The Creative Pinellas office on tour
Creative Pinellas has begun an Administrative Residency Tour of Pinellas County.
Judithanne McLauchlan says working the grassroots will pay off in SD22 race
Judithanne McLauchlan is a political scientist, so it makes sense that she would seriously study the chances of a Democrat winning the Senate District 22 race before advising that candidate to run. In this case, the candidate is herself. And yes, she definitely thinks she could defeat Republican Jeff Brandes in the unique swing district,…
Take a puff for 8th Annual Ybor Aficionado Days
Savor the sights, sounds and aromas of the Ybor circa 1886 at its anniversary of Ybor’s first hand-rolled cigar. The Ybor Chamber of Commerce will host the celebration with A Tapas Trail from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by an after party from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tapas, hors d’ oeuvres & antipasti at over…
Do This: Sneak peek of Tampa Discovery Moments
See Tampa in a striking, fresh way through the eyes of Tampa Bay artist Amy Martz. Le Meridien Hotel commissioned Martz to create a series of photographs, Tampa Discovery Moments, capturing Tampa’s cityscapes, architectural features and unique history. The photos will cover Le Meridien’s rooms and lobby. Before they make their way to the hotel, they…
St. Pete Brewing Co. is Tampa Bay’s newest craft brewery
The long wait is over. St. Pete Brewing Co. opens today with its first five beers on tap in a cozy tasting room steps away from the brew house, where the sixth beer, an ESB, sits in a fermenter almost ready to go. Long wooden oars crossed over a lighted anchor are mounted behind the…
Mitch Perry Report 4.10.14 – The truth about how many people lost their health insurance in Florida
Let's be real – the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, if you will, has never been popular, based on the polls..And it may never be. But that doesn't give Rick Scott, Barack Obama or anyone else carte blanche to distort what would we know to be true. Before Rick Scott was accused of airing an…
The sweeping vision of USF’s the road weeps, the well runs dry
An extraordinary new play at USF follows African-Americans and Seminoles in the 19th century.
The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
Comedy clubs and other venues have a lot of talent on tap this weekend, and some will have different performers headlining different shows. You might see one comedian at the early show, and another at the late show. There's also a comedy roast and some free shows. Just pick what you want to see and…
SoHo after dark
A night on the town within a town.
Hyde Park’s beginnings
Hyde Park began as a community with heart, grit and ambition.
Hyde Park Cafe keeps the underground house music scene alive in SoHo
CL looks at a local venue with international cred and the people who keep it relevant.
The Hyde Park/SoHo Neighborhood Guide: You choose
Exploring past and present in South Tampa’s most dynamic district.
Historic houses of Hyde Park: A walking tour
Get a closer look at Tampa history with this walking tour through Historic Hyde Park. Start in the northeast corner of the district at Plant Avenue and stroll down to Bayshore and the tony residential avenues. Or start at Delaware Ave. and finish up at Plant (a nice alternative if you’d like to cap off…
Hyde Park was home
Driving down South Howard on an early weekday afternoon, really taking in the area for the first time in maybe a decade and a half — the proliferation of hip restaurants, shiny condos and chic office buildings that, for me, might as well have occurred the night before — I was struck by two thoughts.…
They’ll take a Village
Consider this: Interested parties who have been considering purchasing the distressed Channelside property east of downtown Tampa have offered between $5.75 and $7 million in recent months. Meanwhile, Hyde Park Village, which has had its own problems with vacancies, went for a stunning $45 million pricetag last fall. “It’s a one-of-a-kind property, impossible to replicate,”…
Is Hyde Park the Garden District of Tampa Bay?
New Orleans’ Garden District is known for its stately historic homes, old brick patios, brilliant azaleas and canopied streets. Sound familiar? Hyde Park and the Garden District certainly share a number of qualities: charm, old money, well-mossed oaks and front porches as favored living spaces. The differences: • They have a functioning streetcar. Ours (which…
From rundown to reborn
Hyde Park hasn’t always been the tony neighborhood we now know and love. It suffered years of being ignored, chopped up or simply neglected. As a young urban planner, I was around for its fall and rise. What were Hyde Park’s problems? First, the streetcar which ran up Bayshore Boulevard and along Rome Avenue was…
Sound and fury: SoHo nightlife noise pits residents against club owners
Unlike any other part of the city, the strip of South Howard Avenue between Kennedy and Bayshore known as SoHo has embodied the concept of a livable environment where people can actually see and do a variety of things without having to get into their automobiles. There are more choices than ever in the neighborhood,…
Listen: tUnE-yArDs, “Wait for a Minute”
tUnE-yArDs turn the lights down low and go R&B on their newest track off forthcoming Nikki Nack (out May 5).
Do This: Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement
By now, Edie Windsor is a living legend within the LGBT community. After all, her legal struggles to be recognized as the surviving spouse of her longtime partner, Thea Spyer, following Spyer’s death led to last summer’s historic Supreme Court decision declaring the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. As part of its monthly film series…
In-state tuition bill for undocumented students advances in Florida state Senate
Summarizing his bill that would provide reduced in-state college tuition rates for undocumented immigrant students who have attended Florida high schools, Clearwater state Senator Jack Latvala said today that looking back at some of the things he's done in his life, "I just thank God my children are not held responsible for all the mistakes…
The Ida couples’ massager is ideal for idle hands (video)
A review of the remote controlled g-spot stimulator that can be used during sex
Tampa Bay Blues Festival 2014 brings Buddy Guy, Irma Thomas and more to Vinoy Park
An impressive lineup for the 20th annual edition.
17th Annual Festa Italiana at Ybor City’s Centennial Park
Kimberly DeFalco Jacqueline Foulke of the Bella Danza Dance Troup as the Silver Sun character in Venetian Queen. Sunday's performance was Foulke's first day with Bella Danza. Firmly clutching a chalice alternately fueled with water and wine, Rich Quattrone floated effortlessly through Sunday’s Festa Italiana crowd. And he smiled. Non-stop. Embracing his role as Bacchus,…
Fired up: CopperFish turns up the heat on SoHo’s incendiary restaurant scene
SoHo’s CopperFish Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar combines winning ingredients with an open flame.
Lost weeknight
A tale of friendship and forgetting in Hyde Park.
Come thirsty to the Tiny Tap
Tippling and talking at the Tiny Tap Tavern, Hyde Park’s venerable neighborhood dive.
Interview: Frank Strunk III
Metal artist Frank Strunk III turns 50 this weekend with a celebration at St. Pete’s Ale and the Witch.
Shock poll shows Greenlight Pinellas struggling to break through
A new poll out today shows that advocates for the Greenlight Pinellas measure in Pinellas County this November need to pump up the volume when it comes to educating the masses about what it's all about. But Greenlight supporters say their internal polling shows a different outcome entirely. The St. Pete Polls survey (commissioned by blogger…
Tampa activists celebrate Equal Pay Day
Tuesday was National Equal Pay Day, which Democrats used as an occasion to campaign for the Paycheck Fairness Act, while conservatives furiously reacted that wage inequality is a phony issue. “America deserves equal pay for equal work,” President Obama said as he signed two executive orders in a ceremony at the White House, including a…
Mitch Perry Report 4.9.14: GOP’s embrace of small businesses vanishes when it comes to Big Beer
It's become a staple of the 21st-century Republican Party mantra to celebrate entrepreneurs and small business people, sometimes to the exclusion of everyone else (which is the majority of the public). But for some reason, that sentiment appears to disappear among some Florida Republicans when it comes to craft breweries. How else to explain the…
Two Treksters in Tampa in one week: First Takei; next Shatner
What’s next — Klingons? Let’s hope we have not incurred the Wrath of Khan.
New Music Tuesday! (April 8): John Frusciante, Chuck Inglish, OFF!, The Mary Onettes & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
Team Scott pooh-poohs PPP poll showing Crist leading the governor by 7 points
The Democratic automated polling firm Public Policy Polling took abuse throughout 2012 from Republicans who complained that they were a biased organization. They didn't say much after the 2012 presidential election, though — not after the North Carolina-based polling firm reported the correct winner in all 9 battleground states, including the unpopular prediction that Barack…
New Queens of the Stone Age video for “Smooth Sailing”
Upon their return from a co-headlining Australia/New Zealand jaunt with Nine Inch Nails, Queens Of The Stone Age met up with director Hiro Murai (Childish Gambino, St. Vincent) to put together a video for "Smooth Sailing," the next single off one of my favorite albums of 2013, …Like Clockwork (Matador). The NSFW mini-flick follows Joshua…
Wolf-Face announces Burgatory Fest 2014 lineup, releases free mixtape
15 Bands. A PBR Burger Bash. And a whole lot of lupine loony-ness.
Four years after Deepwater Horizon spill, new report says the impacts are bad and might get worse
Four years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, sending more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, wildlife is still struggling there. That's the upshot from the new report, "Four Years Into the Gulf Oil Disaster: Still Waiting for Restoration," published by the National Wildlife Federation on Tuesday. "Four years later, wildlife in…
Mitch Perry Report 4.8.14: Time for some traffic problems on I-275
The Florida Department of Transportation's construction project for a section of I-275 North — the "overnight" project that ended up lasting four days — is over. So says FDOT as of 5 a.m. The project as originally designed necessitated closing down all but one lane of northbound traffic on Saturday night (which was bad enough).…
Bicycle Bash brings awareness to Downtown Tampa
J. Steele Olmstead and Mayor Bob Buckhorn The organization South West Florida Bicyclists United With Dealers (SWFBUD) held its seventh annual Bicycle Bash on Sunday, a celebration of bicycling culture in the Tampa Bay area. The event brought a wide range of bicycle shops and organizations including Flying Fish Bicycles, God's Pedal Power, Sierra Club,…
Sharpe, Suarez disagree on quality of Steve Jobs biopic
It's no secret that Mark Sharpe would love nothing more than for Tampa to supercede San Francisco, Mountain View, or even North Carolina's Research Triangle to become the tech capital of America. Though that's not about to happen anytime soon, the Hillsborough County Commissioner constantly discusses how the Tampa Bay economy can be fueled by…
HART board member brings up PSTA’s “advocacy” for Greenlight Pinellas during meeting
(UPDATE) Saying that he didn't want to start a "food fight," HART board member Josh Burgin said today the Hillsborough transit agency should create a policy that makes clear that its CEO should not be engaging in any political advocacy when it comes to a transit tax campaign. His comments came as the HART board was…
Hillsborough transit agency selects Katharine Eagan to succeed Philip Hale on an interim basis
Katharine Eagan will replace HART CEO Phillip Hale on an interim basis beginning May 2. The Hillsborough County transit agency board voted unanimously today for Eagan to succeed Hale, who announced at the board's monthly meeting in February that he would be stepping down in 90 days. Eagan has been with HART since 2009, when…
Watch Kevin Devine cover Nirvana’s “All Apologies,” see him at The Ritz April 17
“When Kurt Cobain killed himself, my mom & dad called me to see if I was alright.”
Former Tampa resident Laila Al-Arian takes home a Peabody Award
Last week the Peabody Awards, which recognizes the best in electronic media, announced a record 46 awards for the past year. Award recipients ranged from popular television dramas to international and local radio productions. Al-Jazeera America, the alternative cable news network still having troubles breaking through in the U.S. cable market, won two awards for…
Disclosing
Savage Love columnist Dan Savage addresses self-love, with a little professional help.
Mitch Perry Report 4.7.14: Can the Republican Party of today handle Jeb Bush?
Jeb Bush's warning to his fellow Republicans that they should avoid "harsh political rhetoric" when talking about immigration made national news on Sunday. "Yes, they broke the law, but it’s not a felony; it’s an act of love,” the former Florida governor said. “It’s a different kind of crime. There should be a price paid. It shouldn’t…
The Well-Played List, 4-7-2014: Shuggie Otis, Melaena Cadiz, Chuck Ragan, Tony Allen & more
A Monday edition of the listening series; audio, video & Spotify playlist included.
Spend a Sunday on the Deuces
A weekly farmers market intends to remake history along 22nd Street South in St. Petersburg.
CNN says its news that DCCC wants Alex Sink to run in CD13 in November
On CNN's Inside Politics, John King "broke" the news Sunday morning that Washington-based Democrats are recruiting Alex Sink to run again for the CD13 seat that she lost to David Jolly last month by 1.8 percent. “I’m told the House Democratic leadership reached out to her convinced her to leave the door open,” he said.…
Southern foodie Nathalie Dupree shares food writing tips at Florida Food Conference
Held at USF St. Petersburg, the Florida Food Conference showcased four culinary dialogues with food bloggers, writers and photographers.
Do This: Dunedin Highland Games, Chillounge plus fests, fests and more fests!
Ethnic celebrations, beach fun, cars, bikes and a record sale highlight the many event offerings this weekend.
Kevin Bacon highlights USF Week events
Get footloose and show your Bull pride during the fifth annual USF Week, kicking off Sunday, April 6. USF has planned events to rally the green and gold with highlights including a lecture by Kevin Bacon and the concert event Bullstock. Bacon’s free lecture will be held in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom at 8…
Do This: Travelogues, Party for Theo, Seminole Heights First Friday and more
Family fun, art shows and walks, live music and a bar crawl highlight today’s picks.
Bill’s Sports Binge: Playoffs, butt-less seats and you never forget your first
Before the hockey season started, if I told you that A) we weren't sure about the goalie situation; B) the best player on your team would break his leg and be out for four months; and C) your team captain would turn into a diaper-filled crybaby and head to New York, and then capped off…
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter J
Who’s your fave hip hop artist beginning with the letter ‘J’ The alphabetical rap battles continue…
Tampa/Hillsborough Film Commission raises its game
Over the past 15 years, more film and television productions have gone outside of Cailfornia and New York to film their productions, attracted by powerful tax incentives that help bring down the cost of their expensive works. In recent years, Florida has dropped the ball in that respect. But even when there were more tax…
So long, David Letterman! Hello … ?
Your guess is as good as ours … who do you think should nab the coveted spot?
Mitch Perry Report 4.4.14: One and done
In the spirit of Larry King's old-school columns in USA Today, here are some random thoughts on this first weekend in April….. David Letterman's announcement that he's shutting down his brilliant late-night career next year brings back memories of when he first came on the air back in February of 1982. I remember it very…
Drake Drops “Days in the East” and “Draft Day” in the Span of a Day
In less than 24 hours, Drake drops two songs that pretty much embody each end of his musical styles.
Avett Brothers give Tampa their all
The Avett Brothers rocked the Sun Dome with a cinematic-in-scope live show.
Senate discussion that could allow Uber to operate in Hillsborough County ends in confusion
St. Petersburg state Senator Jeff Brandes' proposal that could see Uber finally operating in Tampa ended in confusion and disarray this morning, when the clock ran out in the Senate Transportation Committee before anyone could vote on it. Brandes and fellow Tampa Bay area Republican Representative Jamie Grant have been leading the charge in Tallahassee…
Does Marvel Studios have movies mapped out through 2028?
Yup, pretty much everyone is going to die in line waiting to see whatever the next one is.
Safety Harbor Singer Songwriter Festival launches this weekend
Arts crusaders Kiaralinda and Todd Ramquist present a new major music fest in Safety Harbor.
Adventures in Virginity: Exploring Masturbation with The Pink Panther
“Toddlers independently discover masturbation the same way they all instinctively figure out how to pick their noses”
Poet’s Notebook: Backward & Forward
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main…; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. Most American males reading the above probably think,…
Film Review: Goodbye World
Goodbye World attempts to reinvigorate the relationship indie with apocalyptic results.
Captain America protects the S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Winter Soldier is Marvel’s biggest and best cinematic extravaganza to date.
Marriage takes a beating in Le Week-End
An anniversary trip turns into an existential crisis for the characters and the audience.
