Caitlin & Alexander
Things To Do
Ybor City Historic District
Caitlin and Alex met and were engaged here in Ybor (see below!) and Alex’s favorite cigar shop is located here on 7th street, The Long Ash... his go-to cigar is the Hav-A-Habano. Their other favorite spots include Copper Tail and The Dirty Shame (if you want a true dive bar). Lively Ybor City is known for boutiques and vintage shops on 7th Avenue, which also hosts Cuban and Latin American eateries and cigar shops. The Centro Ybor center offers indie fast food and bars. Housed in a 1920s bakery, the Ybor City State Museum has exhibits on the cigar industry and the area’s immigrant communities. The GaYBOR district around 7th Avenue and 15th Street attracts a diverse crowd to its bars and clubs.
Zydeco Brew Werks
If you make it to Ybor, you MUST stop by Zydeco. This is where Caitlin and Alex first met, and where he proposed! Caitlin’s favorite drink is the La Nouvelle Martini and Alex always goes for the blackened shrimp, and of course the boiled peanuts! Zydeco Brew Werks is a craft brewery, social eatery, and NOLA-inspired experience in the heart of historical Ybor City. Modern yet nostalgic, it was founded by a collective of those passionate about the craft beer scene and exceptional food and service.
Armature Works
Armature Works is a fully restored mixed-use building that breathes new life into the historic Tampa Heights neighborhood. With its unobstructed view of the Hillsborough River, the historic structure has been reinvented as a premier community destination with innovative eateries, Heights Public Market, reimagined event spaces and an exclusive coworking space.
Columbia Restaurant
The original Columbia Restaurant, located in the historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States, and one of the largest Spanish restaurants in the world with 1,700 seats in 15 dining rooms taking up 52,000 square feet over an entire city block.. Founded in 1905 in, the landmark is still owned by the Hernandez/Gonzmart family and serves Spanish and Cuban cuisine. Fun fact: Caitlin's grandmother attended her high school prom here!
Sparkman Wharf
Waterfront, storage-container restaurant, coffee, and beer/wine paradise. There is also really nice seating along the water if you just want somewhere to chill. No admission fee; stroll as you wish. Dining Garden includes: Boat Run Oyster Company, BT in a Box, Flock and Stock Chicken & Burgers, Foundation Coffee Co., Gallito Taqueria, Montados Tapas & Wine by Mise en Place, Edison's Swigamajig Divebar and Fishkitchen, the Corners, and Whatever Pops & Bowls. There is also 'The Biergarten' which is an open-air biergarten featuring over 30 taps with an emphasis on Florida craft beer.
Clearwater Beach
Laid-back Clearwater Beach is known for its namesake stretch of soft, white sand, which draws visitors year-round for jet-skiing, parasailing, and stand-up paddleboarding in its calm waters. Cyclists and rollerbladers glide along a winding beachfront promenade lined with casual seafood restaurants and cafes. Come sunset, Pier 60 hosts a nightly festival with street performers and craft vendors.
Saint Petersburg Beach
St. Pete Beach is a Florida resort city set on a barrier island, west of St. Petersburg. It’s known for its beaches. A 1928 landmark, the pink Moorish-style Don CeSar Hotel looms over the shore. The Pass-A-Grille area offers galleries, shops and the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, which displays postcards and other artifacts in a 1917 church. Nearby, boats depart to Shell Key, a nesting site for seabirds and turtles.