Axios Tampa Bay

May 17, 2024
Friday! We made it.
🌞 Sunny and clear. 92°/77°.
- Sounds like: "Evil Spawn," Waxahatchee.
Today's newsletter is 844 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Discovering Safety Harbor
Many of you recognized the pink elephant in yesterday's newsletter as Ellie, a beloved icon in downtown Safety Harbor.
Why it matters: She's one of countless quirky characters in a little town that's well worth the half-hour-or-more drive from areas such as St. Pete and Tampa.
State of play: The city's Third Friday celebration (tonight!) is a great way to get a taste of Safety Harbor partying, with live music and local vendors.
Zoom in: Ellie lives at the Safety Harbor Art and Music Center (SHAMC), a building covered in mirrored mosaics that hosts concerts, offers craft classes and sells work from local artists.
- It's owned by Todd Ramquist and Kiaralinda, who met and fell in love in seventh-grade art class.
- For nearly 40 years they've been turning their home nearby into "Whimzeyland," an outdoor recycled art collection with everything from bowling balls to computerpart-covered VW Beetles. Both SHAMC and Whimzeyland are free to stroll through.
- The decorations spread to "Coco Loco," their rentable guesthouse across the street.
The big picture: Downtown Safety Harbor is a delightful walk packed with fun shops and cafes.
- Nature lovers can also explore the waterfront park, boardwalk and Philippe Park — perfect for running, biking and kayaking.
More to eat, drink and do:
🧇 Treat yourself to a sweet breakfast at Café Vino Tinto. Try the toasted marshmallow latte and guava waffles.
📚 Grab a new read and chat with Crystal, the owner of Portkey Books.
💆 Splurge on a self-care day at Safety Harbor Resort & Spa.
🦞 Grab a lobster grilled cheese at Bar Fly.
🍭 Become a kid in a candy store at Rocking Delicious.
🍰 Dig into a slice of cheesecake at Bassano.
Want more to explore? Check out our guides to Brandon, Dunedin, Lakeland, Largo and Plant City.
2. 🍔 Bite club: Crazy burgers and classic movies
You won't want to sneak food into this Safety Harbor movie theater.
State of screen: Their love of movies inspired Rachel and Richard Wilson to open a dinner theater in 2018.
- But Gigglewaters' gourmet American cuisine and craft cocktails are the real stars of the show.
The vibe: The speakeasy theme ("Gigglewater" was the code word to get a strong drink during prohibition) calls back to the 1920s and stays true to the city's spirit of upcycled decor.
- The bar is carved from the dancefloor of the historic Belleview Biltmore Hotel, and its ceiling is lined with the hotel's tin panels.
Best bites: The menu is heavy — Wagyu beef burgers, options to stuff mac and cheese in just about everything — but well worth the gastric consequences.
- "Man vs. Food" featured The Commissioner, a burger topped with gouda, bacon, a waffle, sweet bourbon bacon chunks, onion tanglers and a drizzle of cookie butter. And it's worth unhinging your jaw for.
- The cocktails are made with fresh-squeezed juices, balancing out the food with freshness.
Nice touches: For its Cinema Supper Series, theatergoers are served a themed menu at specific moments in the film. Think warm apple pie during "True Romance."
- Brunch is served daily until 2pm.
What's ahead: Owner Rachel Wilson told Axios she's hoping to franchise two locations in the next year, aiming to eventually spread out to Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Sarasota.
3. The Pulp: 🩴 Beer Can Island flip-flops
📈 St. Petersburg and Clearwater saw a surge in tourism this March, a new report from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater shows. (WFTS)
🏝️ Tampa's Beer Can Island is back open and mostly off the market. Its owners have decided to keep 90% of the popular destination and sell the remaining 10% in 1,000 shares priced at $1,500 each. (Tampa Bay Times)
🏞️ Lakeland city commissioners picked a design for the revitalization of downtown's Munn Park. The plan features a shade pavilion, restrooms and a splash pad. (LkldNow)
4. 🐣 Olivias and Liams and Noahs, oh my!
For the third year in a row, Liam and Olivia topped out the list of most popular baby names in Florida.
State of play: That's according to 2023 data released Thursday by the Social Security Administration.
- Liam and Olivia were also the no. 1 names nationwide and in several states, including Arizona, New Jersey and North Carolina.
Zoom in: Here were Florida's other top-ranked names:
- Girls: Emma, Isabella, Mia and Sophia
- Boys: Noah, Lucas, Elijah and Oliver
Stunning stat: Liam has held the top boy name spot in Florida since 2015.
Things to do
📆 Upcoming events around the city.
Sea Creature Creations Summer Camp at Safety Harbor Art And Music Center June 3-7: This camp will focus on the creation of sea creatures such as Orcas, Jellies, Sharks, Fish, Narwals, whales, and even mythological sea creatures! Students, aged 7-14, will explore mixed media techniques to make 2D art, sculptures, and guided paintings. $225.
Hosting an event? Email [email protected] for 50% off your first event feature!
5. 💥 News quiz time!
It's been a minute since we quizzed you on the week's news. Let's make sure y'all are paying attention.
- Click here to test your knowledge.
📬 Hit reply or email [email protected] with a screenshot of your perfect score, and you'll be entered to win some Axios swag.
- Congrats to our last winner, Gary Stearns!
👩💻 Selene is digging into the true story behind "Under the Bridge" while waiting for Wednesday.
⏳ Yacob is waiting for his name to appear on Florida's most popular list.
🤯 Kathryn is losing her mind that resale tickets for the sold-out Chappell Roan show this weekend at Jannus are going for almost $400 apiece.
This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner and copy edited by Art MacMillan.
Sign up for Axios Tampa Bay








/2024/05/16/1715890847447.gif?w=3840)