* Not that it’s any surprise, but the affirmation is always welcome. This city and this region scored some recognition coups this year–beyond being awarded the ballyhooed Bollywood Oscars, the Frozen Four and the College Football National Championship game.
Recall that back in the spring, the Motion Picture Association of America ranked Tampa Theatre third in its list of the 10 best movie venues in the world. And just last week the BBC, which also has a soft spot for classic movie houses, added another accolade. It put out its list of the Top 10 most beautiful theaters in the world–and there among the French and Greek honorees was Tampa Theatre, a “Temple to 1920s Baroque.”
* And in the last week, St. Petersburg made Money magazine’s annual list of the 10 “Best Places To Retire.” In short, St. Pete was included because it not only met criteria about affordability and access to culture and health care, but it has chamber of commerce weather and world-class beaches nearby.
Nice to be reminded of what we can easily take for granted–quality-of-life features that don’t involve banner headlines and economic-impact projections.