If you're looking for an up-from-the-ashes kind of story, look no further than Tampa's Cuban-flavored Ybor City neighborhood. The area (pronounced "EE-bore") once boasted a thriving economy based entirely on cigar production. Slowly that died off, and today all that's left of the industry in Tampa is a few museum exhibits. But Ybor city has hardly dried up and blown away. In fact, it seems the more tobacco falls out of favor, the more popular Ybor City becomes. That's because Ybor City has staked its fortunes on commodities that never go out of style: shopping and nightlife.
Ybor City--actually a neighborhood, not a true city--is rapidly becoming the center of Tampa nightlife. After dark, the bars open up and music spills out of seemingly every doorway on Seventh Avenue. The clientele skews young, but on any given night, you'll find live music of virtually any genre, from indie rock to Latin jazz--so even old folks who've graduated from college can find something to listen to.
By day, the neighborhood is still bustling. Offbeat stores offer unique shopping--no tourist trinkets here. Unique Seventh Avenue shops offer the chance to pick up everything from official Tampa Bay Buccaneers jerseys to gargoyles. (Don't believe us? Click here.) And if you're in the market for a tattoo on your trip to Tampa, this would be the place to get it.
For a glimpse of Ybor City in microcosm, visit the Ybor City Brewing Company at 2205 North Twentieth Street. Now a hotspot on any barhopping itinerary, the watering hole is located in a building that used to be one of the district's many cigar factories. Visit in the afternoon before the place really gets hopping, and you can take a tour of the beer-making facilities. You'll pay a small fee for the privilege, but proceeds go towards neighborhood refurbishment projects.
For a taste of what the present has to offer, visit Centro Ybor, at Seventh Avenue and Nineteenth Street. This shopping and entertainment complex is a great place for dinner and a movie. It's also a great place to fill in the gaps in your wardrobe. Shopping options include national chains like Victoria's Secret, Urban Outfitters, and American Eagle. You can also go more upscale (Versace, Dolce & Gabbana) at Ocean Drive Fashion. For more unique, local flavor, shop for trinkets from around the world--and maybe take in a tango lesson as well--at the International Bazaar. And if you want a souvenir of your trip that will last longer than your tan, be sure to stop in at Ybor Ybor, where you can pick up virtually anything emblazoned with the Ybor City logo.•
