Tampa Say

Snow in Florida?

2008-09-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

Since we are in Florida, we rarely get snow. Well, to satiate my need, I came across a way to create my own snowflakes on the site zefrank.com. Very cool! And a fun way to play! Even better, I don't miss the snow at all anymore!

Fresh-Picked: The New Yorker

2008-09-27T21:04:00.000-04:00

Fresh-Picked: The New Yorker, a slideshow I just came across in "The New Yorker" magazine covering the 2008 Plant City Strawberry Festival Queen and her court. This photos are borderline campy, but the accompanying article is quite insightful. Access it HERE.

Free "Parking" for All!

2008-07-06T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Florida State Parks has announced free entry to all of the parks in the State system on July 13th! I nice way to get outside and enjoy what Florida has to offer.

In Tennessee, Goats Eat the ‘Vine That Ate the South’ - New York Times

2007-06-05T19:36:00.000-04:00

In Tennessee, Goats Eat the ‘Vine That Ate the South’ - New York Times: Yes, it's true--it is time to rejoice! Someone has ingeniously figured out that goats eat kudzu. How many will Florida decide to let loose??

Lowry Park Zoo: Penguins SOON!

2007-04-21T11:13:00.000-04:00

The Lowry Park Zoo African Penguin Exhibit will be opening in the Summer of '07. How exciting! Although my guess is that they won't be chilly when they arrive! But back to the point of the posting--the zoo is offering a way to support the penguins. Purchase a commemorative paving brick with your choice of wording. The pricing varies between $75 and $250, depending on the size. And you will permanently become a part of the zoo's landscape. Cool! (Literally, for the penguins, that is.)

Gossip Time!

2007-01-13T16:48:00.000-05:00

Howard Stern is in town for the big wedding (Bubba the Love Sponge's, that is) at the Don Cesar. Others attending: Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and Hulk Hogan and the fam.

There's an article in the St Pete Times about the couple. Bubba's site also has a song in honor of Howard's visit HERE.

Sarasota International Design Summit 2006

2006-10-03T11:47:00.000-04:00

Sarasota International Design Summit 2006 is coming! From October 9th to the 11th, a host of design luminaries will be converging on Sarasota for this conference. It is hosted by the Ringling School of Art & Design and is sure to help you include design elements into your business.

Google Transit

2006-09-27T19:16:00.000-04:00

Google Transit is still quite new--it's still in the Google Lab, but it has managed to include the Tampa Bay area in it's six cities. We should feel honored! Actually, I am being quite serious, as this is a really cool concept. Building on their Google Maps technology, Google Transit allows you to plan a door-to-door trip using information from HART (the Hartline to us). Check it out, even though I'm sure you have a car...

Florda Heritage Month 2006

2006-04-08T12:59:00.000-04:00

The poster above "Five Flags/Florida" by Xavier Cortada is this year's Heritage Month Commemorative poster. Florida Heritage Month 2006 was created to "encourage a better understanding of and appreciation of Florida's history..." The site has a listing of events. Sorry, it ends on the 15th, but I just found out about it myself!! Also, you may get a free copy of the poster (details on the link provided).

image courtesy Florida Heritage Month.

Florida Memory Project

2006-03-27T11:34:00.000-05:00

Just came across the Florida Memory Project page. Very interesting!! It's a sort of online tribute to Florida's heritage, with photos, music and lots of items. Have fun with it!

Coldplay: Finally!

2006-03-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

Coldplay were supposed to play the Ampitheater in Tampa back in September. Unfortunately, this show was canceled due to Chris Martin's bad pipes.
But yay! they finally made it back last Sunday!

Mike and I wholly enjoyed this show. Yes, some folks say Coldplay are too slow and boring. But in reality, their music is as passionate as any "loud" band. Their live show was filled with emotion and exuberance. So much so that Chris Martin even fell, injuring his leg, while performing. However, he never skipped a beat and continued to finish the song without even missing a word. The visuals were also a great feature: not the usual "video on either side of the stage" effect. They placed a large horizontal screen at the back of the stage, where images were projected, even slighty-psychodelic live feeds of the band members performing. It gave the impression of an art-house film. Very nice, indeed.

The only complaint: the MAJOR traffic. Having been to this venue before, it as quite a surprise. We completely missed opening act Fiona Apple, only hearing her slightly from the highway next door. (Why are the neighbors complaining about the noise anyway??) And on the way out, they had completely "controlled" the traffic to the point of major gridlock. We were lucky enough to be near the exit road. Some other brave soul maneuvered through the bushes and created a second exit for the rest of us. Whoever you were--thanks!!

New HGTV Coming To Tampa

2006-02-24T22:16:00.000-05:00

Done something interesting to your home? Well, here's your chance to show it off! HGTV is coming to Tampa to film a new series "Look What I Did". It's your opportunity to let everyone see what you designed and constructed for your home.

Long time, no write

2005-11-03T17:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've been on a slight hiatus. But I'm back now, so please keep stopping by!

Friday: Shuffleboard

2005-11-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

The highly popular St. Pete Shuffle continues its reign this Friday evening in, yes, St. Pete. In a slight twist, this week there will be live music! But as always, there will be fun for all ages.

Saturday: Art with Tes One & Bask

2005-11-03T17:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday go see some terrific art from Tes One and Bask. They exhibit together quite often, but they do have distinct styles. I would highly recommend a visit!

Taste of Clearwater

2005-09-19T19:05:00.000-04:00

The annual "Taste of Clearwater" event will occur tomorrow the 20th at the Harborview Center. With over 50 local restaurants, it looks to be a fulfilling night out! I've never been so I'm looking forward--a great way to try the food from the locals! The chamber of commerce site has all the info.

The Vineyard of Oz

2005-09-16T13:45:00.000-04:00

"Travel with Dorothy and her crew (Toto, too!) to the Emerald City to enjoy dinner by munchkin-sized bites from select area restaurants, samplings from choice wineries and a unique silent auction (oh, my!), in Tampa's only motion picture movie-palace.

This year's targeted food and wine lineup include Bonefish Grill, Cafe Ponte, The Capital Grille, Michael's 717 South, Salt Rock Grill, SideBern's, Andre Lurton, d'Arenberg, Illuminati, Laurent-Perrier, Lolonis, Merryvale, Peju, and Pierre Sparr.

The Vineyard of Oz is Tampa Theatre's 4th annual movie-themed wine tasting and whether you're a good witch or a bad witch, we really most sincerely guarantee you'll laugh the night away in the merry old Land of Oz. Previous themes were Saturday Wine Fever, Raiders of the Lost Cork and Gone with the Wine.

There really is no place like Tampa Theatre!"

I would agree with that statement. This looks to be a very fun event--and a great way to taste some of the yummy vittles from area restaurants. I'm just sad I can't attend!!

For tickets, go here.

Coldplay on 9/14

2005-09-09T10:23:00.000-04:00

OK...so this is a bit of a weird post. I am really excited to go see Coldplay. And I was so excited when the tickets went on sale that I bought 2 extra. So, now I have 2 that I don't need. If anyone is interested in purchasing these, let me know (gailany@yahoo.com)! Here's the DL: Section 201, Row G, Seat 1 & 2. Face value is what I'm after: $160 for both.

Tampa Bay Library Consortium

2005-09-07T09:45:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Bay Library Consortium offers a large digital book catalog. Once you have a library card from one of the local libraries listed, you will be able to download digital books for free! With the software available on the site, you will be able to "check out" each title for 7 days (longer for certain titles). It looks like a very cool idea, especially for driving. It is a similar idea to a podcast...Hmmm, now I just need to get a library card!!

Increase Donations to Hurricane Katrina Victims!

2005-09-06T09:38:00.000-04:00

Planning on donating to help Hurricane Katrina victims? Make the most of your money with matching donations! Here are a couple I've come across:

*The Ellen DeGeneres Show & Warner Brothers will match your donation to the Red Cross! Up to $500,000 matched. Here's the spot.

*Lowe's will match any donations to the Red Cross up to $2 million made *in-store only*. See box at bottom of their home page.

*Until Sept. 30th, Best Buy will match any online or in-store donations to the Red Cross up to $1 million dollars.

*Sears/K-Mart will match in-store donations to the Red Cross up to $500,000.

*The McCormick Tribune will match $.50 of every $1 donated to it's fund of the first $2 million received.

*Join the Oxygen "Oh! Speakup!" Campaign (free sign-up) and Oxygen will donate $1 to the Texas Children's Hospital up to $10,000.

*Also, check to see if your employer matches any charitable donations!! An easy way for it to add up!

Don't forget our animal friends...Donate to the ASPCA!

For a pretty darn complete list of donations made by corporations, CNN is on it.

If you don't have money you can spare, a local Corpus Christie business called Coffee Cup is collecting "comfort items" for the estimated 250,000 people for whom Texas will be caring. You would simply have to ship items to them.

Tampa-Florida's Largest Home Show

2005-08-30T15:36:00.000-04:00

This weekend "Florida's Largest Home Show" will be here in Tampa at the Convention Center. These things are a bit fun, and overwhelming. But I am now going to admit what I am most looking forward to: The Friskies Living House. Yes, you may now think I am off my rocker. I don't care though! This looks hilarious!! There will be live performances by The Cat Team. And free samples to be had. At any rate, it looks to be fun for all ages.

Bodies: The Exhibition

2005-08-18T18:18:00.000-04:00

Bodies: The Exhibition has been garnering much protest lately--but it seems to only be on TV. Honestly, no one I know sees the thing as that big a deal, only that it would be interesting to actually see a three dimensional representation of the body's inner workings.

It seems to be yet another case of sensationalistic media coverage. For instance, the current article on the Bay News 9 site quotes a woman who laments the "poor little life" shown in the Fetal Development area, even though one visitor had said it was the most interesting area.

A breath of fresh air, the St Pete Times article seems to present only the facts surrounding the exhibit and its ensuing Board intervention.

For more info, check out the MOSI site directly here.

Cheap Gas

2005-08-18T14:59:00.000-04:00

Cheap Gas...don't we all need some? Yes, I'm talking about the car...heh heh. Anyway, this site combines GasBuddy and Google Maps to present you with cheap local spots for gas. The info is submitted by users on GasBuddy, so there's a chance for error. But hey, if we can save some money, it's "a good thing."

The Coral Castle

2005-08-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

I must do a post on this one...I am so intrigued! The Coral Castle consists of over 1100 tons of coral built into a sort of monument to a love. Who could resist this idea? Ed Leedskalnin supposedly built this all by himself--no one is quite sure how he moved all this coral. And it took him about 28 years! I'll have to report once I get to finally visit this treasure. Has anyone been here? If so, please let us know about it via comments.

Tori Amos

2005-08-09T18:53:00.000-04:00

Tori Amos will perform at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center on Thursday night. I am thrilled, especially because my tummy hurt at her last show in the area at Ruth Eckerd Hall. For any fans that can't make the show, Ms. Amos has launched Tori Bootlegs. There are two CD's currently available, both from shows this past April. For those of you who aren't too familiar with her work, Ms. Amos shines onstage--she was a child prodigy on the piano, so hearing her live is almost better than recorded in a studio.

Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes

2005-08-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we made a jaunt down to Ellenton to Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes. They have one of the few Wurlitzer pipe organs left in the country. This one was built in 1931 for a theater in California. In 1995 it moved out east to its current location. It really is an amazing thing--a huge organ with seemingly thousands of controls. And behind you see the multitude of pipes bringing the sounds out.
Sure, it is something that one would think to be more for grandma and grandpa, but it really is amazing to watch for a person of any age. Also, the pizza is terrific, very fresh. And they serve beer and wine. There's no entry fee--you pay by purchasing a cold one!

Best Of Weekly Planet

2005-08-02T10:42:00.000-04:00

Want to vote on your faves in the area? Go to the Best Of Weekly Planet page...you have until TOMORROW the 3rd to vote! (I know, short notice!)

St. Petersburg Times Online: Blogs

2005-08-01T17:36:00.000-04:00

Wow! I'm rather shocked...I didn't think anyone really read this. That's why there haven't really been a ton of posts. But it seems there may be some of you out there after all! Look at who's mentioned me: St. Petersburg Times Online: Blogs Thanks over there! (In fact, I had just canceled my subscription to that Tampa newspaper, yuck.)

Ticketmaster - Promotions

2005-08-01T12:41:00.000-04:00

I was perusing the Tickermaster site (I know, I hate them, but they are a necessary evil) after buying tickets to the excellent Foo Fighters when I came across this: Ticketmaster Promotions. A good thing! Two free shows to choose from at the newly renovated State Theater in St. Pete. A small "service fee" is charged, but for them, $.75 isn't bad at all!!

St. Petersburg Times: Moving?

2005-07-22T09:14:00.000-04:00

The St. Petersburg Times has a really neat package if you're moving into town, around town, to a new town, whatever. Check it out--some great deals!

Hard Music Awards

2005-07-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

The first annual Hard Music Awards will take place at the Tampa Theater on August 4th. Not really my type of music, but looks like it will be interesting--complete with Tampa's "Celebrity Style Guy" on the red carpet...Hmmm..not really sure about that. But a good chance to see some local bands!

All the Best Haunts

2005-07-07T09:49:00.000-04:00

All the Best Haunts, or Tampa Bay Ghost Tours, sounds really fun!! I just wish their website was a bit more comprehensive...it doesn't give times, lengths, or prices, all necessities. You have to call for more info...arg, who wants human contact?? Heh heh.

Grossness

2005-06-30T13:43:00.000-04:00

I've noticed a lot of what can only be described as truck testicles. And they are just gross! I don't understand why this ridiculous trend even exists. I can understand the "boat propellor" on the hitch, but balls?!?! What the ?!?!? Oh wait. Let me look around...oh yeah, white trash!

And now that I do a little searching, I see you can even get them in colors, in case flesh tone wasn't quite right for you. (Also note that this site, the first one on the Google search, is located near me, right in St. Pete.) Arg!!

And geez...this place even has them for a motorcycle! And if that's not enough, you can also have balls on your keys. Do men really want to see balls everywhere? I would think boob-shaped key-chains would be much more popular...

CHUD.com - Cinematic Happenings Under Development

2005-06-29T10:44:00.000-04:00

CHUD.com - Cinematic Happenings Under Development is offering tickets for a free screening of "Wedding Crashers"...see the site for details!

WXTB-FM

2005-06-18T14:55:00.000-04:00

I highly enjoy WXTB-FM. But only on weekdays. Specifically, weekdays at around noon, when they play "oldies". That is to say, alternative hits from the 90's. The DJs usually hit right on target. A big refresher from the usual radio crap you hear these days. I must admi though...their website SUCKS!!! And what's with all this "Men's Club" and "TNA Club" shit. Damn, makes me not want to listen to their station any more...

Subscribe In Tampa Magazine

2005-06-17T15:18:00.000-04:00

Subscribe to In Tampa Magazine for a limited time it will be free!!

"Film Fanatic" Fans

2005-06-06T11:21:00.000-04:00

Anyone out there a fan of IFC's Ultimate Film Fanatic? Then check out this page for local places to compete! This week in Tampa and in two weeks in St. Pete, the Independent Film Channel will be coming to our area to host a live game show. Winners have the chance to go to the '06 Cannes Film Festival.

Tampa Museum of Art

2005-06-06T09:37:00.000-04:00

Family Day at the Tampa Museum of Art will take place on Saturday the 11th from 1 to 4pm. This is your chance to enter the museum for free. (Although, hearing the press they have been getting, the museum probably could use any donation you could offer!!)

National Weather Service Forecast Office - TBW

2005-06-02T18:01:00.000-04:00

Go to National Weather Service Forecast Office for the official NOAA weather outlook for the Tampa Bay area. I know that I religiously looked at the NOAA site last year during the hurricane season...their maps were always the best!!

EventGuide Miami - Research Miami Events Online

2005-06-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

Going down to Miami for the weekend? I just came acrossEventGuide Miami. Seems to have a bunch of interesting things happening there...

NPR : Efforts to Restore Florida's Orchids into the Wild

2005-05-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

NPR has a very interesting piece on Florida's orchids and the plight to reintroduce them into the wild. I for one love to see an orchid in a tree, it's rightful place! It would be so nice to have these beauties peeking out unexpectedly...

Mutiny on the Bounty?

2005-05-20T11:11:00.000-04:00

Remember this movie? It was quite a while ago... Anyway, the ship they built for the film, an exact replica of a 1780's "tall ship" is in St/ Pete until the end of June. Check out their site for more info: Tallshipbounty.org: Official site of the HMS Bounty.

St. Pete Shuffle

2005-05-20T11:01:00.000-04:00

The Artillery has started something good in St. Pete--the revitalisation of the shuffleboard courts! Every Friday from 6 to 10 go have some fun, meet some peeps, and just enjoy yourself!

ISLAND FEST Dunedin

2005-04-21T10:26:00.000-04:00

I attended the Seafood Fesitival and Boat Show in Dunedin a few years ago when I was visiting...it was quite fun! It takes place out on Honeymoon Island. The best part was the ferris wheel--the view of the coastal region is incredible! Let's hope it will be a nice sunny weekend!

festival of the sun

2005-04-14T10:29:00.000-04:00

The festival of the sun looks like it could be a fun day at the beach. There will be quite a line-up of local indy bands, a sand volleyball tournament, and a sand castle building contest. Head on down to Treasure Island Beach on the 30th to check it out!
NOTE: looks like the guys from Sly 5 are putting this on...their tees are very fun!

UPDATE: the United States Air Force Thunderbirds

2005-04-13T10:28:00.000-04:00

I did attend the Tampa Bay Air Show last Saturday. The the United States Air Force Thunderbirds were truly incredible. But I was mistaken in my previous post: it was the Blue Angels I saw when I was a tot, probably at their base in Pensacola, where my grandparents once resided. I was really amazed by how many people showed up for this event--the Times stated 250,000! They really had a terrific selection of planes to view with the actual pilots themselves to confer with. A nice Saturday in the sun!

MOJO Shopping Guide

2005-04-13T10:24:00.000-04:00

Just launched: MOJO Shopping Guide. It's basically a book with what I am assuming are advertisements from local businesses. The price is a bit steep at $20 each, but you get a Mojo card with discounts from the participants. The discounts would probably end up paying for the book itself. For example, Mystic Fish in Palm Harbor offers a free glass of wine with the card, so conceivably over the course of a year, the free glasses would add up to $20. A stroke of genius by the creators of this book!

Air Fest 2005

2005-04-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

This looks to be very fun! I saw the Thunderbirds when I was a tot and enjoyed it highly. May just trek down to see them again!

The Artillery (NOT war-themed)

2005-01-22T11:45:00.000-05:00

I am pissed I just found out about The Artillery. This is a local coalition of artists. Seems to be very interesting. They just had an opening at The Bank in St. Pete last weekend (see "events" area)...I'll look forward to the next opening after that!

Flowers, Flowers, Plants

2005-01-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

For those of you that have met me, you may know I love my garden. Too bad I currently live in an apartment. The rectangular "window" boxes are nice, but a nice plot of land is better. This is why I fully intend on visiting the Tampa Bay Flower Show, running from tomorrow through to Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Pete. It looks to fill my mind with ideas for future plantings and designs. I just hope it doesn't make me begin to plant on the islands between cars in the apartment's parking lot!

/// southeast music alliance ///

2005-01-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

This looks to be a great resource for the local music scene: /// southeast music alliance ///. Honestly, I didn't know there was such a scene! I know, I know, I need to get out more. But it is a bit difficult when one has recently moved to a new location. At least, here is a start!

Manatee Festival

2005-01-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday Mike and I drove up the hell that is US 19 to attend the annual Manatee Festival. It was nice to get out of the "city" for a beautiful day in Florida. I must say, it was amazing to see a line of demarcation on US 19--where the seemingly endless array of strip malls and Wal-Marts ends and the trees begin. I almost let out a breath of relief.

The Manatee Festival itself was a bit of a letdown. It was more like a flea market, complete with a Jimmy Buffet sound-alike contest. Never will I forget Captain Susie shouting "Salt! Salt! Salt!" along to "Margaritaville".

After this, we drove over to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to continue our quest for a manatee. Here we were lucky, because some of the injured manatee are safely kept year-round. The most exciting part is an underwater observation tank--this allows you to really see the sea cows up close. This was the highlight of the day, as it is such a nice park, zoo almost, with a variety of native wildlife.

Free Wi-Fi Hotspots from FloridaFreeFi.com

2005-01-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

Just came across this little nugget of gold: Free Wi-Fi Hotspots from FloridaFreeFi.com. Just choose your town from the dropdown list at the top center and it will list places to get free wi-fi. You can also add to the list if you know of some other spots.

As you will note, this service is country-wide, so if you are travelling to another location, you can do some research beforehand!!

Dead Camera, Mini-Golf & Yummy Fish

2005-01-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

Need I say more? Yes, this really bites. My camera died the other day while Mike and I were having a nice New Year's Day mini-golf in Clearwater Beach. Very sad, especially since I am a bit broke at the moment!

But the mini-golf was fun--haven't done that in years! And what elaborate mini-golf courses there are down here. Well, it is probably all over the country, but after living in NYC for 7 years, a lot looks new to me in suburbia! The one we visited, Captain Bligh's, has a pirate theme, as you can glean from its name. It comes complete with a shipwrecked, well, pirate's ship. The most amazing part is that the course designer has managed to fit 18 holes complete with waiting benches on a miniscule plot of land.

Obscurely enough, after mini-golf we found a great British pub cringingly called Big Ben just down the road. And the fish and chips were amazing there. Plain and simple. The fish's exterior was lightly breaded--not overly greasy as one finds in many restaurants and bars--while the interior was perfectly flaky.

Oh yeah, one last thing--would you believe that Mike and I ended up with the same score at golf?? What are the chances?

Lights, Camera....

2004-12-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to yesterday's post about Christmas Eve, I wanted to present to you a photo of a street we came across in Palm Harbor. As you can gather from the blurry photo above (sorry about that!), the homes on this quaint, quiet street visually yelled at the passing traffic.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am all for lighting and holiday decor--I will admit to placing the "icicle" lights on my windows and hanging a wreath or the like on my front door. It is just simply amazing to see these dazzling displays of light. One can hardly begin to comprehend the time spent installing all the lights, not to mention the miles of wiring required. Note: this house not only has lights on the eaves, but on the roof and the sides as well!)

Even more frightening is this current trend to place the pseudo-blow-up snowpeople or santas on the front lawn. The pictured house even had one of these that moved and sang "Frosty the Snowman." It was eerily similar to the Frosty in the ABC special I remember from childhood. It literally sent a chill up my spine.

But I digress. There is something noble, albeit strange, in this pursuit of creating the most festive atmosphere. Maybe because I have lived in the city for the past 7 years, I am more impressed than your average suburbanite. (The storage space!! My old apartment would have been entirely filled with tinsel and bulbs!) The final intriguing part of this puzzle is that at least two homes on every block have begun this never-ending contest. Who will be the winner next year?

Christmas Eve in Florida

2004-12-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

My first Christmas Eve in Florida found me in Tarpon Springs, a town just north of my current home. Tarpon Springs was originally a Greek settlement. Diving for sponges was the main source of income for the settlers. Now it still houses a "main drag" worth visiting with vendors offering a variety of Greek statuary, as well as natural sponges and various restaurants, of course. The town does have an additional charming main street of sorts, Tarpon Avenue, with antique shops and the like, as well as a nice Irish-style pub. Today, Tarpon Springs is probably more well known for expensive homes, as it is found directly on the Gulf of Mexico, with access from the interior lands by the Anclote River and other smaller rivers.

It is to one of these accesses, a bayou near the middle of town, that we now voyage. Apparently, about 9 years ago, a teacher at the local elementary school came up with the idea of lining the bayou with candles. I thought this would be a great introduction to one of the holiday traditions in Florida.

I must admit the luminary was beautiful. To see the thousands of candles sparkling along the stretch of water was a nice reminder at how single items placed together can be a sight to behold. As an additional treat, some manatees had traveled up from the Gulf to warm themselves in the warm springs beneath the bayou. To see them swimming innocently in the swirling waters reaffirmed the power of simplicity.

There's a Little Bit of NYC in All of Us

2004-12-20T10:04:00.000-05:00

During a recent visit to Tampa's International Plaza, imagine my surprise upon finding this:

Am I back in NYC? Is this really the mall? Ah yes, I remember reading about this now, this is Abercrombie & Fitch's new retail concept, Ruehl 925. As you can see, the shop looks like it could be in a street in the Village. Notice the passers-by to the left gazing puzzledly at the sight?

But do not fret, this is not Abercrombie & Fitch: there is no way you would ever confuse this for an Abercrombie & Fitch store. Down the mall, a half-naked (read: no shirt on!) young man just inside the entrance greets customers there. Here, one sees only a stand of elegant white flowers, the ubiquitous sign of chic.

Upon entering the shop, the first thing I notice is just how dark it really is. It is designed to feel as if one is entering a hip New Yorker's brownstone, complete with mood lighting and separate "rooms". As a former sales associate at a retail clothing establishment, I immediately think of the hell of the shoplifter. It seems like it would be a stealer's paradise--dark nooks and crannies to rip tags off and stuff garments into one's bag.

I shrug this off and attempt to look at the clothing itself. The styles are simple, yet fashionable. Sort of a Banana Republic feel and pricing, in a cooler environment. I must admit to having a bit of fun in the shop. As it is set up as a true townhouse with separate rooms, it feels slightly maze-like. However, this gives the shopper a sense of exploration, wondering what will be around the next corner. The one objection I had was the overwhelming scent that pervaded the air--they have strategically placed fragrance samplers in each "room".

One question continues to plague me: Why Tampa? The International Plaza does have quite a broad selection of shops, from Vuitton and Neiman Marcus, to Quicksilver and Swatch. In this location, they would get a read from a variety of shoppers. I presume it works in Tampa, as opposed to Orlando for example, because there is this upscale element. Yes, there are people with money in the area. With a lot of money. And they won't feel like they are buying crap in here, even though the price points are more reasonable. Plus, the folks who do not have as much money will feel like they are shopping somewhere ritzy. I guess what it comes down to is that there's a little bit of New York in all of us.

2004-12-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

Check out this cool photo of our area. I found this on the NASA "Earth Observatory" site. The article explains the fear of the storm surge to our area.

Shop names? Or classifications?

2004-12-17T09:32:00.000-05:00

Upon my arrival in Florida, one of the first things that jumped out at me was the lack of shop name signage. It's true. When you pass a strip mall, you notice, "Barber", "Nail Salon", "Fresh Fish", maybe even "Realtor". There are no store names!! Of course, this is not the case if it is a larger store like Walgreens, the sign would not simply say pharmacy.

I guess this is the evolution of American commerce. If we don't recognize a name, we will not stop. So the shop owners think, "Well, I'll just advertise what I sell, not the name of the store."

As a Northerner, I remember every shop being branded in some way. There is no confusion. We know that a sign with a picture of a steaming slice and the name Christopher's is a pizza shop. Here, it seems people feel the need to be more glaringly obvious. In a way, it makes each shopping area seem a bit sterile, with no apparent personality. Each shop announces their wares in simple block letters undifferentiated from the next. I must admit, I miss the crude drawings of dripping ice cream cones and of mortars and pestles. I guess in time I too will grow accustomed to the classification system.

Welcome!

2004-12-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

Being a New Englander in the Tampa Bay area is quite unique. Although not as unique as I initially thought. Soon after my arrival in the Sunshine State, I realised quickly there are quite a few other Northerners here.

Being an observer in the Tampa Bay area is probably not that unique. But darn if there aren't some crazy people down here to observe! However, I have not pinned down who is crazier--the Floridians or the Northerners.

Maybe it is the place, in the Tampa Bay, where the two meet, that causes this clash. This question, and many more, may be answered in Tampa Say. Let's keep going and see!!