Happy New Year, beloved denizens of Tampa Bay! Each flip of the calendar offers a proverbial clean slate, an opportunity to remake ourselves in a more hopeful image that’s less soaked in gin and cookies.
We’ve already touched on personal development, so as we attempt to remember to write “2026″ on all correspondence, let’s zoom out on our beautiful but embattled state. As far as Florida goes, here’s what I’m saying should stay and go in 2026.
In
Canadian visitors.
A suspiciously quiet hurricane season no one can seem to explain.
Small, independent movie theaters and bookstores.
Increased funding for arts and culture (literally anything).
Colorful street decoration, this time bolted to the ground.
Libraries and all the marvelous books, movies, music and friendship they offer.
The return of malls and department stores.
Dive bars that feel like the 1990s.
Restaurants in which people can hear each other speak.
Talking to each other more in general.
Scachatta at every office potluck.
Revived piers, bait shacks and taverns the hurricanes swept away.
Friendlier shared spaces for bikes and pedestrians.
More moviemaking in Tampa Bay.
Temperature controlled baseball, please.Out
Sneaky environmental corruption on every day that ends in ”y.”
Politicians robbing from the poor and sick to benefit their causes.
The punishing rise in electric bills.
Blatant violations of the state’s Public Records Act.
Food halls that look like every other food hall.
Relentless book challenges and sly history rewrites in schools.
Hostile takeovers of college campuses.
Neon signs hung on walls covered in fake grass.
Being eight years late to national trends.
Twenty dollars for a sandwich and a Coke.
The giant Tampa observation wheel that’s not even up yet.
Any restaurant plate garnish that may have met the underside of a dog’s leg.
Theme park prices that could send four kids to college.
Hating on spring breakers who want to enjoy our spoils and spend money.
AI slop photos when we live among real, honest-to-goodness magic.
Stephanie Hayes is a columnist for Tampa Bay Times.