In downtown Tampa and Ybor City you can take advantage of the trolley rail lines, powered by overhead cables, but make other arrangements for your return trip if planning to stay out past their shut-down times. Buses stop running fairly early, making them impractical for those interested in exploring gay nightlife. You may be better off driving in the Tampa Bay area. If you plan to drive, you will find easy access to both cities via the interstate highways. in Tampa it's the Tampa International Airport, the larger of the two, and often with less expensive flights. For Saint Pete listings click to that city.īoth Tampa and St Pete have international airports, which makes for easy access to both sides of the bay. Not far away are Clearwater and other cities with visible gay communities. Across the bay is its sister city of St Petersburg. On one side is Tampa, which has a long and interesting heritage. The Tampa Bay area is made up of two cities on opposite sides of the bay. From the beautiful sunrises and romantic sunsets to the tropical weather (sometimes with awe-inspiring electrical storms) to the ever-changing nightlife, there is always something new to discover. You don't have to look hard to see that the Tampa Bay area has much to offer the gay traveler. See the Visit Tampa Bay, City of Tampa, and Florida Health websites for local updates. See the CDC website for details and updates.
There are restrictions on the entry of some travelers into the United States in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. For more info, news of future event, and to get on Cristoph’s VIP list, visit measures in the wake of Covid-19: Their daily (and lengthy!) happy hour features half-off drink specials from 2pm to 9pm, and they offer a variety of events and specials every night of the week.Ĭristoph’s is located less than 5 minutes from Hyde Park Village, 10 minutes from the Downtown Tampa neighborhoods, and the bar is only a short drive or Uber ride away from St. The Cristoph’s team has been working very hard to bring the Tampa area some great new ideas and concepts for the LGBT community. “Rick and I are so fortunate to work with a group of people who are like a family to us now,” Jacqueline says. She and Rick give credit to their amazing Cristoph’s team, who strive to make the club better each and every day. “We’re excited to open our first bar that caters to the LGBT community, and we have absolutely enjoyed our experience so far.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new venue, the Cristoph’s family asks you to give them a try: “We’re very excited to bring our vision to the area,” says Jacqueline. Many of these events will cater to the LGBT bear, leather, and fantasy/fetish communities. The upstairs has been transformed into a multipurpose space that can be booked for private events, but will primarily be used to entertain Cristoph’s patrons with theme parties or experiences that Tampa has never seen - or hasn’t seen in quite a long time. Once your ID has passed muster, you descend to the lower level that features a large bar, a dance floor, the DJ booth, and a stage area that will host some of the finest entertainers in the Tampa Bay area. When you enter Christoph’s, you’re greeted by one of their handsome and friendly staff members. “We wanted people to know how much we care about this business,” Jacqueline says. Jacqueline and Rick are proud to say there’s not one area of the building that was overlooked during the renovations. When Jacqueline and Rick took over the infamous 2606 location in January, they gave the property a much-needed facelift. RELATED: Cristoph’s Tampa – Bear Soup PhotosĬristoph’s has been up and running for almost two months now, but, as with any new business venture, getting there wasn’t easy. They had a simple vision: not only to bring a new LGBT establishment to the area but to bring back a concept that the Tampa area had been missing for quite some time. Armenia Avenue in the old West Tampa area.įor several years Jacqueline had wanted to open a bar that catered to the LGBT community, and when the opportunity arose, she and Rick jumped on it. Less than two weeks later, Jacqueline McRae, Rick Hill, and their newly hired staff welcomed friends and patrons to Cristoph’s, located at 2606 N. If you attended the Tampa Pride parade back in March, you may have heard that a new bar was coming to town.