BEST REASON TO MOVE TO DOWNTOWN ST. PETE
Downtown St. Pete
It´s a phenomenal turn of events if you´ve been around here for a while. Downtown St. Pete used to be as moribund as downtown Tampa. But now there´s a pulse, you can walk around. My wife (Tampa Bay Technology Forum Executive Director Michelle Bauer) and I just bought a place down there. I hope Tampa can do something similar. To be able to work, live and play in the same area, where you´re walking to go shopping, to the movies, to the park — that´s a beautiful thing.
BEST EXAMPLE OF BAD URBAN PLANNING
U.S. 19
It´s absolutely indicative of everything we shouldn´t have done in terms of land use, urban planning, all that stuff. It´s just painful to drive up and down there and look at that. It´s just ugly. It´s strip-mall hell. The traffic is probably among the worst in Tampa Bay. The road rage, you could almost call it ¨U.S. 19 rage,¨ it´s its own special type.
BEST (QUASI-)FAST FOOD
Thai Trout Wrap from Evo´s
I know, you´re thinking, ¨who would eat the trout at Evo´s?¨ But it´s good. I like Evo´s. Nice design, nice concept, something between fast food and a takeaway sort of thing.
Locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, www.evos.com.
BEST STEAK DINNER
Bern´s Steak House
They give you the whole dining experience, and something that´s unique to Tampa. Flemming´s and Ruth´s Cris are great, but they´re chains, and we should celebrate the things that make our community unique, that say, ¨we´re not trying to copy someone else, we´re not trying to bring someone else´s great idea in and implement it in the same way.¨ I love some chain restaurants, but you know what? You walk into an Outback or a Chili´s anywhere, and it´s the same thing. It may be good quality, but it´s still the same thing. There´s only one Bern´s.
Bern´s, 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-251-3214.
BEST TAMPA TREASURE
Tampa Theatre
I know everybody loves the Tampa Theatre, but I don´t know how many people realize how long it´s been one of the lone beacons, one of the few reasons for people to come to downtown Tampa after 7 p.m. And it´s got this great combination of history and new culture, new art, new attractions. People should really appreciate it for being one of the few things keeping downtown Tampa alive after dark for so long.
Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-274-8981, www.tampatheatre.org.
BEST USED BOOKSTORE
Wilson´s Book World
It´s on Ninth Street in St. Petersburg. It´s got a huge selection of used books and comics, and the owner, Jeff Morris, will talk to you about anything from politics to history, religion, pop culture. It´s the great, definitive, old-school retail experience. I also buy my comic books there.
Wilson´s Book World, 2394 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Petersburg, 727-896-3700.
BEST MAINSTREAM RETAIL STORE
The Apple Store
I´m not even an Apple guy, but it´s possibly the best reason to consider switching from PC to Mac. Great interior design, clean and elegant, with a knowledgeable staff. You can check out the buzz of what´s coming. I love the iPod, too.
The Apple Store, International Mall, 2223 West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 813-354-3868.
BEST FACET OF THE BAY´S OVERALL CHARACTER
Accessibility
It´s permeable. People can come here from different places, they can get connected and make a difference in a relatively short period of time. There´s much less of an establishment that makes it difficult for outsiders and people with new ideas to get involved. Because most of us are from somewhere else, we´re willing to come here, reinvent ourselves. And it feels like there are unlimited possibilities here. It´s new, it´s growing, and it´s exciting.
BEST FACET OF THE BAY´S OVERALL CHARACTER IT COULD DO WITHOUT
The ¨Bridge Mentality¨
Our bridges act more like barriers than connectors. St. Pete, Clearwater, Tampa and beyond have to start thinking of themselves as one place. It´s hard, but you know, we´ve got to challenge each other to cross the bridge to work, to play, just to see a show. Let´s explore a little bit. Let´s not stay in our own little enclaves.
BEST BIG QUESTION
What´s Next for Tampa Bay?
Everyone´s talking about the shift from the industrial economy to the knowledge-based economy. When is it going to happen? Who knows? It really comes down to creating an appealing climate, as well as a business climate, here. And that means everything from a great music scene, restaurants, dog parks, waterfronts, a tolerant community where people are free to be themselves and are accepted for it. We´re changing it. Now we´re talking about, ¨what are we gonna do to recruit the best and brightest, and more importantly, keep the best and brightest from leaving?¨ USF is what, the 13th largest university in the country? We need to keep people here, give ´em enough reason and opportunity to use their talents here. Up north, they´re all talking about Brain Drain. The young people are leaving the Northeast to come south or head west. We don´t have that problem. We´re attracting people. Our challenge is, what are we going to do with that growth? How do we take advantage of that?
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2004.