Answering the need for souvenir t-shirts that even a local would want to wear (and entering a market that till now was owned by Chad Mize/BlueLucy), Wide Sky is making a splash with witty, hyperlocal messages — “Me Love You Longo Time,” “My Way or the Skyway,” “Run Like You Valet at the Vinoy,” “Green Bench Sitting Team” — in smartly designed tanks and tees sold online and at street fests and markets around the Bay. Designer/owner Sara O’Brien (author of the photo history book, St. Petersburg Then and Now) worked in TV for 11 years before deciding to follow her daydream and start her own business. We say the Sky’s the limit. wideskylife.com
Goods & Services
Blame it on the amount of work he was getting, or on the arrival of the Warehouse Lofts, but Tampa craftsman Andrew Watson had to move his workshop out of Seminole Heights and into “NoHo.” The relocation effectively closed Chris Kelly’s Workspace art gallery, the trendy BackForty retail space in the back of the building, and moved BUILT to a block that suffered extreme flooding this summer, resulting in serious damage to Watson’s equipment and hand-crafted furniture. We’re all about the positive growth of neighborhoods, but can’t we find a way to keep the artists around, too?
Runners Up: Josh Hansen, Dr. Sandy Carter
It’s 2015 in Tampa, and you don’t have to own a bicycle to see your city at a pace that lets you appreciate all its nuance. Coast Bike Share’s beautiful blue fleet features tires that never go flat and a smartphone-based rental app that is nearly idiot-proof (you’ll still have to walk Uncle Dave through it). With membership rates dropping to $15 for up to 90 minutes of riding a day, you might even consider abandoning your auto commute a few times a week.
Runners up: Antiques and Uniques, Vintage Post Marketplace
Runners Up: Reeves Import Motorcars, Suncoast Jeep & Chrysler
Runners Up: Lim's Autobody and Repair, Bob Lee
