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

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

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.

Yes, but: While both our downtowns have a lot to offer, we're turning to you, readers, to decide: Who has it better?

📣 Kathryn's take: A college internship at the Tampa Bay Times brought me to St. Pete for the first time. I remember walking from the downtown newsroom to Vinoy Park, passing colorful murals and edgy breweries and thinking to myself, "I didn't know Florida could be this."

• That was a decade ago. So many new restaurants, boutiques and museums have popped up since, downtown and in the neighboring Edge and Grand Central districts. A world-class pier has joined the gem of a waterfront.
• Its biggest advantage over Tampa is walkability and how easy it is to get around with Central Avenue as the north star. Tampa city planners: What is the point of having a grid system if you're not going to number the streets?
• Just recently, I made the grave mistake of walking from a restaurant in the downtown core to a nightclub in Water Street. It was a half-mile of empty parking lots and confusing streets. St. Pete could never.

🙄 Yacob's take: I don't need 160 words to pitch Downtown Tampa. Here's 30.

• We doubled our downtown footprint and have the region's lone five-star hotel, Michelin-star restaurants, and our reader-favorite Riverwalk. Speaking of empty parking lots, Kathryn, Downtown St. Pete could use some.

👑 Verdict: Vote here, and we'll crown the winner in an upcoming newsletter.

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.

📬 Shoot us a message at [email protected].

Some of the flamingos blown into Florida last year by Hurricane Idalia have stuck around, but it's too soon to say whether they're making a comeback here.

Why it matters: The longer they stay, the greater the chances they'll nest and start to repopulate the Sunshine State after plume hunting wiped them out at the turn of the century.

Driving the news: A first-of-its-kind flamingo census conducted during one week in February — six months after Idalia — counted 101 wild American flamingos across the state, the conservation nonprofit Audubon Florida announced this month.

By the numbers: More than 50 birds were spotted in Florida Bay, between the Keys and the Everglades.

• Another 18 were counted in the Pine Island area off the coast of Fort Myers, and 14 more were spotted at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Cape Canaveral.

What they're saying: "It's very good news," Florida Audubon research director Jerry Lorenz told Axios.

• "Right now, it's within the window of visitors," he said. "Hopefully they'll start nesting, and that'll tell us if they're setting up residency."

What's next: Flamingos typically start nesting around this time, but they're likely still stressed from the hurricane, Lorenz said. Next year's season will be the one to watch.

Zoom in: The latest on Peaches

📣 Sarasota School Board member Bridget Ziegler is facing renewed pressure to resign after new details about her sex life surfaced last week. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

• The new information came from a now-closed investigation into a sexual battery allegation against her husband, former Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler.

🏗️ Construction began this week on Rome Yards, a multi-phase project that will bring affordable housing to West Tampa. (Tampa Bay Times)

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office arrested a 28-year-old man that deputies say shot and critically injured Auburn University running back Brian Battie and killed Battie's brother. (Fox 13)

The rate of cesarean births in Florida is higher than the national average.

Why it matters: Florida's 2023 C-section rate was 36.2%, according to provisional CDC data. That's well above the 10-15% rate that the WHO considers "ideal."

Yes, but: An increase in C-sections doesn't necessarily mean the rate of unnecessary procedures has risen. There are other factors at play.

Patients are sicker overall.

• With gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy on the rise, there could be a greater need for C-sections, says Jane van Dis, OB-GYN and assistant professor at the University of Rochester.

Go deeper: Other factors

🎺 Angelus Music Festival & Food Truck Rally: The Black Honkeys headline the music festival MC'd by Fox 13's Charley Belcher. Food trucks will serve BBQ, burgers, Hawaiian shaved ice, lobster and more.

• Noon-9:30pm Saturday at The Angelus in Hudson. $10-50, with proceeds benefiting the program's group homes for disabled people.

🎻 Uptown Music and Arts Festival: A contemporary jazz and arts festival supporting community programs.

• Gates open at 2:30pm and the festival runs 4-10pm Saturday and Sunday at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa. Tickets start at $90.

👑 Mx. St. Pete Pride Pageant: Celebrate the talent of St. Pete's LGBTQ community with special guest judge, Alyssa Edwards of "Ru Paul's Drag Race."

• 5pm Sunday at the Palladium Theater. $20-50.

More events: Aquapalooza, beach cleanup