We Built This City

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We Built This City

Why Southshore’s past still defines what makes this place home

The Southshore moniker gets loved, it gets hated, but I’ve come to accept it’s here to stay. Obviously, we named this publication after it, so we’re no longer in denial. Sometimes it feels like being an original means rejecting the term altogether, but I think acknowledging reality is the better move. And the reality is this. We built this city.

Aron Wright and Jill Andrews did a rendition of that song that was on the show, Paradise, on Hulu. (I suggest you watch it.) But that’s why the idea “we built this city” has been stuck in my head.

Anyway, if you’ve been here for a while, you’re at the heartbeat of what makes it home. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Riverview, Gibsonton, or arguing about which landmark separates Apollo Beach from Ruskin. I’ve never been a fan of arbitrary lines anyway. It’s all Southshore, whether you’ve crossed 19th or Big Bend.

This place didn’t just show up one day. It grew because people lived here, worked here, raised families here, and stuck around long before it was convenient.

So we’re putting together a collage, a timeline of sorts, of all the many faces of Southshore, as far back as we can find.

If you have any photos of places out here over the years, please send them to [email protected]. We’d love to include them in the project.

You can call it whatever you want.
But we built this city.

Don’t Panic. Spring Cleaning is Almost Here

A Local business helping keep Southshore organized

Spring has a way of exposing things we’ve been pretending not to see. Closets. Junk drawers. And yes, the garage.

What starts as a place to park your car slowly turns into a holding area for everything that doesn’t have a home. Old paint cans. Holiday decorations. Random tools. Boxes you swear you’re going to go through one day. Before you know it, spring cleaning hits and the garage feels less like storage and more like a problem.

A disorganized garage isn’t just annoying. It wastes space, makes it harder to find what you need, and turns simple tasks into small projects. And when you live in Florida, that clutter also means dealing with heat, humidity, and items that don’t age well sitting on the floor.

That’s where Square One Garage Solutions comes in. They help homeowners reset their garages with custom storage systems, shelving, cabinets, and layouts designed around how you actually use the space. The goal isn’t to make your garage look pretty for a week. It’s to make it functional year-round.

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean shuffling piles from one corner to another. Sometimes the real fix is creating a system that keeps things organized long after the cleaning is done.

If this spring you’re ready to stop fighting your garage and start using it, Square One Garage Solutions helps homeowners take their garages back… starting from square one.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

The Hurricane Law

Why Florida lawmakers are rethinking storm planning and what it means for Southshore

Time to show those hurricanes who the law is.
Not really, but Florida lawmakers are taking another look at a hurricane law that didn’t quite land the way it was supposed to.

The law was passed to help communities rebuild faster after major storms. The goal was to cut through red tape so repairs and recovery could happen quickly instead of getting stuck in long approval processes. In theory, that sounds like a no brainer.

In practice, the law did more than speed up rebuilding. It locked certain local planning rules in place. Cities and counties were limited in how much they could update land use policies, stormwater standards, and growth plans. The idea was to create stability during recovery, but critics say it froze communities in time just when flexibility was most needed.

That’s why lawmakers are now revisiting it.

Local governments and planners argue that storm recovery should not come at the expense of long term preparation. As storms grow stronger and rainfall becomes heavier, communities need the ability to update rules and infrastructure to match current risks, not rely on outdated standards.

For Southshore, this hits close to home. We deal with flooding, drainage issues, and development pressures on a regular basis. How land is planned and how water is managed before a storm can make all the difference after one.

The push to revisit the law is about restoring local control and making sure planning can evolve alongside the storms themselves. Rebuilding fast matters, but rebuilding smart and planning ahead matters just as much.

Southshore Spotlight

ECHO

Some of the most important work in our community happens quietly, and ECHO is a perfect example.

When families in Southshore need help, ECHO is often there with food, support, and guidance during difficult moments. But none of it works without volunteers. People who show up, give their time, and help neighbors get back on their feet.

Volunteering at ECHO is a simple way to turn care into action. A few hours can make a real difference, not just for someone else, but for the community as a whole.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Southshore Services

Need a painter? A plumber? Someone brave enough to tackle that lightbulb orbiting 30 feet above your living room? We’ve got you. And the best part, they’re all right here in our community.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Your Restaurant

New menu items, promos, specials, events- feature them here. This is the place to tell 30,000 readers in Southshore what you've got. Only 20 spots for the year. Claim yours today.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Our area high schools boast state champions and multiple division titleists. Come out and show your support for these teams and for our community.

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.