central avenue after dark
permalink | categories: 366, entertainment, one bay one love, st pete, things to doby jason @ 8:18 am
So after my recent post about the fun to be had downtown in St Pete (as opposed to downtown Tampa which is about as fun on a Saturday as a root canal) I promised that I would also post about the nighttime scene there. Autopsy kindly offered to be my guide since he lives nearby so I grabbed a friend and headed to 727 last Saturday night.
Now I have partied in St Pete before but I never really spent much time downtown. The bars close at 2am after all so really I figured what was the point? Autopsy set out to prove me wrong.
I parked near Central for free. There is a lot of free on street parking downtown but beware, some blocks require a residential parking permit and some parking lots are private proerty and you are taking a risk if you park there. Just pay attention to the posted signs and you’ll be fine. First we all loaded up in the Autopsy-mobile with Mrs Autopsy, us and the Mildred the pit bull. We took a short ride up to Steve’s Bar.
Steve’s is a drinker’s sports bar located on Central between 9th and 10th streets. Pool, jukebox, several flat paneled televisions and a long comfy bar to sidle up to. Mildred the pit bull is at home here and everyone was friendly. The music is low enough to allow conversation and the drinks are priced right too. Actually I could have happily spent the whole night here but we were on a mission. We left the girls at Steve’s and headed east towards the water.
Next on the list was Durty Nelly’s. I liked the feel of this place, like a dark and alcoholic living room. It was too crowded when I was there and we left quickly to check out who was playing at the Emerald. A loud rock band was just what I wanted to hear and the Emerald never fails me. I never get how they manage to squeeze a band in at the end of the bar but it works. It is a bit odd to have to walk between the band and the patrons to get to the bathroom in the back but nobody minds. When they have no bands I am told the old jukebox still works, although I have never been to this place when there wasn’t a band coming on, about to come on, or just breaking down.
After a few more drinks we headed back to the street and walked down to The Lobby to hear some jazz. The Lobby is a rambling affair with several rooms and different themes going on. There is the club area with music and a very cool atmosphere. The patio with its resident jazz band and nice conversation in the chilly weather and a side bar with big tables and air conditioning cold enough to hang meat. I got a little attitude for actually hanging out at the bar here from the otherwise pleasant bartender though which was a little odd.
We hit the road now that it was after 1am and wanted to try one more place. Corrigan’s is not on Central, it is just a block south though on Beach Drive. The good news is that it is smoke free (ok for some that is bad news) but it is a good place to end the night. After last call we walked down by the water to enjoy the pleasant night and the absence of sirens, loud music, and that tense feeling of impending violence that you get some nights in Ybor. If Ybor is Bourbon street then St Pete is Decatur, if you get the reference.
The next time your Saint Pete friends say they don’t want to drive over to Tampa ask if they’d rather stay local. It really isn’t as far as you think and is a safer and cheaper alternative to your regular Ybor/North Tampa/T&C/Brandon hangout. Also I am sure that missed a ton of great places so St Pete residents why don’t you leave some comments with your favorite bar or night spot on your side of the bay.
Tags: nightlife, st pete
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November 18th, 2007 at 9:49 am
Great Post, I love downtown St. Pete. Although downtown Tampa is very scarce as far as nightlife, I had an awesome time last night hanging at Fly Bar, then seeing Deborah Harry in concert at Tampa Theater, and having a couple of stiff drinks at the Hub last night.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:21 am
I grew up in Tampa and live in SoHo but frequent downtown St. Pete often to hang/and or cover shows at Jannus Landing. No trip to the Berg is complete without at least a drink or two at Mastry’s. The place has a great jukebox, serves cheap, strong cocktails and if you’re really strapped for cash, there’s cans of PBR for something like a $1.50. Also, if you feel like listening to a Jannus show for free you can always plop down on Mastry’s back patio.
As for downtown St. Pete being “safer” I’m not sure about that. Especially when you factor in the possibility of a DUI. If St. Pete wants to lure more Tampanians across the Bay they should set up a shuttle that goes back and forth on the weekends from South Tampa. Cab fare across the Howard Frankland is too pricey for most — and who really wants to be a designated driver? Not too many people I know.
November 18th, 2007 at 11:27 am
“If St. Pete wants to lure more Tampanians across the Bay they should set up a shuttle that goes back and forth on the weekends from South Tampa.”
Or even dowtown…it’s a great idea if the local “make the bay area appealing” govt group would be willing to get it together.
November 18th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Enough of this St. Pete is so much better than Tampa crap! If I want to read about St. Pete I’ll go to a St. Pete blog. SOF is supposed to be for/about Tampa. BTW Jason your root canal crack is juvenile.
November 18th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Anonymous: While I too am sick of St. Pete-is-better-than-Tampa stuff, I am also sick of each town trying to one up the other. Why was the Dome built in St. Pete? They wanted to make sure Tampa didn’t get a pro baseball team instead of St. Pete. Then there is the constant bickering and BS in politics.
Feels like the Hattfield’s vs. the McCoy’s again.
That being said, I’m also sick of the lack of unity in the region - period. It’s what’s keeping us back. We feel threatened by each others existence. Sticks of Fire is supposed to be about Tampa but I think it’s much better representing the entire Tampa Bay metro area than just one city as to another.
November 18th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
between the downtown bars, the open space along the water front and the numerous pirates I don’t see how you can even consider Tampa in the same class as St Pete.
Sure if I want to catch a Bucs game or pay some chick from Michigan to take her clothes off Tampa is the shiznit but face it St Pete is the bees knees.
November 19th, 2007 at 8:14 am
Good review, but you only scratched the surface. Much, much more in DT ST. Pete from the Pelican Pub, Tamaiami’s and Bishop’s in the Jannus Landing block to Fresco’s at the base of the Pier to Cafe Alma and still plenty more.
Plenty of reasons to keep coming back.
November 19th, 2007 at 8:23 am
there is more to life than drinking
November 19th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Steven is correct - there are also chicks from Michigan taking their clothes off.
November 19th, 2007 at 9:16 am
I just read this interesting tidbit this morning…
http://www.tampasdowntown.com/Editor/assets/monday%20morning%20memo%20documents/micheal%20kilgore%20statement.pdf
I think it’s great to have St. Pete and Tampa nearby each other, for they both have lots to offer..
November 19th, 2007 at 11:16 am
St. Pete > Tampa
simply because I live there…well, me and Mildred.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:49 am
a nightlife shittle betw st pete and tampa is a fantastic idea. of course, so is a nightlife shittle along parking-challenged so howard ave in tampa and that one aint happening.
if you are going to get drunk in st pete and drive home to tampa, well, you pays your money and you take your chances. the cops like to call it “the $7,000 cocktail,” which is what the typical dui ends up costing. so that adds up to a lof of $1.50 pbrs at mastry’s.
im just saying. it’s not like i take my own caution advice…..
November 19th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
You shoulda come to the Garage that night, too. There was a really great art show where the artists actually created for the audience, too.
The Lobby’s Saturday night resident DJ took the night off to MC a fashion show, too, so you didn’t really get the true Lobby experience, either.
Come back again!
November 19th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
this is my baby and you all need to stop being soooo mean. he’s basically just expalining what he did on the weekend. like he usually does !! geesh.
November 19th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I heard there was an art show at the Globe too. And Chuck Prophet played the State. But I did the Pirate Fest, dinner at India Grill, then Dunedin Brewery for music.
The list of Jannus Landing establishments is short one–the Independent.
And for something completely different, check out the Blueberry Patch in Gulfport (on the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 22nd of the month).