When Creative Loafing published the first issue of its Tampa Bay edition in April of 1988, the local cultural, political and physical landscapes looked very different than they do today. No LGBTQ representatives in office. No downtown murals. No Riverwalk. No exploding craft beer or foodie scene. No Stanley Cup. No New World Brewery.
Thirty years is a long time — nearly half the lifespan of the average Floridian — and one would expect a lot to change over the course of three decades. Still, the evolution and progress of the Bay area has been nothing short of astounding, and it makes us proud to be part of that history.
For CL’s 30th anniversary, rather than take a look back at our own history, we decided to highlight 30 of the pivotal moments of the Bay area’s last 30 years — moments that changed the character of the area in some fundamental way, or contributed to making it a better (or at least more fun or tasty) place to live. They're broken into decades: 1988-1998, 1999-2008, and 2009-2018.
So many inspiring events have transpired that shaped or re-shaped our community in a positive way that it’s impossible to chronicle, or even remember them all; it’s been a hectic, crazy, game-changing 30 years, and everybody has particluar milestones that mean something very special to them. We know you’re gonna come back at us with “What about this?”, and we welcome your comments, criticisms and remembrances.
Because one thing hasn’t changed: CL is still here, 30 years later, and it’s because of your readership, your support, your artmaking, your activism, your outrage. Thank you so much for making it possible, and being such a big part of our journey so far. —Scott Harrell
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 3, 2018.