TAMPA, Fla. — At ABC Action News, we know it's the combination of all the communities that make Tampa Bay great to live in. That's why we've started a new series of reporting highlighting good things happening around town, discovering cool gems you may not know about, and uncovering the big news events impacting those areas.
On Friday, the Good Morning Tampa Bay team focused on Seminole Heights.
Complete Coverage: GMTB Local Spotlight
Seminole Heights restaurant, Rooster & The Till, receives Michelin 'Bib Gourmand' award
Michelin ratings recognize good food at moderate prices and one of them is a Seminole Heights staple.
Rooster & The Till has been cultivating modern American cuisine and wine in the heights for nine years now.
Antique shop in Seminole Heights transports clientele back to their childhood
Seminole Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the Tampa Bay area.
You can find relics from another era all over, but the main icon in Seminole Heights is the two-headed gator. It’s a statue in front of Southern Brewing and it’s on flags outside of people’s homes.
To discover the back story behind it ABC Action News went to “Retro Mania” antique shop, where the original artist of the gator, Justin Thomas used to sell his work.
Seminole Heights caterer expands with Courtney's Cafe
A Seminole Heights caterer is taking her business and expanding into a popular new cafe.
Courtney's Cafe opened just a few weeks ago, right next to 82 W. Distillery.
The cafe started by serving brunch on the weekends, then tapas at night and quickly expanded into lunch and dinner.
Flocale, Seminole Heights' newest food hall, highlights good food and local art
Seminole Height's newest food hall features local food and local art.
Flocale is a joint venture between King of the Coop, Westshore Pizza and Rock Brothers Brewing.
Historic Seminole Heights homes add character to neighborhood
The community is full of character from the businesses and the people to the homes.
Just about every single home in Old Seminole Heights is different and unique, with its own sense of charm.
Many of these historic homes were built in the early 1900s. At one point, the trolley ran right through this neighborhood.
Tribe Seminole Heights offers affordable activities for kids
Step inside Tribe Seminole Heights and you'll get a sense that kids have an opportunity to create and be themselves.
"So Tribe's a nonprofit community center, and what we do is we offer low cost easy to manage activities for kids. So it's our goal to provide equity and children's programming by making them low cost and drop-in," explained Kristen Brown, founder of Tribe Seminole Heights.
In the summer, Tribe offers 50 activities a week that all cost $5.
Spaddy's Coffee helps bring Seminole Heights community together
Stop by Spaddy's Coffee on Florida Avenue and you'll find a sense of community in the courtyard.
"Since we've been here in Seminole Heights, the response from the community has been amazing. I can't thank them enough for the support we got from them. It's been nothing but love, for the most part, since day one," said owner Greg Spadaccini.
Artists share equipment, ideas and friendship at Labyrinth Studios
There’s a community of artists in Seminole Heights who are getting lost in their own creativity. So they’ve appropriately named themselves, Labyrinth Studios.
From screen printing to the letterpress and copper etchings, Labyrinth Studios isn’t so much a maze, as it is amazing.
“I just wanted there to be like a comfortable, safe space, hub, for people to be creative together,” said Ali Norman.
Susan Gott’s world-renowned glass studio is creative hub of Seminole Heights
World-renowned glass artist Susan Gott, whose mystical light-bending sculptures can be seen all over the world, welcomes everyone into her Seminole Heights workshop and store.
Located at 811 E. Knollwood St., and open this Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the otherworldly Phoenix Studio Gott Glass Gallery is a creative hub of Tampa’s most eclectic neighborhood.
City of Tampa gives update on stormwater construction in Seminole Heights
People who live and drive through Seminole Heights have to navigate through construction on some of the main roads. The construction is part of the city’s effort to mitigate flooding.
“Typically in Florida, the rains come down fast, they come down hard, and within 30 minutes the water is receded and it’s safe to drive again,” said William Stock, with Nelson Construction.
Even still — the City of Tampa decided it was time to do something about it — last fall the $39 million construction project began to replace old pipes with new ones and build a new stormwater conveyance system.
Seminole Heights nonprofit helps vulnerable populations with affordable housing
In Seminole Heights, a nonprofit is providing affordable housing for seniors and those living with little to no income, at a time when the rental market in Tampa Bay has no place for them.
“I love it here, I feel very safe and that’s the most important thing for me,” said Sonia Saltares a resident at The Heights. “I’m a widow, I’m an only income, so I have to make sure that I moved into a place where I’m not only able to afford currently, but in the future.”
Accused Seminole Heights killer still faces death penalty
Accused Seminole Heights killer Howell Donaldson will still face the death penalty if convicted of killing four people in 2017. Those few months nearly five years ago are hard to forget as the community waited for Tampa police to make an arrest.
Nearly $39-million to go towards changes around North Florida Avenue and Tampa street
Two of Tampa’s busiest streets that lead drivers in and out of downtown are about to get some major safety upgrades.
If you walk, bike or even drive through Tampa Heights and Seminole heights, you know it can feel pretty nerve-wracking.
Clothing resale stores keep microplastics out of landfills
Clothing is a major pollutant in our landfills and that's because a lot of fibers are made up of plastics.
Valhalla Clothing Resale is similar to national programs like Rent the Runway.
