25 Tampa Bay things we miss from the ‘before time’

Daily commutes while listening to WUSF

Trips over the Howard Frankland Bridge are way more enjoyable when you’ve got public radio coming through your speakers. You can’t even blame traffic for showing up late to work anymore, you’ll have a tough time selling the idea that there was a traffic jam between your bedroom and your home workspace.

Photo via WUSF Public Media/Facebook

Seeing influencers hover around food at Armature Works

Back before social distancing, social influencers loved to photograph their trendy food from Armature Works. “Phone eats first” doesn’t really have the same effect when you’re eating pesto-covered Barilla for the third time this week.

Photo via Armature Works/Instagram

Yelling about the Rays stadium fiasco

For a while, it looked like the Tampa Bay Rays would be playing half of their home games in Montreal. Now, it looks like it might be best used as COVID-19 clinic. Whatever the team ends up doing, lets just hope it doesn’t involve screwing over the entire African American community, again.

Photo via Tropicana Field/Facebook

Everyone being irrationally mad at e-scooters

For a while, there wasn’t a day that passed where someone wasn’t complaining about e-scooters, there’s just something about an electric skateboard with handles that drives people nuts. Now, we honestly kind of miss that irrational yelling.

Photo via JUMP/Facebook

Taking a cruise and only worrying about diarrhea

You’d think that being out on the open ocean, where Taco Bell can’t find you, would keep you safe from the runs. But a Princess Cruises ship, the Caribbean Princess, was recently forced to turn around after an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea-inducing norovirus spread amongst the crew and passengers. When various viruses aren’t going around, you should also be weary of Montezuma's revenge.

Photo via Princess Cruises/Facebook

Worrying about rising rents, rather than worrying about just not paying rent

A recent report from apartment search website RentCate found nearly half of Tampa residents are now renters. The study, which was published in December 2019, also found that renters are now paying roughly 60% more than they did in 2010, while the size of their apartments have shrinked. Those renters are also more likely to have a longer commute now, since more people are opting for the cheaper suburban areas than the urban spots.

Photo via City of Tampa/Facebook

Complaining about the Tampa Bay Vipers, even though we love them

The Fang Gang has everything; loyal fans, Quinton Flowers quarterback drama and nifty merch. It’d just be nice if the Vipers somehow make a comeback after all this.

Photo via Tampa Bay Vipers/Facebook

Waiting for the new Bake ‘n Babes Freak Shake

Yeah, quarantine snacks are cool. But being extra and ordering an over-the-top milkshake with sparklers was so much cooler.

Photo via Bake'n Babes/Instagram

Holding down a table like a psycho for your friends at Sparkman Wharf

When there wasn’t a pandemic going on, the outdoor food park used to be slammed. So you can imagine what it was like trying to find a spot to sit. Now we’re left to just keeping our cats off our keyboards.

Photo via Sparkman Wharf/Instagram

Fighting for a seat on the Busch Gardens parking lot tram

If you’ve been in the Tampa Bay area for a while, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve made the mistake of going to Busch Gardens during the summer. Before you even get to wait in line for overpriced junk food or to hop on a rollercoaster, you must face a scorching sea of asphalt parking spaces, followed by a crowded ride on the parking lot tram. Still, if this whole pandemic thing is over by summer vacation, you know that ride to the Garden gates is gonna be lit.

Photo via Busch Gardens/Facebook

Caladesi State Park, well all the state parks for that matter

Don’t get me wrong, three-mile loops around the neighborhood help keep away cabin fever, but opossums and empty storefronts at 2 a.m. aren’t nearly as pretty as the Sunshine State’s natural beauty. I guess now is as good a time as any to shake things up and go camping in your backyard—you might even see a squirrel!

Photo via St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau/Visit Florida’s website

The Salvador Dalí Museum

It’s a little ironic that we aren’t able to visit the surrealist museum during such a surreal time. Although there are virtual options to satisfy you quarantined art lovers, we simply can’t wait to take surrealistic-selfies again in the museum’s garden.

Photo via James Bennett III

Going to the Dog Bar, or taking your dog to any dog-friendly spots

Dog Bar, a cross between an off-leash dog park and full service bar, even has a “Wooferee” during the bar’s peak hours to keep your pooch safe while you sip some local craft brews. But, if bars aren’t really your thing, St. Pete also has dog-friendly banks, dry cleaners and restaurants. Make sure you treat your furry friends to a trip around the town when all this is over.

Photo via Google Maps

Brewer-hopping in Dunedin

The Dunedin Craft Beer Tour, which is led by Tampa Bay Food Tours, takes groups on a three-hour stroll to become better acquainted with their local breweries. The $65 fee includes tastings at each bar. Luckly, if you’ve already had the opportunity to find a beer you like, most of the breweries are still serving to-go orders.

Photo via Dunedin House of Beer/Google Maps

Letting your toddler run around like a maniac at Green Bench

In the olden days, you didn’t have to worry about your nasty kid getting infected with coronavirus from other nasty kids; you just sort of put up with them coughing directly on every surface because there wasn’t a pandemic going on. So, naturally, you could relax at Green Bench’s biergarten and sip on local brews, like Sunshine City IPAs and Postcard Pilsners, while your toddler ran around on the astroturf.

Photo via Green Bench Brewing Co./Facebook

Watching a new Tex-Mex spot sprout up in South Tampa every five minutes

In the olden days, we had to face life’s most essential question every week: Where to go for Taco Tuesday? It seems like finding the answer got more difficult every week. Thankfully, many of these spots are still offering takeout or delivery.

Photo via GUAC tequila and tacos/Facebook

Hiking at Lettuce Lake (miss those gators)

All Hillsborough County Conservation Parks are closed until further notice. Lettuce Lake is, unfortunately, among the 19 closed parks, so it might be a while until you can see those chunky gators in person.

Photo via Colin Wolf

The Lightning

Earlier this month, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the National Hockey League did the responsible thing by putting the 2019-2020 season on hold. The team has been streaming simulated matches on Twitch to hold us over, but the virtual games don’t come close to real life.

Photo via Tampa Bay Lightning/Facebook

MacDinton's for $1 beers

Legend has it, cheap beers magically turn you into an excellent singer. Back in the “before times,” MacDinton's offered $1 Miller Lights on Thursdays and $1 Bud Lights on Saturdays alongside karaoke. Sure, you might’ve had to put up with the rowdiest and most tone-deaf rendition of “Sweet Caroline” to get your cheap brew, but you didn’t mind belting the song’s chorus with everyone else in the bar.

Photo via Google Maps

New murals popping up everywhere almost daily

Although new murals are mostly hyped up during events like the SHINE Mural Festival, there isn’t really a wrong time for new ones to be painted. With hundreds of colorful, contemplative or curiously abstract murals scattered across the bay, we miss seeing the artsy walls of our favorite local businesses every day. We’ll just have to settle for virtual mural tours for now.

Photo via St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s website