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 Tarpon Springs.
Complete Coverage: GBTB Local Spotlight
St. Michael's Shrine is home to miracles in Tarpon Springs
Away from the Sponge Docks and downtown, nestled in a neighborhood, believers will tell you there is a special place sparking miracles.
Mary Tsalichis built St. Michael's Shrine on Hope Street in Tarpon Springs in the early 1940s and cared for it until her death in 1994.
Tarpon Springs' Rose Cemetery included in school curriculum to teach students Black history
Students are learning Tarpon Springs' African American history in a unique way.
Beautifully hand-painted plaques were made by students, to memorialize the unknown buried at the Tarpon Springs' Rose Cemetery.
“We believe that there are about 400 bodies that are buried here without an identifiable marker,” said Shannon Peck-Bartle, Director Rose Hill Cemetery Place-based Learning Project.
City of Tarpon Springs will study impact of extending Disston Avenue to Belcher Road
Top Pinellas County transportation leaders have awarded Tarpon Springs a $100K complete streets grantin order to help transform Disston Avenue.
The City of Tarpon Springs will be using the money to study the impact of eliminating a dead-end road sign on Disston Avenue and eventually connecting it all the way through to Belcher Road.
Walking Club: Exploring Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs
Take a trip up to Tarpon Springs with your family this weekend and spend a day at Fred Howard Park. It’s essentially two parks in one!
Business owners say flooding in Tarpon Springs is getting worse, city working on multiple fixes
Tarpon Springs is a tourist destination famous for its Greek community, sponges, and local shops.
“Most of our revenue comes from tourism,” said Chris Alahouzos, Mayor of Tarpon Springs.
However, the waterfront city is also known for its flooding.
Tarpon Springs Distillery preserves historic Black church for future guests to tour
Tarpon Springs Distillery is smart about its liquor and its history.
The award-winning spirit makers, world-renowned for their boutique ouzo and moonshine, are housed in a building that used to be a sponge warehouse.
Rusty Bellies in Tarpon Springs stands out in this foodie paradise by catching its own seafood
But what makes Rusty Bellies really stand out in the foodie paradise of Tarpon Springs is its insistence on keeping things fresh.
Like, really fresh.
Tarpon Springs women-owned gym hopes to create environment for everyone
Right near downtown Tarpon Springs on Lemon Street, you'll find the Tarpon Barbell Company.
It's a women, veteran and LGBT-owned gym that started just before the pandemic.
Melina Scalley and Angela Scroggins saw a need in the community that they felt they had to fill.
Downtown Tarpon Springs antique shops just part of the areas unique experience
If you've been to the Sponge Docks, you likely drove right through Downtown Tarpon Springs.
If you didn't stop to walk around and enjoy the shops, you're missing out.
"We're getting more breweries, more restaurants. It has a really wonderful hometown feel. And there's plenty of parking. It's great. You'll find someplace to park, believe me. And it's just really nice with all the historical buildings and it just has a really quaint, quaint downtown, so you'll really like it," explains Cindy Comstock, owner of the Court of Two Sisters.
Famous Tarpon Springs family builds boats used by Epiphany divers
When 60 Greek Orthodox boys dive for the cross at the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs on Monday, they will be jumping out of ten very special boats.
The famous fiberglass sponge dinghies anchored in a semi-circle in Spring Bayou are made by Stamas Yacht, one of the oldest family-owned boatbuilders in America.
“It’s what God wants us to do,” says John Stamas, head of the company. “To help the church and to help people.”
Tarpon Springs events are making a comeback
Events are making a comeback in Tarpon Springs, from downtown to the Sponge Docks.
Tarpon Springs sponge docks transport visitors to Greece
Put the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks on the list of places to visit in the Tampa Bay area.
You’ll feel like you’re in Greece, not Florida! Be sure to check out all the local shops, restaurants and other businesses in the area.
Brag Book: Tarpon Springs basketball star signs to Eastern University
Basketball is Ari Eichner's first love. He's been playing since he was a kid.
"I had a bunch of friends that played basketball and I kind of fell in love with it just playing with them on the street," explains Ari.
He's got skills, the kind of player every team wants. His talent paid off in more ways than one when Ari and his mom, Julie, moved from Texas to Florida in the middle of the pandemic.
COVID-19 impacts 2 Pinellas Trail businesses with same owner in very different ways
It's the perfect location for a bike business. Some may say it's also the perfect location for a bar.
Ed Mullaly started Neptune Cyclery back in the 90s. He knew he'd find success with his bike business but he was unsure about starting the bar next door, Neptune Lounge.
Tarpon Springs foodie delivers Meli Greek Street Donuts in her unique food truck
Irene Manglis is frying up a lifelong dream.
The 35-year-old Tarpon Springs native is honoring her heritage with Meli Greek Street Donuts.
She delivers her decadent desserts in the coolest food truck you've ever seen.
Food truck owners suing City of Tarpon Springs over restrictions
Elijah Durham was laid off from his chef job during the pandemic, so he and his wife Ashley decided to open up a food truck.
They wanted to operate in their hometown of Tarpon Springs.
“We picked that town because it was a smaller town. We wanted to raise our kids there," he said.
