff make this locally owned business an outstanding home improvement resource. empirepaintandhardware.com
Wellbuilt Bikes
The pandemic drove people to bike shops looking for recreation, but it also amplified the issues so many other folks experience when it comes to reliable transportation. This nonprofit shop at Tampa’s University Mall not only sells refurbished bikes and does repairs at people-friendly prices, but uses revenue from the shop to offer an Earn-A-Bike program where community members can use donated parts to build their own bike at no cost. Getting from point A to point B is something so many of us take for granted. Wellbuilt Bikes helps people just want to have the chance. bikeshoptampa.com
Meals On Wheels Tampa
Meals on Wheels of Tampa is dedicated to assisting the food-insecure and homebound residents of the greater Tampa area. The nearly 1,000 recipients a day not only receive a hot meal, but a reassuring check-in from a caring volunteer or staff member. Furthermore, Meals on Wheels of Tampa is one of only a handful of Meals on Wheels chapters in the country that holds an independent designation; meaning all contributions made to this benevolent charity stay within this chapter and are dedicated and distributed to the residents of Tampa exclusively. A large portion of this indispensable organization’s daily success relies on the help of volunteers. Ahem… hint hint. mowtampa.org
Tony’s Bike Shop (St. Pete)
A nondescript garage attached to a modest house on the eastern end of St. Pete’s Grand Central district is where Tony plies his trade. The easygoing fella repairs bicycles, charging extremely reasonable rates. He’s a cat who just seems to want to help people get riding again. Tony’s Bike Shop also sells, buys and trades new and used bikes. Think of this no-fuss place as “the Burg’s bike shop.” Tony does. tonysbikeshop.com
Biofeedback at TGH
You don’t need us to tell you that 2020 and 2021 were stressful as fuck. This year, as I added pandemics to my list of migraine triggers, I sought out a somewhat unconventional migraine treatment. I say unconventional because most people just want to take a pill and get on with their day. But if you have chronic migraines, pill popping can quickly get out of hand. You need more than just pills. You need a daily practice to reduce your stress. This is where biofeedback comes in. A good biofeedback therapist will help you manage your time, your stress and your diet better than ever before. It’s great for migraines and other chronic pain. And most importantly, it saves you from developing a devastating opioid addiction. tgh.org
