With all the new attractions for gays and lesbians in Ybor City, plus old favorites in Hillsborough and Pinellas, you kinda need a handbook to tell them all apart. So here you go — with comments from CL barflies both gay and straight and other educated guests.
GAYBOR
G. Bar. Big stylish space with high ceilings, brick walls, ample dance floor, DJs, VJs and go-go dancers of both genders. A popular destination for women on Fridays, men on Saturdays and everybody on "Fusion Thursdays." One CL staffer swears by the Red Death ("Half Kamikaze and half Alabama Slammer … nectar of the gods"). 1401 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, gbartampabay.com.
Lounge 7@14/ The Forge. The Lounge offers a low-key, loungier alternative to the bigger, louder clubs — though when drag royalty Melanie Minyon holds the floor, there's no telling what might happen. (A CL crew recently enjoyed watching one of our determinedly straight staffers getting swept up into Minyon's orbit during one of her shows.) The adjacent Forge is a small leather/Levi bar: "Use the new back alley entrance through the private patio," says the website. 1395/ 1327 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, lounge714.com.
Spurs. Yes, you'll find Kenny Chesney/ Trisha Yearwood wannabes here, cowboy hats and all. But the DJs don't limit the line dancing to Kenny and Trisha; you can move to hip-hop, R&B and reggae here, too, and learn the steps to go with all of it. An added bonus, according to one recent CL visitor: "Shirtless hottie bartenders." 1701 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City, spurscountrybar.com.
Steam Fridays/ Flirt Saturdays at The Honey Pot. A huge new dance spot that's lining up the crowds (boys on Friday, girls on Saturdays) and fans like this aficionado from the CL staff: "Steam is my choice for Gay Friday nights (comparable to G. Bar on Saturday nights). Good music, spacious and, well, lots of eye candy!" 1507 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City.
Streetcar Charlie's. A gay-centric (but not gay-exclusive) restaurant that manages to combine white-tablecloth service and good food with a neighborhood-hangout vibe. Plus, the windows offer a great view of the passing (and/or cruising) throngs. 1811 N. 15th St., Ybor City, myspace.com/streetcarcharlies.
Also of note in Gaybor:
MC Film (1901 N. 15th St., mcfilmfest.com), a packed-to-the-rafters gift emporium and the unofficial GaYbor headquarters, thanks to coalition founders Mark Bias and Carrie West; Burn Sundays at The Castle (2004 N. 16th St., myspace.com/thecastlesundays), gay night at a club that has always welcomed polymorphous perversity; Engine Sundays at Club Skye (1509 E. 8th Ave., myspace.com/tampaengine), a gay night at an otherwise straight club.
TAMPA (beyond GaYbor)
Azalea Lounge. The exterior of Azalea is kind of drab, but inside you'll find a surprisingly handsome bar with a mixed gay/straight crowd who, like one CL staffer, appreciate the "long stone bar, wooden tables, comfy, closed-in patio and attentive, friendly barkeep." Plus, there's karaoke — and the Azalea crew wins big points for arriving at last year's Loafies to pick up their "Best gay karaoke" award in a big red fire truck, complete with firefighters. 1502 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-228-0139.
KiKiKi III. A classic dive bar indistinguishable from its straight counterparts except for the clientele, which includes "its share of regulars looking for generous friends," as tampa.gaycities.com so delicately puts it. The bar serves beer and wine only, with Natty Lite on tap for a buck. It's all overseen by gregarious bartender Steve, who's such a staple (19 years) that the regulars know his cellphone number. 1908 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.
Baxter's Lounge. With its mirrors, leather banquettes and small black-and-white checkered dancefloor, Baxter's has a slightly worn '80s vibe that reflects its venerable status (22 years in Tampa, 11 of them in this strip-mall location). The bartenders are friendly, the video screens are huge (as are some of the endowments on the video screens) and on one recent weekday afternoon the clientele tended toward hefty guys in baseball caps and polo shirts. 1519 S. Dale Mabry, Tampa.
City Side. The bar of choice for South Tampa's A-gays, City Side has style, from the huge designer bouquets to the giant karaoke screen (Scissor Sisters!) to the irrepressible bartender Mic, a highly convincing flirt. 3703 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, clubcityside.com.
Keith's Bar. A North Tampa staple since 1988, Keith's Bar won praise from one CL staffer, who — while admitting "I can't honestly say that Keith's has ever been a HOT spot (unless the A/C was down)" — still praises its friendly staff and a crowd that has "a way of giving an ego boost to even the lowest of self-esteems." 14905 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, keithsbar.com.
2606. A bit scary in look and reputation (this is the leather/Levi bar where Steven Lorenzo and Scott Schweickert, convicted last year of conspiring to commit drug-facilitated crimes of violence, allegedly picked up one of their ill-fated tricks), 2606 is less intimidating inside. There's a leather shop on the second floor, and dark niches here and there, but the overall vibe is comfortable and welcoming (including lots of bargain drink nights) no matter what you're wearing. 2606 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, 2606.com.
Valentine's Nightclub & Showbar. Valentine's is known for its five-nights-a-week drag shows, but the club is especially popular for its Latino night. "Always an experience on Saturday nights," says one CL stalwart, "if you enjoy a good mix of straight/gay with a splash of chips 'n' salsa." 7522 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, valentinesnightclub.com.
Also of note in Tampa (beyond GaYbor):
Boxxxers (1801 N. Tampa Road, myspace.com/boxxxers), which bills itself as "The Bar with Balls" and a "gay mega-center," male strippers included; Metro Station (900 N. Dale Mabry, metrostationtampa.com), which promises "all gay, all the time" and various dance, video and bargain drink nights plus "Tampa's hottest dancers"; Rainbow Room (421 S. MacDill Ave., myspace.com/rainbow_room), a "local lesbian bar that's welcoming to the boys, too," according to tampa.gaycities.com.
PINELLAS
Chiq Bar. "HOT HOT HOT," reports one fan of this establishment, which bills itself as "Florida's Premier Lesbian Nightclub" with an impressive mix of amenities to back up the boast, including an outside patio "with fire pit." Local women's music favorites Halcyon perform after Pride on June 28. 4900 66th St. N., St. Petersburg, chiqbar.com.
Christopher Street Bar. Strippers, karaoke, strippers, game nights, strippers, dancing and … strippers — in a club whose name evokes an historic location in Greenwich Village. 13344 66th St. N., Largo, christopherstreetbar.com.
Detour. Located in the former home of the venerable St. Pete bar Grand Central Station, Detour occupies a prime spot next to St. Pete's bungalow-rific Kenwood gayborhood. Facing directly onto the St. Pete Pride parade route, the bar's amenities (two bars, a garden patio and free Wi-Fi among them) ought to pick up some new fans with events on Friday and Saturday. 2612 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, detouroncentral.com.
Georgie's Alibi. The center of Tampa Bay's gay universe may have shifted to Ybor, but Georgie's (2007 Loafie for Best Gay Bar) will always be its heart. There are few bars anywhere that manage to juggle so many balls at once so successfully: good food and strong drinks, amiable staff, stellar DJs, live performances and an eclectic clientele with something (or someone) for everybody — gay, straight, male, female, hot, not. The St. Pete Pride Parade kicks off at Georgie's every year, emblematic of its centrality to Tampa Bay's gay community. 3100 Third Ave., N., St. Petersburg, georgiesalibi.com.
Hideaway/ Haymarket Pub. The folks at tampa.gaycities.com call Hideaway "the country's oldest women's bar, … like Cheers for women." The reviews for Haymarket, which shares a parking lot off of Fourth Street N., aren't quite as complimentary. 8302/ 8308 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg.
Oar House. "Back when dinosaurs walked," remembers one CL wag and gay-bar vet, "the Oar House was the spot you hit for last call if you struck out at all the other bars." But more recent visitors had a different take, comparing it to nearby Pepperz: "They're both smoky, fun, local bars" catering to men and women. 4807 22nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-327-1691.
Pepperz. Gulfport neighborhood bar for men and women, with events like Monday's "Get over the blues" night (when everyone gathers to watch The L Word) and a hoedown fundraiser for breast cancer. "Fun music, fun crowd," reported one recent Saturday night scout. 4918 22nd Ave. S., Gulfport, fl.local.yahoo.biz/pepperz.
Pro Shop Pub. The name makes it sound like a clubhouse for a golf course. It's not, of course, but the camaraderie has a clubhouse feel, no doubt fed by the relative paucity of gay establishments in this part of Pinellas. There's a real sense of community here, extending to good works: The club's recent pre-Pride "Hurricane" party raised money for a children's charity. 840 Cleveland St., Clearwater, ProShopPub.us.
Sporters. Billing itself as "St. Pete's only gentleman's bar," Sporters offers said gentlemen a range of attractions, including a Nipple Play Party, American Idol & Bare Chest Nights and meetings of the St. Pete Bears. 187 MLK St. N., sportersbar.com.
Also of note in Pinellas:
Blur Tuesdays and Fridays (325 Main St., Dunedin, myspace.com/blurtuesday), drawing lively crowds to gay/lesbian/drag/whatever nights in the former home of 1470 West; Partners Sports Cafe (2924 Fifth Ave N., St. Petersburg, partnerssportscafe.com), a Kenwood establishment billed as a "FABULOUS sports café and alternative bar," featuring a full menu, dance floor and live performances (Judy B. Goode July 13); TC's Flip Flops (14601 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach), a smoky dive bar with a history — it's in the building that used to house The Backroom — but also "an outside courtyard with potential," according to one visitor.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2008.