We asked a wide spectrum of area denizens to answer two questions:
1. What should RNC attendees know about Tampa Bay before they get here?
2. What should these visitors try not to miss once they arrive?
The answers were by turns enthusiastic, sarcastic and brutally candid. Read edited selections below, and the complete versions at cltampa.com/RNC. We know most of you will be running from panels to luncheons to state cocktail parties, or desperately seeking Wi-Fi while scrambling for scoops, or zipping around town from tent encampment to public park to free speech zone. But you could do worse than take a moment and listen to the locals.
Steve Jerve
Chief Meteorologist, WFLA-Ch. 8 Storm Team
1. “The one thing they should know is: Always keep an umbrella handy.”
2. “Try not to miss: Standing in the warm gulf waters in our tropical atmosphere while watching a sunset, with your cool drink of choice. Priceless.”
Bruce Holland
Innkeeper, Tampa’s only hostel, Gram’s Place
1.” Cabs will be challenged, traffic will be crazy, so prepare to be PATIENT.”
2. “Of course, don’t miss Gram’s Place. But seriously, I would say try and visit Fort De Soto and Weedon Island Nature Preserve.”
Dr. Steven Tauber
Associate Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Government & International Affairs at USF-Tampa
1. “The RNC should be aware that in addition to the protestors who will be coming from out of town, Tampa has vibrant local protest movements. Delegates should be prepared for well-organized and substantive protests concerning labor issues, civil rights, women’s rights, and criminal justice concerns.”
2. “The visitors should get off the beaten path, and try to experience Tampa’s unique culture. So, instead of going to the Columbia, they should go to La Teresita, the West Tampa Sandwich Shop, or La Segunda Bakery.”
Rob Lorei
News and Public Affairs Director, WMNF-88.5 FM; Host, WEDU-Ch. 3’s Florida Week
“Things they should not miss, in numerical order:
“1. The site of Donald Trump’s failed condo project at the NW corner of Brorein and Ashley just a block from the Tampa Convention Center. In 2005 Republican icon Trump promised to build ‘Trump Tower Tampa’ — the tallest and most luxurious condo project on Florida’s west coast. Trump failed to build it and all his promises were just so much hot air.
“2. The sidewalk on Bayshore Boulevard. The project began in 1935 under President Roosevelt’s stimulus program, the WPA. The project, which included building a seawall, the world’s longest continuous sidewalk and beautiful Bayshore Boulevard, enabled Tampa’s wealthy to build mansions along what was formerly a swampy coastline. As a result of this ‘socialist’ spending program, each home you see along Bayshore is valued at a million dollars or more. Those homes would never have been built without the WPA project. (Tampa’s other WPA projects include MacDill AFB, the Peter O. Knight Airport, Cuscaden Park and the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory.)
“3. The social clubs in Ybor City, including the Circulo Cubano, the Italian Club and Centro Asturiano. The immigrants (we don’t know if they came here legally) who established Tampa’s Ybor City were not welcome in the ‘white’ neighborhoods of Tampa. These immigrants who were Italian, Spanish, Cuban, Jewish and German included socialists and anarchists. They established their own social clubs, pooling their resources to provide entertainment, health care and a sense of community in what could be a very hostile region. (see #4)
“4. The site of the lynching of two Italians at the corner of what is now Kennedy Blvd. and Howard Avenue in Tampa in 1910. During a cigar workers’ strike a bookkeeper at the Bustello factory was shot. In retaliation (and with no proof they were involved), two Italian anarchists were arrested by the sheriff. Castange Ficcarrotta and Angelo Albano were found hanged from a tree near this site in what the New York Times described as a ‘necktie party.’
“5. Ybor City, where workers in the late 1930s raised money for ambulances and supplies for the Republican cause in Spain. This group of Spanish Republicans was fighting against the forces of Francisco Franco, who would eventually overthrow the democratic government of Spain and replace it with a dictatorship. Franco won with the help of air power from Adolph Hitler. The Ybor workers took sides in a war that was a dress rehearsal for WWII. For their anti-Franco activities some were later branded by the U.S. government as ‘premature anti-fascists’ — in other words, they decided too quickly in the 1930s to oppose dictatorships in Europe. Had the rest of the country been as prescient as the Ybor cigar workers, the U.S. might have confronted Franco (and his friend Hitler) and Hitler might not have been emboldened to begin WWII.”
Judy Lisi
President and CEO, Straz Center for the Performing Arts
“A trip to Ybor City is a must-do! The rich and culturally diverse flavor of Ybor gives a unique sense of the history of Tampa. Walking the streets, eating in the wonderful restaurants and shopping in the distinct stores is just a great way to spend an afternoon or an evening.”
Mary Lou Janson
Author, Tampa Bay’s Insider’s Guide
“I’d suggest those traveling here for RNC make sure they visit Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue (bigcatrescue.org), the world’s largest accredited sanctuary for abused or abandoned big cats. The 45-acre habitat is where these magnificent creatures can live out their lives well-fed, well-cared-for and well-attended. Sort of like the lifestyle of the richest 1 percent I keep hearing about.”
Carmen Valentina
Porn star appearing at Penthouse during the RNC
1. “Check out Busch Gardens if you want to get an adrenaline rush before the convention. I recommend the Cheetah Hunt ride.”
2. “If you want a taste of local fare, beg, borrow or steal a ride to Skyline Chili in Palm Harbor and Taco Bus in Tampa. Upscale dining more your taste? Well, you can forget about your beef with Obamacare and enjoy the best steak dinner in Tampa at the Penthouse Club. The best food and the hottest girls around will have you feeling happier than a Republican majority Senate.”
Manny Leto
Director of Marketing, Tampa Bay History Center (Fox News headquarters during RNC)
Listen: It's August. You're going to have to take two showers. You'll be sweating through your wool suit and wingtips by 9:30 a.m. By 11, you'll want to take off your tie and roll up the sleeves of your undershirt like the Fonz on Happy Days. After lunch, you should just take a nap. Wherever you are at that moment, just lie down and go to sleep. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., try to move around as little as possible. Find a bar. The Hub. Bradley's on 7th. Whatever you're into. We're not here to judge. Just stay inside. Don't go "exploring." You need to plan for that second shower. 6 p.m. maybe. Before the T.V. cameras start up again. You should also know it's not going to "cool down" at night. Plan for 9 p.m. and 90 degrees. You will want to seriously consider the possibility of attending the rest of the convention in your swim trunks and floaties. Think about it. Also, before you go to bed, maybe a third shower.
Gabe Echazabal
Local music aficionado & scenester/ CL contributor
1. “I would say letting them know that our public transit leaves a lot to be desired…”
2. “The local flair and artistry that the area has produced despite the economy and the difficulty involved in having small, independently-owned businesses flourish. The fun, welcoming environment of The Bricks, the world-class cuisine of The Refinery and the fantastic beer selection of The Mermaid Tavern is not to be missed.”
Christen Petitt Hailey
Actor, playwright and writer
1. “Downtown Tampa is haunted, Tampa Theatre has a dungeon, there’s Prohibition-era tunnels under Ybor which are still in use, sometimes rich people masquerade as homeless panhandlers, if you hire a prostitute, make sure it’s the gender you’re actually looking for before you hand over the cash, and don’t ever leave your drink unattended.”
2. “Go to The Hub and order a Pink Panty Pull Down with a straight face. Sneak a bottle of vodka into the Mons Venus. Take a romantic walk along Bayshore about midnight, enjoy the view into the houses of all the rich folk that don’t close their blinds, and then go have a hot makeout session in the creepy park next to the Tampa Garden Club. Do two shots and a hookah at Zoya Bar and then walk all the way down Seventh Ave. to the end and see what happens.”
Ray Roa
Staff Writer, Suburban Apologist; CL contributor
1. “Talk to some people, and do something off your normal beaten path — Tampa is great for that if you want it to be.”
2. “Try New World Brewery’s BBQ, Laughing Cat’s Buffet, Bernini’s happy hour, eat some Cuban food… Talk to some locals and wander. Get lost… Also, go to The Hub.”
Brian Schaefer
Proprietor, The Bricks & Skatepark of Tampa
1. “Never miss the opportunity to visit Ybor City [during] lunch or early evenings, or Thursday-Saturday after 11 p.m.”
2. “There aren’t enough taxis in Tampa at times like this, taxis are dirty, 9 out of 10 cab drivers are lame, all cabs take credit cards and will most likely tell you otherwise and demand cash.… Incorporate the heat and don’t cry about it.… It’s never too late to conform to being a Democrat.”
Jonathan Marcantoni
Author and Editor in Chief, Aignos Publishing
“If RNC visitors want a conservative-friendly history lesson, they can visit the Ybor City Museum, which praises cigar factory owners and denounces their ungrateful, strike-happy workforce whose irresponsible unionization forced the traumatized owners to move the cigar business to Miami. A true tear-jerker of our times. Also, don’t refer to St. Pete as being a part of Tampa, they hate that. And finally, always remember that Evan Longoria is The Man, and when you talk about him, his team is the Tampa Bay Rays, not the Devil Rays.”
Tom Tito
Bartlett Park (St. Petersburg) resident, writer at Bartlettpark.net, community activist
1. “Tampa Bay is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live here or grow a business here. We are good at hosting conventions and tourism but not so good at basics like public safety, transportation, public water supply, air quality and education. Forbes has ranked us on the bottom of places to do business, in a large part because we have a poor transportation system… Instead of investing in transit, we are investing in more gridlock. We set records for bus ridership, but government cuts bus routes and puts all transportation money in road expansion.”
2. “The protests.”
Kieran Walsh
President, Tampa Two Stroke Vintage Scooter Club
“I’d take them to The Castle to have a choice meeting with our very own Senator. See how Ybor’s very own goth SM figurehead handles crime and punishment!”
Kyle Habershon
Limo driver
“The beach. Anywhere from Honeymoon Island to Longboat Key. Maybe after seeing the beauty, they will think twice about doing something destructive in the Gulf. Also, Munch’s (diner in St. Petersburg). Those are some good eats with a quickly fading feel of old Florida. Chocolate chip pancakes!”
Eve Banks
Dancer at Mons Venus
1. “Tampa is fully stocked with a variety of beautiful women. For that reason, they should come fully equipped with lots and lots of disposable cash. And also wear cologne that implies they have a lot of cash to dispose of.”
2. “Me, of course!”
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.