Tampa. No really, it's cooler than you think!

At first glance, it appears to be mostly made up of strip clubs and strip malls. I don't know much, but here are some gems I can share from spending about 8 hours there.

Feeling the Bern
Apparently when you ask anyone about Tampa (who has been there) they will all recommend one place first. And so my exploration of this great city began at Bern's Steakhouse. This place looks like a warehouse. Despite it's lack of architectural charm, the first impression upon entry is memorable...vampire lair. This is a Tampa stronghold, beloved by locals for special events and deeply respected by the F&B industry. The space is a collection of eclectic dining rooms, each with their own decor that is firmly frozen in previous decade. YOU COME HERE FOR STEAK. All of it is butchered in house and the experienced servers will guide you to the exact cut, thickness, doneness, and sauciness meant for you - see below overwhelming photo of the menu. When you sit down, tell your waiter you want to experience the kitchen tour and Dessert Room. I was most amazed at how they graciously orchestrate tours of 8-12 through a fully functioning high volume kitchen. Highlights include their cheese curing area, a peanut roaster they converted to a coffee roaster, and then…the largest wine cellar in the United States (which is most assuredly a fire hazard). The Dessert Room completes the throwback experience, where compartments are outfitted with a phone to ring your waiter, and a push button music system, which of course allows you to pipe in the pianist in the lobby. Yes, they serve Baked Alaska.
See Bern's Website!

Victorian Fancy Pants
What Berns lacks in architectural detailing, the Henry Plant Museum makes up for in spades. It is a Historic Landmark on U of Tampa's campus and was once the glamorous Tampa Bay Hotel of 1881. Mr. Plant was a railroad, steamship, and hotel mogul, so you can imagine the crazy times this place enjoyed in its heyday. Built in the late Victorian era in the Moorish Revivial style (because it would appeal to Mr. Plant's well-traveled visitors!), the porch details and stainless steel domes are superscaled and breathtaking.
See what Wiki has to say...

Hipster Barometer
Across the street from the museum: I invite you to imagine a swingers party where Salt & Sundry, Woodberry Kitchen, Stumptown Coffee, Warby Parker, and Rizzoli Books are all invited. This is the Oxford Exchange- a dining and retail experience housed in the old stables that once served the University of Tampa. Go for brunch. Great instagram fodder and expensive candles.
Oxford Exchange Website

Residential Lussssshury
The Tampa Bay is lined with historic houses in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Textbook examples in a variety of styles from Craftsman to Neo-Classical make the area worthy of some serious architectural geekery. Take a drive/bike/stroll along Bayshore Boulevard (the longest sidewalk in the world!) and explore the residential streets. It's charming AF. 

Historic Hyde Park Guide to Architectural Styles!

PS, this is Jill Kelley's house, who inadvertently exposed Petraeus' infidelity and ended his career! Tampa scandal!