The year's not even over, but it already feels like 2024 will be remembered as an inflection point in the history of Sarasota, the year in which our area's long stretch of avoiding the worst of hurricane season finally ended, and the popular myth that our city was somehow magically protected from storms was definitively debunked. Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton didn't just flood homes and force people to relocate—they've raised pressing questions about the future of our city that cannot be ignored any longer—questions about unchecked growth, our spiraling cost of living, the health of our environment and the anxiety and stress that have become an unavoidable part of living through hurricane season.

So when I think back on the hundreds of stories that Sarasota Magazine published this year, our coverage of the hurricanes that rocked our community comes immediately to mind, and those stories rank among the ones that I've been most proud to have worked on in my career. But they're not the whole story of this year. We published plenty of other tales that range from silly to serious, from profound to funny. So here are 10 stories from this year that I love that aren't about the hurricanes. I think you'll enjoy them, too.

The Ultimate Guide to Our Area’s Sandbars

If you ever need a reminder about why people want to move to our area so badly, or how fortunate we are to live here, just take a gander at the stunning photos that accompany contributing editor Hannah Wallace's lively, informative look at our area's sandbars. Did you know that Passage Key near the entrance to Tampa Bay was formed by a freshwater spring that pushes up through the salty Gulf? I sure didn't.

How Sarasota’s Cyesis Program Helps Teen Parents Stay in School

What happens when a teenager finds out that they're going to become a parent? In Sarasota, they often turn to Cyesis, a pioneering local program that helps teen parents stay in school and complete their education. In this searching, intimate profile, contributing editor Stephanie Churn Lubow tells the story of Jeanni Castro, who found out she was pregnant right before the start of her senior year of high school.

Sarasota’s Best Under-the-Radar Restaurants

Associate editor Lauren Jackson gassed up her jalopy and cruised our region's numerous strip malls to pen a definitive ode to the out-of-the-way neighborhood joints that deserve more love than they get. These restaurants may not be in the running for any Michelin stars, but they're delicious, charming and satisfying in a way that fancier places aren't.

Is Sarasota Changing for Good?

Sarasota's population has exploded in recent years, and along with all that growth has come a rise in discord, as current residents grouse about all the noise and traffic and our bitterly divided national political environment filters down to school board and hospital board meetings. That mounting tension has led many long-time residents to ask if we're at risk of losing what has made Sarasota special for so long. Contributing editor Elizabeth Djinis gets to the heart of the conflict in this comprehensive feature.

In a Tiny Battery-Powered Plane, a Local Pilot Is Shattering World Records in Electric Aviation

It sounds crazy: A local man, Miguel Iturmendi (pictured at top), is building all-electric airplanes and flying them tens of thousands of feet into the sky, smashing records while doing so. His goal? To prove that clean, energy-efficient aviation can work. Associate editor Kim Doleatto profiles this fascinating daredevil and takes a look at what his work might mean for the future of flight.

A Journey Through Dementia

A few years ago, contributing editor Bob McGinn's wife Ruth began exhibiting symptoms of dementia, which set off an extended quest to understand the disease and to do everything they could to slow its onset. In McGinn's searching, deliberate storytelling, he details the challenges and frustrations of caring for his wife. It's a searing, honest and emotional story about a topic that doesn't receive the attention it deserves.

Artist Joel Benham Delivers Sensory Overload at His Outrageous Vibe Villa

Sometimes a story just makes you shake your head in disbelief. So it is with associate editor Kim Doleatto's tour of artist Joel Benham's Vibe Villa, a Desoto Acres rental that Benham has outfitted with countless insane design choices. There's a Taco Bell-themed bathroom, a refrigerator covered in fur and dubbed a "furrridgerator," a $7,000 Furby-shaped chair and more—lots more. “I don’t think much about who I’m pleasing,” Benham told Doleatto. “I do art for me. And I love it even when it’s hated.”

Inside New College of Florida’s Radical Transformation

Gov. Ron DeSantis' conservative makeover of New College began in 2023, but the scope of the change at the college didn't come into focus until this year. Speaking with longtime faculty members, alumni, higher education professionals and more, contributing editor Elizabeth Djinis takes stock of how the college has changed from a free-thinking institution known as “Barefoot U” because students often went without shoes to something closer to Hillsdale College, a private conservative Christian school in Michigan.

Happy Father’s Day, Mom

Father's Day and Mother's Day can raise complicated feelings in people who have painful or strained relationships with their parents. In this deeply personal story, associate editor Lauren Jackson shares a unique way she's found to celebrate her mother, whom she credits for filling the role of both mother and father in her life. It's a touching story about the ways in which unorthodox family traditions can often become more meaningful than more traditional expressions of love.

Blazing Trails

In a special feature dedicated to women who are breaking through in industries historically dominated by men, we profile nine extraordinary women, a list that includes a monster truck driver, a master distiller, the owner of an auto repair shop, a fire safety team and more. These individuals are shattering stereotypes and lighting a path for young women to follow.

Our Listening to Black Voices Gallery Show

Contributing editor Heather Dunhill launched her "Listening to Black Voices" interview series in 2020, shortly after the murder of George Floyd, and in the ensuing years has interviewed 60 people from Sarasota's African American community about their fascinating lives and perspectives. As part of the series, the magazine partnered with Art Center Sarasota and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation to create a gallery exhibition that showcased photographer Michael Kinsey's stunning black-and-white portraits of Dunhill's interview subjects. The show, combined with panel discussions led by Dunhill, sparked conversation, connection and understanding that have lingered long after its conclusion.