different but same
tommy permalink | categories: compare, development, neighborhood, newspapers, one bay one love, tampaby tommy @ 7:58 am
Before the next issue comes out, I want to highlight the Weekly Planet’s cover story that compares downtown Tampa to downtown St. Pete. The paper does a fair job in contrasting both of the urban centers, and takes a look at where each are headed.
Downtowns on the Verge: Change is coming to St. Pete and Tampa. Will it fill our downtowns with life — or ruin what we’ve already got?
You already know the nutshell: Tampa is all business and expecting an influx of residents. St. Pete is funky and diverse and expecting an influx of residents. Of course there’s much more than that. I highly recommend you go beyond the nutshell and read the entire article.
Tags: compare, development, neighborhood, newspapers, one bay one love, tampa
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June 14th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
downtown tampa is heading nowhere. some condos doesnt mean you can create a city vibe where none exists. there are condos all along bayshore. does that make an urban vibe? nope. the place for that to occur is ybor which has some authenticity and an infrastructure that wasnt all built yesterday. downtown tampa is a lost cause for the foreseeable future.
June 14th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
What is with the idea that there’s nothing to do but work in downtown Tampa? Spain, Shark Bar, Club 112, Jerk Hut (they do a mean Fri. night Red Stripe Special), the Museum, that super-glam Indian place on Jefferson; elegant, urban Thai by the Old Maas Bros.; sports at Hattricks, etc., etc.
It makes me nuts! Esp. considering downtown St. Pete ain’t all that “funky and diverse.” Struggling amateur art galleries and dirt-rocker bars don’t hold much ingenuity.
What it comes down to is if you wanna make the most of the area, you have to be willing to seek out the best of both sides of the bridge, and all the pseudo-intellectual analysis in the world isn’t worth jacksh*t next to going lots of places and, hey, whaddaya know, actually making the most of it.
Anyone can f*ck with urban development statistics. It’s boring.
June 14th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
btw, for a taste of where downtown tampa is headed, take a whiff of harbor island. the dead zone. full of pricey residences, but is there a hint of actual life? nope. throwing up a bunch of costly condos and a ‘riverwalk’ - two things harbor island already has - does not mean an instant city will occur.
June 14th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
rachel:
the places yu mention in downtown tampa are dead sun-thurs, esp after 5. and only spain and the hub might have a few patrons after dark on fri and sat. still, how sad is it when all a downtown can point to for ‘excitement’ can be listed on the fingers of one hand? lats face it: there is a long wait ahead before downtown tampa becomes more than a black hole.
June 14th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
That’s not entirely true and it doesn’t change the face that they’re still cool places. You just don’t see as many people hitting them the way you do on Howard or in Ybor or the ‘Burg because of the idea that downtown offers nothing.
And, besides, I’m personally convinced that if I’m there, it’s not dead, but then again, I’m a lively and fun person.
Perhaps you are, too (hint, hint)!
June 14th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Even the Tiny Tap is a pinnacle of Tampa nightlife when the illustrious Rachel* is there. So yeah, those places might seem a little more dim when she’s not around.
I’m in the middle of deciding where to move, and I’m at a total loss. It seems everywhere I mention results in an equal number of “it’s great” and “it sucks” responses.
June 15th, 2006 at 11:28 am
While don’t buy into Anonymous’ gloomy assessment of downtown Tampa’s future, I do agree with one point he alludes to - we need more diversity in downtown residents. How about some decent apartments for the 20-somethings? Or condos for less than $200K ($300K + is not “attainable” for the vast majority of Tampans)?
I’m nearing 40, make a decent living, and reside in the burgeoning Channel District. However, I don’t want all my neighbors to be in my same demographic. Yawn.
I understand that as long as buyers are willing to shell out big bucks to live in the latest shiny $$$ tower, developers will stay the course. It’s just a shame that more incentives aren’t in place to allow for more affordable housing in DT.
June 15th, 2006 at 11:52 am
sam: cheap condos are what was proposed to redevelop the large public housing tract downtown, central village. but yr cty leaders let that go down the tubes. the main reason downtown sat dead for so long was because the landowners wanted outrageous prices for their deteriorating properties. they finally got them and thats why todays developers are putting up nothing but expensive condos. you can thank yr city leaders once again for not penalizing those slum lords over the years with higher taxes whle their downtown buildings sat empty waiting to make a killing.
200k condos downtown are not likely. land prices are too high. you have to go to carrollwood etc for that.
anyway, what downtown needs is pvt investment in a large retail/enertainment hub like w palm beach did a few years back. there has to be a reason for hordes to flock down there, and condos are not a reason.
channelside, unfortunately, was designed by idiots and will never be more than a minor bar magnet like it is now, attracting the slightly richer white kids who formerly slummed it up in ybor on weekends.
June 29th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
to anonymous..first of all, central park village was just approved by the county commission. The city council wanted this done a long time ago but the commission was in their way but now it’s going to happen. Your right in saying that it takes more than condos to make a downtown more attractive after dark, but it’s a catch 22 for the most part. You need shops and restaraunts and activities to bring people down but those won’t come until there are people down there. I for one am excited about where downtown is going. They just opened a sports bar and grill on Franklin st that just opened and malios steakhouse is coming downtown as well. Believe me, they wouldn’t come down if they weren’t optimistic about the future. And what you say about channelside is all wrong. it’s not all richey people who used to go to Ybor, it’s people over 21 who want to gather together in a place that teens won’t be there. I’m not sure how old you are but if you are over 21 you should understand that. And it’s not just bars..there really isn’t a strickly bar down there. You have the Imax and movies, splitsville, around four or five nice places to eat, the famous and fun Howl at the moon, a night club or two then you have more and more shops opening and a N.Y. Pizza place opeing in a few weeks. There is something for everyone there and it’s in a way considered downtown. So when you say there is nothing around there, why don’t you first go down and have fun like everyone is having. Oh and by the way, Trump wouldn’t have gone to Tampa if he didn’t believe in it and you know about him. It’s people who think like you do is one of the many reasons downtown isn’t what it should be but in five years watch out. Also to the guy who said he wants a diversity in downtown and channleside, well it’s coming. With projects alot of people don’t know about, it’s coming and going to make channleside and downtown the place to be.
February 8th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
i lived in tampa many years ago and i am desprately tring to move back i LOVE TAMPA compared to where i live its a utopia,i love it,i miss it i,will be home soon! i would live in a homeless shelter if i could just get back home
thanx
August 21st, 2007 at 1:42 am
Downtown is gettin there. I’ve seen a lot of smaller condo complexes that will be more reasonably priced. Downtown St. Pete is better though I will say (for now that is).