Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
365
Tips Careful Where You Park
Parking can be scarce at night in Ybor City, and the area has seen an occasional
robbery in the late hours. Play it safe and use the municipal parking lots behind
the shops on 8th Avenue East, or the new parking garages near Centro Ybor, on
7th Avenue East at 16th Street.
TAMPA AFTER DARK
The Tampa/Hillsborough Arts Council maintains an Artsline ( & 813/229-2787 ), a
24-hour information service providing the latest on current and upcoming cultural events.
Racks in many restaurants and bars have copies of Creative Loafing Tampa ( www.tampa.
creativeloafing.com ) and Accent on Tampa Bay ( www.ampubs.com ), two free publications
detailing what's going on in the entire bay area. You can also check the “BayLife” and “Friday
Extra” sections of the Tampa Tribune ( www.tampatrib.com ), as well as the Thursday “Week-
end” section of the St. Petersburg Times ( www.sptimes.com ). The visitor center usually has
copies of the week's newspaper sections (see “Essentials,” earlier in this chapter).
THE CLUB & MUSIC SCENE Ybor City is Tampa's favorite nighttime venue. All you
have to do is stroll along 7th Avenue East between 15th and 20th streets, and you'll hear
music blaring from the clubs. On Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 3am, the avenue is
packed with people, the majority high schoolers and early-20-somethings; but you'll also
find something going on Tuesday through Thursday, and even on Sunday. The clubs
change names frequently, so you don't need names, addresses, or phone numbers; your
ears will guide you along 7th Avenue East. With all of the sidewalk seating, it's easy to
judge what the clientele is like and make your choice from there. Another hipster haven
is the Hyde Park area of town, where restaurant bars buzz with late-night activity.
The center of the action these days is Centro Ybor, on 7th Avenue East at 16th Street
( & 813/242-4660; www.centroybor.com), the district's large dining-and-entertainment
complex. The restaurants and pubs in this family-oriented center tend to be tamer than
many of those along 7th Avenue, at least on nonweekend nights. You don't have to pay
to listen to live music in the center's patio on weekend afternoons.
THE PERFORMING ARTS With a prime downtown location on 9 acres along the east
bank of the Hillsborough River, the huge Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center , 1010
N. MacInnes Place, next to the Tampa Museum of Art ( & 800/955-1045 or 813/229-
7827; www.tampacenter.com), is the largest performing arts venue south of the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C. Accordingly, this four-theater complex is the focal point of
Tampa's performing arts scene, presenting a wide range of Broadway plays, classical and
pop concerts, operas, improvisation, and special events.
A sightseeing attraction in its own right, the restored Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin
St., between Zack and Polk streets ( & 813/274-8286; www.tampatheatre.org), dates
from 1926 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It presents a varied program
of classic, foreign, and alternative films, as well as concerts and special events (and it's said
to be haunted!).
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