Welcome to Creative Loafing's Best of The Bay 2024
When Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay launched in 1990, I was five years old. Sandy Freedman was mayor of Tampa, while another Tampeño, Bob Martinez, lived 465 miles away in the governor’s mansion. Zooming out, inflation was at 5.4%, and the ratio of CEO pay to the average worker’s was 74-to-1. Back then, readers walked their Best Of ballots into our office, and staffers counted them by hand.
These days, I have an almost-five-year-old of my own. Tampa still has a lady leading the way, and a Republican continues to call the shots in Tallahassee. Inflation’s down to 2.5% (did Joe Biden do that?), but the ratio of CEO pay to the average worker’s has skyrocketed to 196-to-1. Around the office, Best Of votes are cast online. Hell, there are even two Critics Picks awards that involve robots serving food.
That’s all to say that a lot has changed. But in many ways, the spirit of Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay awards hasn’t.
Outside of spellcheck and that ballot, there weren’t many robots directly involved in the production of this issue. Mostly—like it’s been for more than three decades now—the heart of what makes Best of the Bay mostly involves you, the readers, the raconteurs, the people who are really, really, really pouring what looks like every ounce of themselves into the thing they care about. The ideas you bring to life with your hard work, and the love you have for your craft and community, is still what we come together to celebrate each year.
In 2024, Creative Loafing readers—your friends, neighbors, customers, admirers and haters—voted in 469 categories. Our paper’s staff and contributors came up with 175 Staff Picks.
That’s a whole lot of love, and as this publication careens towards yet another Best of the Bay party, there still aren’t a lot of words to fully capture how much Creative Loafing loves and appreciates anyone reading this right now. Instead, we give you this big ass issue of all the best things Tampa Bay has to offer. It’s your hard work, and ours, too. Welcome to Best of the Bay 2024—we’re so grateful to be here with you again.—Ray Roa
These days, I have an almost-five-year-old of my own. Tampa still has a lady leading the way, and a Republican continues to call the shots in Tallahassee. Inflation’s down to 2.5% (did Joe Biden do that?), but the ratio of CEO pay to the average worker’s has skyrocketed to 196-to-1. Around the office, Best Of votes are cast online. Hell, there are even two Critics Picks awards that involve robots serving food.
That’s all to say that a lot has changed. But in many ways, the spirit of Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay awards hasn’t.
Outside of spellcheck and that ballot, there weren’t many robots directly involved in the production of this issue. Mostly—like it’s been for more than three decades now—the heart of what makes Best of the Bay mostly involves you, the readers, the raconteurs, the people who are really, really, really pouring what looks like every ounce of themselves into the thing they care about. The ideas you bring to life with your hard work, and the love you have for your craft and community, is still what we come together to celebrate each year.
In 2024, Creative Loafing readers—your friends, neighbors, customers, admirers and haters—voted in 469 categories. Our paper’s staff and contributors came up with 175 Staff Picks.
That’s a whole lot of love, and as this publication careens towards yet another Best of the Bay party, there still aren’t a lot of words to fully capture how much Creative Loafing loves and appreciates anyone reading this right now. Instead, we give you this big ass issue of all the best things Tampa Bay has to offer. It’s your hard work, and ours, too. Welcome to Best of the Bay 2024—we’re so grateful to be here with you again.—Ray Roa
