Downtown duel: Tampa has it better than St. Pete

The verdict: Downtown Tampa eeked out a win, earning 51% of the vote to Downtown St. Pete's 49%.

Why it matters: Downtowns are the "spiritual core" of a city, driving the local economy and drawing visitors, new residents and national recognition.

• And Tampa Bay's downtowns have changed dramatically over the last two decades.

State of play: St. Petersburg has gone from "God's waiting room" to an arts and culture mecca with national acclaim.

• Tampa, once a "ghost town," has experienced a billion-dollar makeover, most notably with Jeff Vinik's Water Street.

😏 Yacob's gloat: Look, I am a proud Tampeño. I held the line even as Ben T. Davis got pitted against Clearwater's Sand Key in our Best Beach bracket.

• But I lost sleep over this edition of our "Who has it better?" poll. We didn't get an assist from any former mayors this time, and Kathryn's two-anecdote, 160-word plea seemed damn convincing.

• We managed to stave off our first upset, Tampa, whether because of my 30 words of encouragement or the billions invested to breathe life into our downtown.
• Maybe next time, St. Pete, maybe.

Have an idea for Tampa and St. Pete institutions we should feature in our next installment? Or just want to hate on your other side of the bay? We're here for it.

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