Places

The story of  Ybor City’s Broadway Bakery, Manny Leto writes about La Joven Francesca Bakery, once a cornerstone in the Ybor City neighborhood. Today this same structure is the Ybor State Museum, a national landmark.

 The most humble cigar maker houses–“the shotgun”–had a front porch, a small living room, a bedroom, a kitchen and a backyard. The first houses built had no electricity, water or indoor plumbing.

“Lost City” is about an area of Tampa called Roberts City that was flattened by the bulldozers of Urban Renewal. This close knit community was obliterated in the early 1960s for the sake of “progress”! George Lopez is one resident who continues to keep the memories of his neighborhood alive by making sure the rest of us never forget.

For the uninitiated, for the inexperienced, for those unfortunate sheltered souls, we unleash upon you the unflappable, indefatigable Activist, Resident, Artist, Ladies Man, Teller of Tales and Chairman of the Board, Mr. Joe Howden. Few can contest Mr. Howden's commitment to the Ybor City neighborhood, and in his insightful treatise, Mr. Howden leads us on a journey through the recent past, chronicling the history of the Barrio Latino Commission, the group charged with preserving the architectural heritage of Ybor City. Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you Joe Howden.

By night, GIs danced alongside Tampa's elite and the hotel's celebrity guests, which over the years included Jimmy Stewart, Jack Dempsey, Elvis Presley and Charlton Heston. The Floridan Hotel was also where Gary Cooper wooed actress Lupe Velez in 1930 while they stayed there during the filming of “Hell Harbor.”

A dress code was firmly enforced–women had to wear a dress and men had to wear a jacket and tie. Local musical legends like the late Columbia Restaurant owner and violinist Cesar Gonzmart performed. Not even the house rule, which forbade women from sitting at the bar without a male escort, could keep them away.

“There were so many women dancing that the Sapphire Room was renamed the Sure-fire Room by some of the local GIs,” explained Arencibia.

Many famous artists have graced the stage at the Springs Theater. Jennifer Lopez rented the space for private rehearsals when she performed at Super Bowl  XXXV in Tampa. Robert Smith of rock band The Cure recorded vocal tracks there. Swing revivalists Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin, and the Florida Orchestra have all recorded compositions at the theater.

The Goody Goody restaurant opened its doors on Grand Central Boulevard–what’s now known as Kennedy Boulevard–in 1925. Five years later, it was sold and moved to Florida Avenue where it would remain for the next 75 years. In its early days, the Goody Goody

Urban Removal: Ybor City Before & After Urban Renewal, provides a cautionary tale about what can happen when we ignore and devalue the places that make us unique. What we can learn from Urban Renewal, among other things, is that bigger is not always better, that decisions affecting neighborhoods and cities must be carefully vetted, and that sometimes a little creativity and care can accomplish more than 100 bulldozers.

In the 1980s Ybor had transitioned from an immigrant barrio to an arts enclave; the new collection of empty historic buildings was perfectly suited for artists in need of large studios and cheap rent. And then there was the the Ritz Theater.