Tampa - Awesome City

[billjr]

This past weekend I took my son to Tampa to see the ACC Championship between Georgia Tech and Clemson. We took Amtrak there and back, and that was really cool too, but I was really impressed with what Tampa has to offer tourists.

We stayed at the Mariott Waterside & Marina which is right downtown. There was a streetcar line that began in front of our hotel and could take us to two of the entertainment areas, Channelside and Ybor City. Since I was with my 10 year old son, I didn't get a chance to party too hard, but we did go to these areas and really found a lot to like.

Channelside is an outdoor mall type development that has some shopping, but mostly restaurants and bars. It seemed to be more family friendly and was located next to the cruise ship terminal, as well as the history museum and aquarium. There was also a WWII "Victory" ship that we toured. Probably our favorite stop was the upscale bowling alley/bar called "Splitsville." If more of these places existed, bowling would have a huge resergance, as it was really nice, offered much more than just bowling, and in a nicer environment than the hole in the wall bowling alleys we have at home.

The other "party" area was Ybor city, and it too was easily accessible via the streetcar. This area was obviously geared towards adults, as it was full of bars, tatoo shops, etc. It would be a great area to go out at night, but since I had my son, we took a brief walk around and then left, as he really didn't feel comfortable there. The next day was much better, as we were able to see more of the shops and "day" people. But again, I would love to spend a night going barhoping there.

Well, if you ever get a chance to got to Tampa, I highly recommend it. And we only had one night and one day to look around. I'd really like to spend more time there, as I'm sure there are a lot of other activities in the area.

[yellofury]

Theres also beaches and of course Busch Gardens
I live here in Tampa but I work 6 days a week so I hardly get to take in
all the cool stuff we have around here

Ybor has come a long way
It used to be pretty shady and at night you would see a rat or two scurrying the streets
but they have poured a bunch of money within the last 10 years and really have made it
an awesome place.
Trust me 10 years ago your 10 year old AND you would have not been even remotely comfortable being together there admist the bars the S&M club and the rave club

[billjr]

It turns out that I was in Tampa in 1999, and after we left Mons Venus(heh, heh), we went to an area of bars, and I recognized it Friday night as Ybor City. It is a lot better now. There seems to be a lot more now than there was then. I didn't see any S&M clubs (darn) but there was one bar that had about three clothes lines of bras hanging across the front of the building.

[CrashClint]

My Brother lives in Tampa, some really good Cuban restaurants. The only negative thing that I have experienced is the lack of vehicle inspection and there are some *&$%#@ drivers driving around their junk cars with careless abandon.

[yellofury]

Originally Posted by billjr

It turns out that I was in Tampa in 1999, and after we left Mons Venus(heh, heh), we went to an area of bars, and I recognized it Friday night as Ybor City. It is a lot better now. There seems to be a lot more now than there was then. I didn't see any S&M clubs (darn) but there was one bar that had about three clothes lines of bras hanging across the front of the building.

it was called TRACKS and it was a GAY S&M club
so if assless chaps are your thing......

I love the fact that that carwash has been next to Mons forever

[Tim Cole]

Visited tampa last december, and i agree.....really liked the area. Tons of titty bars too....