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Axios Tampa Bay
New Florida law reins in HOAs, limits fines
Florida has a new law that limits the reasons homeowners' associations (HOAs) can fine you.Why it matters: Around 45% of homes in Florida are part of an HOA, which oversees property appearance, parking, noise and more in a neighborhood. Membership is often a condition of home ownership.Between the lines: The law sets new limits on what an association can demand of its members, curbs excessive fines and makes records more accessible to the public.It's one of several laws passed this year to ease the burden these associations place on homeowners and eliminate some HOA restrictions on things like hurricane protection...
How to celebrate Pride in St. Pete, Tampa
Tampa Bay is a great place to be in June.The big picture: Along with St. Pete Pride, Florida's largest Pride celebration, we're home to gay bars, LGBTQ-owned businesses and a thriving drag scene.That means there are tons of ways to celebrate Pride Month.π Shuffleboard for a cause at Shuffle with Pride, benefiting PFLAG Safety Harbor. 7-10pm June 7, St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, $10 for non-membersπͺ© Tip a local drag queen at Water Street Tampa's National Pride Celebration. Pre-party and drag shows 5:30-7:30pm and silent disco 7-10pm June 7, Water Street Tampaπ Catch performances, vendors and family-focused activities at St. Pete...
Florida's best public park system is in this Tampa Bay city
Fellow St. Pete residents: It's finally our turn to brag.State of play: The Sunshine City has the best public park system among large cities in Florida, per a new report from the pro-park nonprofit Trust for Public Land.And it's not close. St. Pete ranked 11th nationwide, up from 15th last year.The next Florida city on the parks list is Miami at 36. Tampa fell three spots from last year to land at 49.Why it matters: Residents in high-scoring cities are more socially connected with their neighbors, per the report β including those from other socioeconomic groups, with whom they might...
Rare St. Petersburg "bird cage" home hits the market
Before Florida had air-conditioning, architects had to get creative to design homes that beat the heat.Enter the mid-century "Vision-Aire" home, designed to maximize air flow from Tampa Bay breezes.Why it matters: Only 13 of the homes were built β and one just hit the market.The big picture: Better known as "bird cage" houses because of their unique design, the homes are clustered in Pinellas Point.They were built facing southeast to capture bay breezes with lots of outdoor space, wide overhangs for shade and jalousie windows for ventilation, per the Tampa Bay Times.What they're saying: "Don't fight Florida's climate!" read an...
Pride Month in Florida begins with defiance, momentum
Jacksonville residents started the month by illuminating the city's Main Street bridge with a rainbow in protest of the Ron DeSantis administration's recent ban on Pride lighting for state bridges.Why it matters: Even as Gov. DeSantis continues to restrict LGBTQ+ expression, Florida advocates say this year's Pride celebrations will smack of defiance as momentum shifts in their favor.State of play: The Florida Legislature showed less of an appetite for culture war bills than in recent years.All but one of 22 measures with negative implications for gay and transgender Floridians failed, Equality Florida senior policy adviser Carlos Guillermo Smith tells Axios....
Pride Month in Florida begins with defiance, momentum
Jacksonville residents started the month by illuminating the city's Main Street bridge with a rainbow in protest of the Ron DeSantis administration's recent ban on Pride lighting for state bridges.Why it matters: Even as Gov. DeSantis continues to restrict LGBTQ+ expression, Florida advocates say this year's Pride celebrations will smack of defiance as momentum shifts in their favor.State of play: The Florida Legislature showed less of an appetite for culture war bills than in recent years.All but one of 22 measures with negative implications for gay and transgender Floridians failed, Equality Florida senior policy adviser Carlos Guillermo Smith tells Axios....
Stageworks Theatre reflects on AIDS with "Falsettos"
Putting on "Falsettos" felt like destiny for JL Rey and Jonathan Van Dyke.Flashback: In the '90s, before he came out, Van Dyke would secretly check the soundtrack CD out of the library.Around the same time, Rey wept hearing the musical's "What More Can I Say" β a song about a love story doomed by AIDS.State of musical: Rey wept again last week, directing Van Dyke's performance of the song in rehearsals of Stageworks Theatre's production.Why it matters: Rey and Van Dyke will never forget living through the AIDS epidemic. But the Tampa production may be the first time some young...
Stageworks Theatre reflects on AIDS with "Falsettos"
Putting on "Falsettos" felt like destiny for JL Rey and Jonathan Van Dyke.Flashback: In the '90s, before he came out, Van Dyke would secretly check the soundtrack CD out of the library.Around the same time, Rey wept hearing the musical's "What More Can I Say" β a song about a love story doomed by AIDS.State of musical: Rey wept again last week, directing Van Dyke's performance of the song in rehearsals of Stageworks Theatre's production.Why it matters: Rey and Van Dyke will never forget living through the AIDS epidemic. But the Tampa production may be the first time some young...
How much home values increased in Tampa Bay
Data: FHFA; Map: Axios VisualsFlorida home prices show no signs of slowing, despite mortgage rates hovering near 7%, per the latest data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency.Why it matters: That's good news if you own your home, but tough if you're a would-be buyer on the sidelines.Zoom in: The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro saw home prices rise almost 7% year over year through the first quarter of 2024, per the latest data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency.Meanwhile, North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton saw prices increase by 0.5% in the same period.Zoom out: Nationwide, prices are up 6.6.% from last year, per the FHFA.Some regions are hotter than others: Vermont saw the highest home appreciation in the country with a 12.8% hike, New Jersey (11.6%) and New York (10.9%) weren't far behind.Prices declined in Washington, D.C.The big picture: Low housing inventory is contributing to the high prices, said FHFA's Anju Vajja, in a statement.You can thank rate lock for that.Sign up for Axios Tampa Bay for free.
Crossword gala puzzlers compete for a cause
It won't matter if you wear diamonds or rubies at this Clearwater gala. All eyes will be on the crown jewel: a crossword puzzle.Why it matters: The second annual Word Play Crossword Puzzle Gala benefits Voices Of Hope For Aphasia and pays tribute to Merl Reagle, who for decades stumped and delighted puzzlers around the world with crosswords created from his Tampa home.Context: People with Aphasia often struggle to find words. The disorder can follow a stroke or injury and affects speaking, writing and understanding language.It impacts more than 23,000 in the Bay area and around 2.5 million people around...
DeSantis signs expansion of Florida's "Safe Haven" law
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law last week that expands the window for parents in Florida to surrender infants with no questions asked.Why it matters: DeSantis' signature, which lands almost a month after the state's six-week abortion ban went into effect, expands an option for parents to legally and safely part with unwanted children.It comes soon after police found a newborn dead in a garbage bin at the University of Tampa.Zoom in: The law goes into effect July 1. It raises the age limit for a parent to surrender an infant from 7 days old to 30 days,...
Surviving Hurricane Ian inspired Randy Wayne White's latest Doc Ford novel
When Hurricane Ian turned toward Sanibel Island, Randy Wayne White faced an impossible decision.Evacuate, and the storm could head for his new location like it did during Hurricane Irma β when his son ended up stranded on I-75 with a pregnant wife and their pets.Or stay and risk a direct hit that could rip his home to shreds like Hurricane Charley did when he lived in Pine Island.He gambled β and lost nearly everything.Why it matters: White poured his experience of surviving a storm β plus the horrific aftermath β into the latest novel in his Doc Ford series, "One...
Not our parent's market: How Tampa home buying power compares to the 1970s
Home buying power in Tampa plummeted about 64% from 1970 to 2022, per Axios' Rahul Mukherjee's analysis of a new RealtyHop study.Home buying power is the ratio of annual income against the average house price in 1970 (when boomers started buying starter homes) compared to 2022.Why it matters: Buying a house is far less affordable today than it was for previous generations.By the numbers: In 1970, the average Tampa-area home cost $11,000, with a median income of $7,678. By 2022, the city's home values soared to $333,200, but median income only reached $84,185.The rise in home value far outpaced the...
Not our parent's market: How Tampa home buying power compares to the 1970s
Home buying power in Tampa plummeted about 64% from 1970 to 2022, per Axios' Rahul Mukherjee's analysis of a new RealtyHop study.Home buying power is the ratio of annual income against the average house price in 1970 (when boomers started buying starter homes) compared to 2022.Why it matters: Buying a house is far less affordable today than it was for previous generations.By the numbers: In 1970, the average Tampa-area home cost $11,000, with a median income of $7,678. By 2022, the city's home values soared to $333,200, but median income only reached $84,185.The rise in home value far outpaced the...
"I don't fear bullies": Thriving as an LGBTQ contractor in Florida
Tommy Whitehead was sick of being told not to be different.Growing up poor, his Walmart backpack got made fun of by kids with JanSports.Then, while working in construction, he was taught to hide his identity as a gay man.Why it matters: Embracing those differences has made him successful, and he wants to help others in Tampa Bay do the same.Whitehead, who owns a remodeling contractor company, founded the Pride Construction Coalition last year to advocate for LGBTQ+ opportunities in the industry.The latest: He just launched a private equity firm and is celebrating the release of his new book, "Building Success:...
"I don't fear bullies": Thriving as an LGBTQ contractor in Florida
Tommy Whitehead was sick of being told not to be different.Growing up poor, his Walmart backpack got made fun of by kids with JanSports.Then, while working in construction, he was taught to hide his identity as a gay man.Why it matters: Embracing those differences has made him successful, and he wants to help others in Tampa Bay do the same.Whitehead, who owns a remodeling contractor company, founded the Pride Construction Coalition last year to advocate for LGBTQ+ opportunities in the industry.The latest: He just launched a private equity firm and is celebrating the release of his new book, "Building Success:...
Things to do this weekend: Crab contest, bookstore giveaways and more
π Hyde Park Fresh Market: Shop produce, handcrafted goods, plants and more from 80+ local vendors while Gasparilla Music performs.10am-3pm Sunday at Village Circle in Tampa. Free!π¦ Blue Crab & R&B Festival: Shop from vendors and food trucks while listening to live R&B. Plus, a $500 crab cookoff.4-8pm Saturday at Tropicana Field Lot 1 in St. Petersburg. Free!π Shelf-Aversary Party: Celebrate Shelf Indulgence Used Book Cafe's 7-year anniversary with a day of bookish fun and giveaways. Come dressed as your favorite literary character for a costume contest. 9am-6pm Saturday at the Sarasota store.Sign up for Axios Tampa Bay for free.
Things to do this weekend: Crab contest, bookstore giveaways and more
π Hyde Park Fresh Market: Shop produce, handcrafted goods, plants and more from 80+ local vendors while Gasparilla Music performs.10am-3pm Sunday at Village Circle in Tampa. Free!π¦ Blue Crab & R&B Festival: Shop from vendors and food trucks while listening to live R&B. Plus, a $500 crab cookoff.4-8pm Saturday at Tropicana Field Lot 1 in St. Petersburg. Free!π Shelf-Aversary Party: Celebrate Shelf Indulgence Used Book Cafe's 7-year anniversary with a day of bookish fun and giveaways. Come dressed as your favorite literary character for a costume contest. 9am-6pm Saturday at the Sarasota store.Sign up for Axios Tampa Bay for free.
New data shows Tampa Bay's true unemployment rate
Note: Share of the U.S. labor force that is functionally unemployed (seeking but unable to find a full-time job, is unemployed or is employed in a position earning less than a living wage); Data: Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity; Chart: Axios VisualsAmerica has lots of good jobs, but they're not evenly distributed.Why it matters: The full spectrum of inequality within the U.S. is on display in an updated dataset released this month by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP).How it works: LISEP's proprietary True Rate of Unemployment measures the proportion of workers looking for a full-time job...
Who has it better: Tampa's downtown trumps St. Pete's
We asked our readers to settle the debate: Which downtown is better, Tampa's or St. Pete's? Almost 2,000 votes later, we have an answer.Neither side can claim a blowout. The lead swapped more than a few times β with margins sometimes as slim as 60 votes.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...
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