Is the Tampa area all sprawl??

[^Eagle^]

Originally Posted by lavender

I think you must have totally missed downtown st pete, its the most downtown situation in the bay area, try looking at that again

Thats what my friend told me but i drove all over the place during the day and on a saturday night and i didnt find any central area where people hang or see any type of activity at all.

I wish I had the luxery and resources to fully comb the area but the things that interest me are places like ebor (ybor) and I dont see anything other then ebor. It seems like Tampa is this huge place with a place here and a place there scattered all over but I was hoping it had more "hubs" like Orlando.

[lavender]

Downtown St Pete has a hub as you call it.
Main Streets with shops, antique area, restaurants all over the place, nice cool pub/drinking areas, a marina, waterfront parks, we even have a grand prix!, farmers markets (not in high summer too hot), outdoor concerts, some free, lots of cultural events, parades, nice museums - 4 or 5 of those.
Old North East is a quaint turn of last century area, with wonderful homes, nice streets to walk and meet your neighbors, and worth exploration - but maybe with a native, who can show you more.
If you go again, try 'Moon under the Water', Red Mesa cantina, Ceviche, the Queens Head, to name a few of the popular places. Good luck to you

[^Eagle^]

Originally Posted by lavender

Downtown St Pete has a hub as you call it.
Main Streets with shops, antique area, restaurants all over the place, nice cool pub/drinking areas, a marina, waterfront parks, we even have a grand prix!, farmers markets (not in high summer too hot), outdoor concerts, some free, lots of cultural events, parades, nice museums - 4 or 5 of those.
Old North East is a quaint turn of last century area, with wonderful homes, nice streets to walk and meet your neighbors, and worth exploration - but maybe with a native, who can show you more.
If you go again, try 'Moon under the Water', Red Mesa cantina, Ceviche, the Queens Head, to name a few of the popular places. Good luck to you

I guess my impression of what a beach town should be is different. Usually in beach towns like southbeach for instance there is a main huge drag where everyone is and where all the bars shops and clubs are. You see people walking around everywhere.

In Tampa they have the Ybar 7th street.

In Austin they have 6th steet.

Up north in martha's vineyard they have downtown "oak bluffs".

In Boston they have whole walkable streets that go on and on lined with shops and bars and clubs for the most part.

South Carolina has Myrtle beach where the nightlife is very compact into one area.

New Orleans has Burbon street. You know when your there.

Maybe I havent found this in St Pete but it sounds like St Pete is more low key, with a location here and a location there but no central place to go where it's definately hoppin for nightlife or whatever.

Im sure there are little area's with an antique shop or two and then you go drive to another area and there is a park and then you go drive to another area and there is a bar.

I was looking for a central place like in many other beach area's that has the park, the shops, the bars, the clubs -- a specific place that everybody thinks about when they think of St pete. The kind of place that once you get to it you say to yourself "ok I've arrived, this is the spot to be".

Did I somehow miss this??

To me so far, and i admitt I do NOT know where to go very well, it seems that the tampa area in general strangely lacks this. I dont know if its zoning, poor planning, or just no one feeling the need for it but to me it just seems like a lot of sprawl with gems that are hard to find unless your a local intermixed into it. There seems to be no "spot" outside of ybor.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by ^Eagle^

I guess my impression of what a beach town should be is different. Usually in beach towns like southbeach for instance there is a main huge drag where everyone is and where all the bars shops and clubs are. You see people walking around everywhere.

In Tampa they have the Ybar 7th street.

In Austin they have 6th steet.

Up north in martha's vineyard they have downtown "oak bluffs".

In Boston they have whole walkable streets that go on and on lined with shops and bars and clubs for the most part.

South Carolina has Myrtle beach where the nightlife is very compact into one area.

New Orleans has Burbon street. You know when your there.

Maybe I havent found this in St Pete but it sounds like St Pete is more low key, with a location here and a location there but no central place to go where it's definately hoppin for nightlife or whatever.

Im sure there are little area's with an antique shop or two and then you go drive to another area and there is a park and then you go drive to another area and there is a bar.

I was looking for a central place like in many other beach area's that has the park, the shops, the bars, the clubs -- a specific place that everybody thinks about when they think of St pete. The kind of place that once you get to it you say to yourself "ok I've arrived, this is the spot to be".

Did I somehow miss this??

To me so far, and i admitt I do NOT know where to go very well, it seems that the tampa area in general strangely lacks this. I dont know if its zoning, poor planning, or just no one feeling the need for it but to me it just seems like a lot of sprawl with gems that are hard to find unless your a local intermixed into it. There seems to be no "spot" outside of ybor.

Other people have made the same observations you have. Tampa is pretty much spread out, with the "hubs" in Ybor, Channelside, and South Tampa. And yes, I believe Ybor is the most "happening" as far as clubs and crowds.

Frankly, I think that as small a town as Sarasota is, it has a lot more to it than the larger cities of St. Pete and Tampa. St. Armand's Circle is always bustling, with Lido Beach nearby; and downtown is great, and has a lot of activity as well as Siesta Key Village. But the areas are not HUGE. Maybe what you really want is to be in Miami, or Fort Lauderdale. It sounds like what we have on the Gulf side is maybe too low-key for you? Anyway, you should at least come down and see Sarasota, but I think maybe you are just looking for a much larger city.

[^Eagle^]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Other people have made the same observations you have. Tampa is pretty much spread out, with the "hubs" in Ybor, Channelside, and South Tampa. And yes, I believe Ybor is the most "happening" as far as clubs and crowds.

Frankly, I think that as small a town as Sarasota is, it has a lot more to it than the larger cities of St. Pete and Tampa. St. Armand's Circle is always bustling, with Lido Beach nearby; and downtown is great, and has a lot of activity as well as Siesta Key Village. But the areas are not HUGE. Maybe what you really want is to be in Miami, or Fort Lauderdale. It sounds like what we have on the Gulf side is maybe too low-key for you? Anyway, you should at least come down and see Sarasota, but I think maybe you are just looking for a much larger city.

Yeah I guess what I like is a party like atmosphere. Of course if the place is cool and popular enough I don't need a district though. For instance I went to the house of blues in Disney tonight in orlando and had a blast because it is a big club, with mutiple levels, multiple outside area's, a huge dancefloor and all the other fixens. I just like to be where the party is at for the most part and I like to have lots of options.