Tampa suggestions please..2/11 & 2/12

[cwpsy1]

I'm spending two days down in tampa before a cruise (of course). Any suggestions on nightlife down there...especially for the friday night?

 

Any help would be appreciated;)

[tadjr]

Almost all nightlife in TPA is situated around Ybor City. http://www.ybor.org has info on the area. There are some other places around and some nice areas on the beach if you have a car to get there. I'm not a big night life person and have only been to Ybor once a long time ago, but thats where its happening. Maybe someone younger and more of a party animal can advise. ;)

[Cruise_Creature]

Cwpsy1,

 

Depends on what you're looking for really man. As mentioned Ybor is the traditional Tampa spot for alcohol, and lots of it.

 

Ybor is an old historical district transformed into Disneyland for drunks. 7th St in Ybor is the strip where you basically find a street lined with clubs, both up-scale and lower-scale where the basic feel is complete and utter meat market. Most of the clubs here are full of 17-25 hyper year olds running a little crazy. If it's a weekend and Ybor is hitting it's pretty nearly chaos. The mounted police do good to keep everyone alive on those nights and 4-5 nights a year they fail at that. Can be pretty testosteroned up, and can turn violent in a flash.

 

Aside from that you run into a lot of WAY-TO-YOUNG-TO-BE-THERE types so if you're scoping the lovely ladies who can be found there, always card. ALWAYS.

 

If it's a weeknight Ybor is hit or miss. Can be hot, or not. I've seen it very chill, especially early. Ybor almost never hits hard until 11:30ish.

 

Channelside is becoming the new spot to do your thing. It's a bit more main-stream and more predictable. You can find anyone from 16 all the way up to 60's walkign the area and in the clubs. Safer, less chaotic, but less an "traditional" Tampa experience.

 

Clearwater Beach is a nice place to chill and drink some fine spirits. Clearwater is the alcohol beach of the Tampa area. You'll find lots of hotels with beach cabana style areas to drink in, and at night the sunsets and the alcohol mix just so!

 

The hipiest place in town is probably the Blue Martini with it's $30 apple-tini's and up-scale young ladies who are true show stoppers. This can be found in the Bay Street (outdoor bazaar) section of the International Mall and Plaza adjacent to the airport.

 

If you're a hippy get it over to Skippers. Outdoor bar, greatful dead and college kids abound.

 

There are several nice irish pubs downtown, and decent sports bars are all over the area.

 

Best celeb watching has to be either the Stadium Bennigans where it's all too common to have a drink with a Buccaneer, a Devil Ray, or a Lightning player, or World Famous Bern's Steakhouse.

 

If you're a Yankee's fan, or a italian fan eat at Malio's. Steinbrenner easts here daily when he's in town, and does most contract negotions there if they;re donw with the player himself. I sat there myself and watched him have it out with Gary Sheffield. 1pm if he's in Tampa, this is where he is. Plus, Malio is a great, and gracious host.

 

Enjoy friend, hope this helps.