Gaybor central
Carrie West and his partner Mark first opened a store called the Suncoast Resort in St. Petersburg selling books, DVDs and CDs. They have opened a second store in Ybor, and their whole lineup is now clothing. They now offer swimwear, shorts and a lot of great shirts, and they carry the top names in underwear. According to West, Ybor was a really popular place for gays until the community kicked them out in 1993. When asked if the LGBTQ rights movement that has been spreading across the country has changed the community’s support, West replied, “No, I don’t think it’s changed because of that. We made the community change. Either help us, join us, or get out of our f***ing way. We still walk into places that tell us ‘we don’t want to be a part of your f*gg*t organization.’ Well, okay, then don’t ask us for any help.”
Hamburger Mary’s
Michael Wilson has worked as the general manager at Mary’s since its opening four years ago in December 2009. “90 percent of our business is straight. We consider ourselves a neutral zone for everybody. Mary’s caters to the gay community, but it is not thrown in your face,” Wilson said. According to Wilson, the first Mary’s opened in San Francisco in 1972 by a group of people. The last surviving owner today is Bob Charles. Mary was a character created by the original owners in 1992. There was no ‘Mary’ to begin with. It was just a diner in San Francisco that drag queens frequented. It’s a term in the gay community to address others like ‘Come on Mary’ or ‘Mary, please.’ The owner decorated it out of a thrift store and now all stores reflect that same type of look. It has catered to celebrities such as Alexis Mateo and Alisa Summers, both contestants in Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
Bradley’s on 7th
Bradley’s on 7th was the brain child of the owner Bradley Nelson, which he created on March 4, 2011. According to Nelson, Bradley’s was the first bar in Ybor to have a happy hour. It also has an amateur strip contest once a week with $200 in cash and prizes, and there are drag shows every Friday and Saturday. Bradley’s MC Joey Brooks is a Tampa native and has been working as an employee since he was 17 years old. Nelson said that Brooks has traveled the world from Rio to London to Amsterdam and many other major cities performing at high-end clubs and events. Today, Brooks headlines at Bradley’s as the show director and MC. Bradley’s on 7th is open 365 days a year. Happy Hour is every day from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. with 2-for-1 deals.
Gbar
GBar is gay owned and operated. It has a full video bar and a big dance room complete with all-intelligent lighting and a laser show along with a great stage for concerts. According to the Ybor Clubs website, they are open five nights a week with various drink specials and events for each night. They are located at 1401 E. 7th Ave.
HoneyPot
According to the Ybor Clubs website, HoneyPot features a huge wooden dance floor with circuit DJs, singers, TV reality star appearances, unbelievable shows by The Steam Girls and all-male revenue shows. Also enjoy their multi-million dollar 3-story venue.