Everything said about Tampa, its opposite can be applied to St. Petersburg. Beauty lies but a short distance across the bay. There is no doubt that St. Pete is the most beautiful and livable city in our beautiful state. SSSHHH! Don't tell anyone. Keep letting your readership think that there is hope in Tampa — better for us over here on the right side of the bay.
Michael Alexander
St. Petersburg
JUST BREATHE
The discussion last night [Political Party, June 12] didn't hinge on the fact that St. Pete's downtown has more life than Tampa's — everyone knew the stark difference between the two beforehand.
But why so down on Downtown Tampa?
Walking through the area after the discussion was lonesome, of course. But it wouldn't take much to breathe life into its empty sidewalks and streets.
Tampa isn't lame, it's just a self-image problem. The city has its own culture and energy and should start embracing it instead of aping the streetscapes of other cities. What makes St. Pete's downtown so great is that it harnesses the energy of its people, which is what really makes a place unique, not bars and restaurants.
Hopefully, Riverwalk will emphasize this city's pre-existing vibe instead of quashing it. But that might be like hoping the trolley will one day be a viable source of transportation instead of the tourist shuffler it is now.
Matthew Pleasant
Tampa
CRITICAL MESS
I didn't go [Political Party, June 12], but I don't need a panel to confirm that St. Pete is livelier than Tampa. Downtown St. Pete even has more bums than downtown Tampa.
What Tampa needs, no one can provide. It had a downtown once about 50 years ago. It's going to take another decade before there is critical mass again down there. All the faux "Riverwalks" in the world won't make it happen until a vast assortment of retail, restaurant and entertainment investors decide to move in and that won't be happening for many years.
Other Florida downtowns have built condos and no one came, i.e. Ft. Myers, which is just as dead as ever despite many new condo towers. But then it seems like no one in Tampa ever studies other Florida cities. Tampa is by far the lamest of the large ones. Orlando should be Tampa's model, not St. freaking Pete.
Which big Florida city has less of a downtown than Tampa? Not Orlando. Not West Palm Beach. Not Ft. Lauderdale. Not Miami. Not even Jacksonville.
They are all light years ahead of Tampa in creating an urban vibe. Even Sarasota is far more alive than Tampa.
Tampa is the last frontier for the condo builders, but with the market now tanking, it could be too late to spark some energy. Without stores, restaurants, bars, movies, clubs, downtown Tampa will simply not coalesce into a people magnet.
It has an infrastructure of sorts on Franklin Street, although the builders are busy tearing down whatever atmosphere was left from when Tampa had a real downtown. I'm not saying Tampa won't get its shit together. I'm just saying it will take at least 10 years, and meanwhile, there are just too many other cool places to live for those who bring something to the table besides a BMW.
Pete
Via Blurbex.com
THREE-POINT PLAN
Thanks for the article (Cover Story, "Worlds Apart," by Wayne Garcia, June 7-13). I'm from point three in the Tampa Bay triangle: Clearwater. We all have something to learn from each other about good and bad development, about transitioning away from the unwanted and the obsolescent into the fresh, appealing and "affordable" while retaining valued historical elements, paying attention to matters of scale and reshaping the identity and function of our urban centers. All THAT must be achieved in a way that will provide the current and future residents with: a stronger (not weaker) sense of community; an improved lifestyle that matches (not strips away) our ability to support it; and works with the natural environment in terms of the topography, climate/weather, ecological impact ... current and future (not against it). No small thing.
Such an effort should not be left solely to developers, local governments, architects and traditional "market forces." Clearly, it is unwise to ignore the economic underpinnings of these growth opportunities, but it is imperative for the citizens to be informed and aware of the implications of these coming changes and to have a larger view about how all projects will work together for the greater good of each city. Citizen input must help guide all these forces to find the right balance between benefits and costs, and I mean that in all aspects of community life not just the economic ones. You have helped to encourage and further the public dialogue. This can only be a healthy thing. Let's hope that even more "interested parties" will show up at your next public forum as follow-up to this article and the others you will be printing.
