"So we just got ribbons and white lights and huge red bells and strung them through the streets. "We were like, ‘You guys don’t decorate for Christmas?’" West said. They began adding events and festivals and other finishing touches to what they felt was too drab of a neighborhood. West and Bias created colorful little maps, locating gay and gay-friendly businesses for visitors.Īs the GaYbor District began gaining more recognition among city officials and the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, GaYbor members furthered their influence. At the time, there were about five gay businesses operating near the west end of Seventh Avenue, the main commercial drag, and more on the way. The GaYbor District Coalition began, unofficially, when longtime partners Carrie West and Mark Bias moved their gay-themed gift shop MC Film (1901 North 15th Street) from St. It includes a 12-block area (12th to 18th street and from 4th up to Palm) and offers a trolley and an Amtrak stop nearby for transportation.
With cobbled streets and red brick buildings, the neighborhood has an old-time feel but also a progressive mix of eclectic shops, bars and restaurants that have attracted visitors for the past 20 years. It was an interesting addition against the backdrop of historic Ybor City, a former cigar-rolling district with Latin roots. In fact, GaYbor – a coalition of gay and gay-friendly businesses that began on the west end of a popular nightclub and restaurant strip – began taking shape only about four years ago. "Yet it feels like it’s been here forever." "It feels like an untapped vacation spot," said McAndrews, 41. A friend in the Keys told us about 'GaYbor' and we came here and were surprised." "When you think of gay districts, you tend to think Miami or the Keys," said Marchman, 32. TAMPA – Alan Marchman and Shane McAndrews of North Carolina have made Ybor City their favorite destination spot for the past three years, calling it a "hidden gem" for gay singles and uples, a place where they always feel at home. A coalition of Tampa gay bars and clubs and other gay-friendly businesses began about four years ago against the backdrop of a popular nightclub and restaurant strip.