Hey Zob - I used to live there between 1983-2003 and now I'm out in San Diego. I moved because I finally had enough of the heat and humidity, and that is just a fact of life there. It's certainly a lot cheaper to live there than compared to Cali, but I was definitely ready for the change. I went back last year for my buddy's wedding in July and I cursed him for making me come out during such heat and humidty (those words are always together and it's always hot and humid).
One thing Tampa is famous for, and rightfully so is that it has the best titty bars. Mons Venus is still #1 - and I've been to quite a few across the U.S.. If that is your thing, then trust me it is the place to go and the place to take visitors. It is near Raymond James Stadium where the Bucs play, and if you like football that is an awesome stadium. The USF Bulls also play there so having college and pro football in a great setting is a big plus. If you like hockey - the Channelside District is a good destination. I always had a good time seeing games at the St. Pete Times Forum where the Lightning play and there is a nice little sports bar called Hattricks worth checking out for the wings and hot bartenders . That whole area has a lot of stuff to do, and it's about 10 minutes from the other party area called Ybor City. Ybor has an eclectic mix of people, clubs, shops and restaurants. For good Cuban food, Carmine's is one of the best spots and if you want something a little more formal then check out the Columbia Restaurant. It is a Tampa landmark and has great food and the best sangria. The house jazz band (Dick Rivers Band) is led by the Dad of one of my best friends, and it is a great place to take dates, friends, family, etc.
Of course, you have a lot of beaches and babes In FLA. I lived near Clearwater Beach which is nice, and a lot of my buddies worked at a beach bar there called Frenchy's Rockaway. It's right on the sand and is a good place to people watch - make sure to get some "she crab" soup if you are there...it is sinfully loaded with cream, butter and fresh crab but so damn worth it. The Gulf of Mexico gets warm and doesn't really have waves, so I used to trek over to the East Coast a lot and go to Daytona Beach. Daytona is a classic, but the beaches north of that leading up to St. Augustine are the best....they are quiet with great waves away from all the tourists. Orlando is also only an hour away from Tampa so you can make a run there for all sorts of stuff too.
Ahhh...tourists. The whole Tampa area always has tourists because of the theme parks, beaches, etc. - so add them to the healthy mix of elderly and you have a recipe for brutal traffic. I rode a motorcylce there for years and I'm still amazed that I survived it.
As I mentioned before - if you like sports, Tampa has made a pretty good turnaround. The Bucs won a Super Bowl, the Lightning won a Stanley Cup and the Rays have become a pretty good baseball team. You also have a ton of baseball teams there for spring training and if you like golf - the state is full of great courses. It is great to be able to golf year-round, but it is also hot and humid year-round and after a while it just burnt me out to always be sunburned and drenched with sweat no matter when or where I played. Westchase is a tough course where a lot of the football players golf and live, and it was always a favorite when I could afford it.
As far as the music scene - it has been a while so I'm not sure how it is trending there. I played in a metal band (influenced heavily by Sanctuary) in the late 80's/early 90's and it was weird because Tampa was known at the time as the death metal capital of the world, but we were too prog for the death crowd and too heavy for the mainstream so it was hard to find our niche. I think most metal bands still play at The Masquerade in Ybor City - that holds a special place in my heart because that is where I first saw Sanctuary. The smaller bands will usually play a major dive bar called the Brass Mug. I saw Nevermore and Opeth there, and it is a shithole, but I've seen so many great shows there over the years and my band logged many late nights sweating it out on that stage. I also saw Nevermore in a good place called the State Theater in St. Petersburg - a great venue but a dead area as far as the surrounding nightlife.
Well, that's a quick rundown for you - I wish you the best of luck in your journey !!!
