spell ybor’s 7th avenue with a 7

This post is brought to you by the letter P.

Of all the things Tampa residents have to moan about, worrying about how to spell 7th Avenue has to be one of the most ridiculous wastes of time and effort.

7th Ave
Originally uploaded by princessangel

Back in the 90’s, Ybor City historian Frank Lastra recommended using “La Setima” as a second name for 7th Av., since that is how immigrants in the late 1800s pronounced the street’s name.

But “La Setima” is how it was pronounced, not spelled.  “La Septima” is the more widely recognized spelling for “Seventh.”  So,

Some community leaders and old-timers want to change the signs to “La Septima,” which they argue is the proper spelling.

… The [Community Redevelopment] Agency will decide Thursday whether to leave the avenue’s signs as they are or remove the Spanish wording altogether, which would cost the city $1,300 to $3,000.

Ok… we should have spelled it properly, and just pronounce it without the “p.”  But there’s no sense in spending $3K to change it now.  Using the number “7″ in the signs covers all languages for now, and we can deal with it when the signs need to be replaced.

And remember, if tourists ask you why the second name is spelled wrong, just put your game face on, and tell them it’s a colloquialism.