Planning a day trip to the area in about a week. I'm pretty much set to stay in downtown St. Pete with the wife but never really asked much how Tampa compares. We're looking for a nice area with some decent restaurants with good local beer. The plan right now is to stay in St. Pete at The Hollander. From what I gather St. Pete is a little nicer area than Tampa? and has some quality beer/food options too it seems. Just thought I would see what Tampa might have to offer in comparison.
Tampa is just different from St. Pete. While St. Pete has a lot going on in one small walkable area, most Tampa points of interests are spread out. Downtown Tampa itself has little to nothing going on. The only slightly comparable area of Tampa is Ybor which is now home to Coppertail, Cigar City Cider and Mead, and Tampa Bay Brewing.
I generally agree with the assessment. For sure, downtown St Pete has a lot more going on in a concentrated area whereas Tampa's stuff is more spread out. For a day trip, I'd recommend Ybor City simply because it has more history than much of the rest of the city. CCC&M and TBBC are close enough to walk between (as is New World Brewery, which doesn't actually brew but is a cool place to have some good beer). You COULD walk to Coppertail because the distance isn't too great but I wouldn't recommend it for a variety of safety reasons. There are a bunch of eclectic restaurants along 7th Avenue. Downtown Tampa seems a little soulless but it's getting better. The Riverwalk is nearly done and that's actually very cool. You can stroll from Ulele restaurant (great food, apparently, and they're making decent beer) on the north side all the way around to the Tampa Bay History Center. Anise restaurant is phenomenal and they make great drinks. Cafe Dufrain (on Harbour Island) has outdoor seating, good food and a decent tap list. Even the history center has a mini-Columbia Restaurant and I believe they serve beer, too. The University of Tampa is gorgeous and the Museum of Art is solid (though St. Pete's museums -- the Museum of Fine Art and the Dali -- are better). Tampa broadly also has Busch Gardens, the Lowry Park Zoo and the Hillsborough River for canoe/kayak rentals. It all depends on what you wanna do. The other neighborhood in Tampa that's got a lot of stuff going on is Seminole Heights, home to Angry Chair and Southern Brewing and Winemaking (both are top-notch). The Independent and Mermaid are cool places to have some beers. And there are some great restaurants: The Refinery, Rooser & Till, Fodder & Shine.
St. Pete is a much nicer place to stay. Most of Tampa is a shithole, downtown is ok, Ybor is worth checking out but not where you want to stay unless you are into drunk idiot nightlife. Cigar City, Pegs, and Seventh Sun are the must visit breweries in the area, some of the others are pretty decent but nothing you should be mad at yourself for missing.
