With the new year comes new initiatives for the Creative Loafing staff. For 2010, we're kicking off something called "The Neighborhood Project," in which we CLers dig deep into one Bay area 'hood, seeking the character of the place and the people who call it home. If that sounds to you a bit like our old Urban Explorer issues, please consider this an evolution of an old idea that was starting to show its age.
To kick off the Neighborhood Project, we are focusing on our new home: Ybor City. Denizens of Ybor can expect to see the CL staff, notebooks and cameras in hand, trying to get under the skin of Tampa Bay's most misunderstood neighborhood — and we'd like your help. If you live in Ybor (or just call it your home away from home), perhaps you can answer some of the following:
- What's your favorite corner of Ybor? When's the best time to be there?
- What's the most interesting Ybor story that no one's ever told? What do you want to find out about Ybor that no one's ever explained?
- Who are Ybor's biggest characters?
- What is it like to live in Ybor City year-round?
- Do you live over the bars and restaurants on 7th Avenue? Know someone who does? Please contact us!
Feel free to comment on this blog post, or send an e-mail to David Warner (david.warner@creativeloafing.com) or Joe Bardi (joe.bardi@creativeloafing.com) with your ideas and information. And keep checking back on The Daily Loaf for updates on the Neighborhood Project as we progress to our March launch date.
(Photo credit: Ebyabe)
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2010.