Things I miss in Tampa

Moved to Tennessee earlier this year. Don't miss Tampa as a whole, but there are some things I found that meant a lot more to me than I ever thought.

1. Live music
There is NO music scene here at all! Just main stream pop country and gospel. There is bluegrass but you can only take so much of that. There has been one decent show here. If you want to go to any show of substance (Both larger acts and smaller indie ones.) You have to travel to Nashville, Knoxville, or Atlanta.

2. Publix
There is one here (Just one.) and it is about 30 minutes away. Your only other choices are BiLo, Food Lion or Walmart.

3. Whole Foods (Previously Wild Oats.)
There is an earthy crunchy store here, but it is SO EXPENSIVE. Whole Foods had better prices and their selection was better.

4. Jamba Juice
I am addicted to their smoothies. It is a freaking chain and Tennessee is one of the few states they are not in.

5. Vallartas
There is a very high Mexican population here, and I have yet to find acceptable Mexican food.

6. Pop & Son's Diner
Best biscuits & gravy! All that I have sampled here have been horrible. And it's the deep south! They should be stellar and they are not.

7. Acropolis Greek Restaurant in Ybor
(Notice a food theme? Yes I am a fat kid at heart.)

8. Alessi
Do I really need to explain?

9. The Todd
I know this seems weird. But it was kind of nice having the option to go into an adult video store when you were bored in the middle of the night that was not in a completely scary neighborhood. It was fun to laugh at the movie titles, and the nervous shoppers.

10. My Friends
Have not really found anyone here I could connect with. Mentality is a bit different.

11. King Corona in Ybor
Best cafe con leche in the city.

12. El Segundo Bakery
Ah...pancitos.

13. Not getting raped on the price of tattoos
All the shops here charge $100 minimum an hour. And for sub par work at that. I believe you get what you pay for as far as that goes, and you should never haggle over the price of a tattoo. But c'mon, you ain't Lyle Tuttle.

14. Borders Book Store
The closest one is Nashville.

15. Sound Exchange, Vinyl Fever, & Daddy Kool
No decent independent music stores AT ALL. People will argue and say Grumpy's or McKays. But they are horrendous by comparison.

Oh Vallartas on Dale Mabry...how I miss thee.

The best chimichanga EVER!!!
Could someone ship me one?

Regarding Publix, there are two now. The one in Hixson is open.

I lived in Tampa from 84 to 90. I miss a lot of things but mostly I miss the gulf beaches. I've been gone so long I probably wouldn't know the place. Ybor City was great. I miss Gasparilla too.

lakerfan wrote:

I lived in Tampa from 84 to 90. I miss a lot of things but mostly I miss the gulf beaches. I've been gone so long I probably wouldn't know the place. Ybor City was great. I miss Gasparilla too.

Ybor WAS great when you were there.
They have tried to make it a little Bourbon Street and have failed miserably. They should have let it as it was.

ihaftapoop wrote:

<quoted text>
Ybor WAS great when you were there.
They have tried to make it a little Bourbon Street and have failed miserably. They should have let it as it was.

I'm probably better off remembering a lot of things the way they were. I still hope for a trip to Tampa some day.

Oh, life without Vallartas is not a life worth living...you poor thing! I'm actually going there for dinner tonight. I like the Anderson Rd location. The Dale Mabry location is filthy. I'll have a Jumbo Margarita for you! ha.

How could you leave out La Teresita?!?! The best pulled pork Cuban food you can get in Florida!!!

Misty Dawn Smith wrote:

How could you leave out La Teresita?!?! The best pulled pork Cuban food you can get in Florida!!!

Speaking of pulling the pork??...I miss you pulling mine

you forgot BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGE

I miss Bayshore! I loved having the water and sunset/sunrise right next to me while I worked out.

Former Floridian wrote:

I miss Bayshore! I loved having the water and sunset/sunrise right next to me while I worked out.

And also as you got laid

I lived in Riverview for several years myself and I don't miss that traffic in Tampa at all! I moved to Arkansas (which I love dearly) but I do miss Sweetbay Supermarket! I always thought that Sweetbay was superior to Publix in every way (even price), and it is probably my all time favorite grocery store.

I miss taking my grandchildren to see the Manatees at Apollo Beach too!