OT: Visitor's Guide to Tampa: All Questions Here!

[LTIR Trickery]

visiting this weekend for USA Hockey District tourney at Florida Hospital Ice so we'll be staying in Wesley Chapel. we have all day free on Friday so we were thinking it'd be a great beach day. is Clearwater Beach our best option? is there nothing a little further north in the New Port Richey area?

Clearwater is a tourist trap, for the record, but if you're into that then do you. If you're reading this much later, i'd say look at areas like Sunset Beach and Indian Rocks Beach. A bit more subdued.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Was never meant to be a permanent home there. I believe they had a 4 year K to operate there until the new Water Street development / project reached a certain point (which it now has).

Correct, its closed for now.

 

[shoeshine boy]

Clearwater is a tourist trap, for the record, but if you're into that then do you. If you're reading this much later, i'd say look at areas like Sunset Beach and Indian Rocks Beach. A bit more subdued.

we actually ended up at Sunset Beach. we had a great time the whole weekend and now we're headed to USA Hockey National Championships in Anaheim this weekend.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Awesome, glad you enjoyed it.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Should we add this with the Playoffs coming soon?

So you’ve heard that Amalie Arena bans all visitors apparel during the playoffs

This exact same story shows up every year the Lightning go deep in the playoffs and every year they don’t get the facts correct.

The amount of seats affected is 1500 out of around 20000. The ones on the ground is one tiny section near the corner consisting of 390 seats total with maybe 20 along the glass.

(The Blue Areas are affected ALL THE GREY HAS NO RESTRICTIONS)

So let's say you are a visitor and somehow manage to acquire one of said seats. You should get an email like this;

But let's say you don’t because you got tickets from your grandma who lives in Tampa and is a Lightning season ticket holder in one of those sections. You arrive in your visitors shirt/jersey and head to your seat. Well since these are special clubs/lounge, you will need to enter a special area to reach your seat. This is where you would be stopped. So now what?

Well according to Policies | Amalie Arena, an invader into that 10 percent of the 20,500-seat arena is given four options when trying to check into these home-only sections:


1. They're allowed to check their unwelcoming gear at guest services to be picked up later and given an unbranded blue or black shirt to don for the night,

2. they can go back to their hotel, change, and return to the arena thanks to a re-entry pass,

3. they can get moved to a comparable seat with no attire restriction (and free of charge), So if you somehow got seats on the glass in the Lexus Lounge? Guess what they will move you to another seat along the glass not in the Lexus Lounge.

4. they can simply get a refund and leave the arena.


But Why? You ask Why would they even have this policy?

Well according to Lightning executive vice president of communications Bill Wickett who compared the rule to the dress code of a private golf club,

“Those are three season-ticket-only private areas, and those are the spots that our season-ticket holders have asked us not to let visiting team apparel into. If our members were not comfortable with these policies, we would not have these policies in place.”


Do I personally agree with it? No but this is not new and is only for the playoffs.

The season ticket holders in those areas requested this be the policy. The team listened to the fans of those sections since you know they pay the most money every year and keeping your big spending season ticket holders happy is a tad bit more important to the team than the 2 or 3 fans from a rival that show up 2-3 times max a year.

So I propose to anyone who is claiming this is discrimination to find any actual first person account of someone actually being affected by this and not being satisfied with how they were treated.

If this is as bad as some people make it out be year every year there should have no issues finding someone who wants this fixed first hand and not just faux outrage which seems to be all this is.
I have done a search to see if anyone who had an issue with this going to the arena still an issue with it once they arrived or left. I have found nothing.

For further reading here is an article from a few seasons ago from a Boston reporter that also helps clear up all the misconceptions


Are You Really Not Allowed To Wear Bruins Clothing At Amalie Arena?

Playoff Dress Code stuff has been formally added to the third post of this thread with a link in the very first post. Every time someone posts a "We can't wear our gear to Amalie???" crap, people can cite the link to the post.

 

[Hoek]

Something tells me we won't have Columbus fans whining about it for the first round at least, lol.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Hey y’all where best place to get Tampa merch? Such as a shirt? Is there anywhere in st pete? Or should I just go to Amalie?

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Hey y’all where best place to get Tampa merch? Such as a shirt? Is there anywhere in st pete? Or should I just go to Amalie?

You can find t-shirts and some other stuff at most Wal Marts or Target stores in Tampa. Not sure about in St. Pete.

Amalie Arena has the biggest Lightning store, of course, but the prices are higher for even a simple t-shirt.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Hey y’all where best place to get Tampa merch? Such as a shirt? Is there anywhere in st pete? Or should I just go to amaili

You can find t-shirts and some other stuff at most Wal Marts or Target stores in Tampa. Not sure about in St. Pete.

Amalie Arena has the biggest Lightning store, of course, but the prices are higher for even a simple t-shirt.

Do you know what hours would be at Amalie? And is it best to buy inside at a booth or outside at store? Thanks

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Hey y’all where best place to get Tampa merch? Such as a shirt? Is there anywhere in st pete? Or should I just go to amaili


Do you know what hours would be at Amalie? And is it best to buy inside at a booth or outside at store? Thanks

Think the store is open from 9 to 5 normally, but will be open all Game day until about a half hour after the game is over.

The smaller booths/kiosks inside Amalie and at the big store on the outside of Amalie (just to the right of the big main entrance stairs) will have the exact same prices. Wal Mart and Target are definitely the cheapest alternative for t-shirts.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Think the store is open from 9 to 5 normally, but will be open all Game day until about a half hour after the game is over.

The smaller booths/kiosks inside Amalie and at the big store on the outside of Amalie (just to the right of the big main entrance stairs) will have the exact same prices. Wal Mart and Target are definitely the cheapest alternative for t-shirts.

Thanks. Being from Canada we get murdered on the dollar

 

[Auston Marlander]

I'm down in Siesta key for a week, are there any good sports bars that will be playing the games? Specifically the Leafs Boston games, but an NHL bar would be a good start.

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

I'm down in Siesta key for a week, are there any good sports bars that will be playing the games? Specifically the Leafs Boston games, but an NHL bar would be a good start.

The only true NHL bar in the area is Hattrick's up in Tampa. All other sports bars such as the ones in Sarasota offer everything.
Brewster’s Tavern – Gastropub Main Street Sarasota, FL - newer sports bar but already has a great rep for good food and loads of TVs

https://www.duffysmvp.com/ - huge number of TVs, probably will find an NHL playoff game there.

I used to live in Sarasota when younger, but that was a while ago so hopefully other people from down that way can give other or better options.

 

[Hoek]

Hockey is big enough here now that nobody should scoff if you ask them to put the game on, assuming there are enough screens.

 

[Konnan511]

It was 15 years ago, playing NHL 2K5 during the summer with my buddy after my first year of college. I didn't lose to him all summer, my team of choice of course was the Tampa Bay Lighting. Ain't nobody beating me with my loaded line of St. Louis - Richards - Lecavalier line up front. Sneaky sneaky Tim "The Hockey Man" Taylor scoring some clutch goals. Dan Boyle laying the boom. Well, I just moved to Bradenton for work. I am an avid Red Wing fan, seeing how I am from Detroit. If anyone knows of a local hang out spots where I'll find hockey enthusiasts in Bradenton or Sarasota, I am all ears. If one of you happen to be there, first beer is on me. #LGRW

 

[Pulpfishin]

Did you get kicked out of Detroit by the Lightning since they own it? Is there any team in the NHL that the Lightning has been beating up on with more regularity and ferocity than Detroit. If there is any team in the NHL that Tampa has made their beotch more than Detroit?

 

[Hoek]

Wow calm down. That Red Wings fan seems like a nice guy and you're getting all aggro with him.

 

[Pulpfishin]

Take it easy snowflake, just poking a little fun is all.

 

[Konnan511]

Did you get kicked out of Detroit by the Lightning since they own it? Is there any team in the NHL that the Lightning has been beating up on with more regularity and ferocity than Detroit. If there is any team in the NHL that Tampa has made their beotch more than Detroit?

Yep nailed it. TBL personally came down to Detroit to make me move. If you ever want a beer, and you are in my area, let me know. That goes for anyone who wants to watch a game and knows of any places that have big crowds of hockey fans to watch the games.

 

[Pulpfishin]

Welcome to the area. Pretty much anyone you meet here will be from somewhere else. It takes a couple seasons but most people eventually drop their old allegiances and become full time Bolts fans because it's that much fun! I'm glad to see they teach you to have thick skin in Detroit!

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

It was 15 years ago, playing NHL 2K5 during the summer with my buddy after my first year of college. I didn't lose to him all summer, my team of choice of course was the Tampa Bay Lighting. Ain't nobody beating me with my loaded line of St. Louis - Richards - Lecavalier line up front. Sneaky sneaky Tim "The Hockey Man" Taylor scoring some clutch goals. Dan Boyle laying the boom. Well, I just moved to Bradenton for work. I am an avid Red Wing fan, seeing how I am from Detroit. If anyone knows of a local hang out spots where I'll find hockey enthusiasts in Bradenton or Sarasota, I am all ears. If one of you happen to be there, first beer is on me. #LGRW

Welcome to Florida!

The only true NHL bar in the area is Hattrick's up in Tampa.
All other sports bars such as the ones in Sarasota or Bradenton usually offer everything rather than just hockey. Here's a couple that have good reps.

Brewster’s Tavern – Gastropub Main Street Sarasota, FL - newer sports bar but already has a great rep for good food and loads of TVs
https://www.duffysmvp.com/ - huge number of TVs, probably will find any NHL game somewhere there.

You also might want to ask around the Red Wings forum as there are often a bunch of Midwesterners who've migrated down this way or spend the winters here and they might know of a good meeting spot.​

 

[Alicat]

Hi All.

Bruins fan here.

I may have an opportunity to move to St. Pete/Tampa for work and wanted to know what some of the better areas/apartment complexes to look in for a new place to live.

The job is in St. Pete but I am willing to commute an hour each way.

Clearwater is not an option

Thanks for your suggestions!!

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Hi All.

Bruins fan here.

I may have an opportunity to move to St. Pete/Tampa for work and wanted to know what some of the better areas/apartment complexes to look in for a new place to live.

The job is in St. Pete but I am willing to commute an hour each way.

Clearwater is not an option

Thanks for your suggestions!!

Ah, I recognize your handle via some of the TBL vs BOS main board threads. Welcome to the Tampa Bay area!

It's hard for me to recommend apartment complexes since I'm a homeowner in the northwest Tampa suburb area, but the area known as Town and Country/Westchase is on the west/northwest side of Tampa and would be not too bad a commute to St. Pete even though it's more at the latitude of Clearwater. Westchase is a bit more upscale-ish, but I think both areas have some nice apartment complexes. Even the small town of Oldsmar which lies between Town 'n Country and Clearwater at the top of Old Tampa Bay is an option.

South Tampa mostly lies between Kennedy/I 275 (leading to one of the main bridges crossing to St. Pete) and Gandy Blvd (leading to the furthest south bridge over to St. Pete) would be even closer but the prices and quality of the area varies quite a bit. Palma Ceia, Hyde Park and such are verrrrry pricey areas, but places closer to or south of Gandy Blvd can be very reasonable but again, vary a lot in quality. The further south of Kennedy you get closer to McDill Air Force Base the cheaper places are unless they're right on the water.

Lots of people commute from Tampa to St. Pete and vice versa so the two main bridges across the Bay can get crowded and it can take up to an hour some days.

Hope this gives you some ideas for the Tampa side of the Bay. I know very little about the actual living on the St. Pete side so hopefully another area resident can help with that.

 

[Alicat]

Ah, I recognize your handle via some of the TBL vs BOS main board threads. Welcome to the Tampa Bay area!

It's hard for me to recommend apartment complexes since I'm a homeowner in the northwest Tampa suburb area, but the area known as Town and Country/Westchase is on the west/northwest side of Tampa and would be not too bad a commute to St. Pete even though it's more at the latitude of Clearwater. Westchase is a bit more upscale-ish, but I think both areas have some nice apartment complexes. Even the small town of Oldsmar which lies between Town 'n Country and Clearwater at the top of Old Tampa Bay is an option.

South Tampa mostly lies between Kennedy/I 275 (leading to one of the main bridges crossing to St. Pete) and Gandy Blvd (leading to the furthest south bridge over to St. Pete) would be even closer but the prices and quality of the area varies quite a bit. Palma Ceia, Hyde Park and such are verrrrry pricey areas, but places closer to or south of Gandy Blvd can be very reasonable but again, vary a lot in quality. The further south of Kennedy you get closer to McDill Air Force Base the cheaper places are unless they're right on the water.

Lots of people commute from Tampa to St. Pete and vice versa so the two main bridges across the Bay can get crowded and it can take up to an hour some days.

Hope this gives you some ideas for the Tampa side of the Bay. I know very little about the actual living on the St. Pete side so hopefully another area resident can help with that.

Thank You!!!

Nothing is set in stone yet but since I’d be relocating I’m trying to gather information in case they ask in the interview process.

My hope is that I get the job and they let me transition gradually and I’d be there permanently after Christmas.

I’m excited at the prospect of moving to the area as I know there are a lot of transplants plus you have 3 out of the 4 sports and I just so happen to like the Lightning when they aren’t playing the Bruins

 

[TeslaCoilFan]

Thank You!!!

Nothing is set in stone yet but since I’d be relocating I’m trying to gather information in case they ask in the interview process.

My hope is that I get the job and they let me transition gradually and I’d be there permanently after Christmas.

I’m excited at the prospect of moving to the area as I know there are a lot of transplants plus you have 3 out of the 4 sports and I just so happen to like the Lightning when they aren’t playing the Bruins

I know I'm biased, but the Tampa Bay area is a nice place to live. Quiet areas if you like quiet. Party areas (Ybor City) if that's your thing. Beaches, museums, a Performing Arts center that brings in all the major Broadway shows and hosts an excellent orchestra, but we're not too huge a city. Lots and lots of water sports and outdoor living fun available too. Check out some of the stuff listed in the posts above. And yup, we have 3 of the 4 big sports (though only the Lightning are decent at the moment) so you'd be able to watch your hometown teams pretty regularly. We're definitely used to snowbirds and transplants doing that.

I will warn you though, the Yankees do their spring training here in Tampa (Steinbrenner Field is right across the street from the Bucs' stadium) and so there's a rather large contingent of transplant Yankee fans living in the Tampa Bay area. But then, every city has it's darker side.