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Cities: Marianna, Tampa, NYC, DC

This section is dedicated to the cities I have lived in and learned to love. Hopefully, the information enclosed will be useful to anyone planning to visit or even move to one of these locations. I have included some vital statistics for some added objectivity so one can decide what they think based on just the facts. Contact me if you have any questions on visiting one of these areas, particularly Marianna since there isn't a lot of information online about my hometown.

Marianna

I was born in a little country-like town (Marianna) in northwest Florida where I spent most of my life. There wasn't much going on there when I lived there and by most outsider's standards there still isn't. We were luckier than most towns, however, since Marianna is the county seat and now has a SUPER Wal-Mart. Our largest basketball rival, Malone, only has one traffic light in the entire town. Imagine that! Everyone goes to the same school (k-12), eeeeehhh. But Marianna isn't that far ahead. When Wal-Mart is the biggest town recreation something's a little wrong. Our most recognized and valuable sites are the Florida Caverns, Chipola River and the oak trees, which are being slaughtered at an alarming rate due to the much wanted - well we thought so anyway - business growth. Small towns like Marianna do have their high points too. The warmth and genuine desire to help each other is something that can't be replaced. So I truly believe Marianna has earned the name "City of Southern Charm."

Tampa

After graduating from Marianna's Chipola Junior College, I moved to Tampa to finish up my degree at the University of South Florida. Moving from little Marianna to Tampa was not an easy change. USF alone has almost 4 times more people enrolled and working there than the entire city of Marianna. Additionally, I consider myself to be a true Southerner. That's one of the reasons I had a hard time dealing with the move to Tampa. Though it's in the South, Tampa's so distant from what most know and understand about the "true" South because there are so many damn northerners invading the central and southern parts of Florida. So if you're seeking that real down South feeling and/or that southern hospitality you've heard about stay above Orlando. On a more positive note, there are only a few little racist towns further south in comparison to where I grew up. For the most part it's an extension of the northeast and is kind of a melting pot. But it's not perfect race relations by any means.

Unlike Marianna, Tampa Bay has several options for entertainment. There are major attractions like Busch Gardens and Adventure Island, the Greyhound Track, the Seminole Casino, and the Florida State Fair. From what I hear, Tampa has more adult entertainment per capita than anywhere else in the states :-O. You can't miss the prominent strip clubs on the main highway through Tampa, Dale Mabry [Ave.], and just down from the New York Yankee's Legend Field and the Tampa Bay Buc's Raymond James Stadium. However, for the most part you probably wouldn't notice how much kinky stuff happens in Tampa unless you knew where to start. Still, a very stark contrast from what I grew up with in the panhandle. I don't think there was even a strip club in the county. And they actually have a nightlife as drab as it can become for locals.

Ybor city -- pronounced EEEEhhhh, [what a] bore...lol, okay just E-bore -- has long been the main hot spot for college kids but has recently grown into a family-friendly setting as well. But don't be fooled too much. Though violence has decreased tremendously and now white kids aren't afraid to walk to their cars after a late night at the club, it isn't a completely clean area (more ecstasy - MDMA - than you can shake a glowstick at) and if you're into being watched it's the place to be. There are 'big brother' surveillance cameras watching everywhere on 7th Ave, the main corridor to all the bars and clubs. The cameras have been the subject of much controversy fueling debates and arguments from safety and privacy advocates. The cameras were also featured on the news for a while when one captured a stabbing in the middle of the street.

Ybor, or at least the kids that grew up in the area, claims to be the origin of the techno music craze. Ybor, "Florida's Latin Quarter", is also a historic cuban hub and home of those famous cigars. The city hosts the two wildest parties in the area -Gasparilla Piratefest in February and Guavaween on Halloween. Both are WAY crowded and there are certain to be: a huge parade, beads and prizes, car crashes and traffic jams on the way over, exposed boobs/shlongs flashing for beads and/or for the fun of it, HUGE parties, lots of money exchanging hands, fights because some drunk guy bumped into someone, pregnant women and parents putting their children in harms way and exposing them to things they are likely not ready for. *Note* Keep the kids AWAY from the night festivities. There is a day parade.

New York City - Manhattan

The great thing about the culture shock I got when I moved to Tampa was that it prepared me to understand and adapt to living in NYC - Manhattan for the summer of 2000. I don't claim to even know half of what there is to know about New York City. I was lucky enough to live in Manhattan and I rarely visited the other boroughs. I lived in Morningside Heights, a cute little area just after Columbia University and before Harlem. One of the great things about NYC being such a popular tourist attraction is info on visiting the city is abundant. So I won't elaborate too much on it. Like most say, NYC/Manhattan is like no other city so you probably can never be totally prepared for all that NYC has to offer. The link that really helped me while I was there is :New York City Search. Also, if you like to party, get Baird Jones passes ASAP.

Washington, DC metro - Arlington

I currently live in the DC metro area - namely Pentagon City. I was in a two-year or so moving trend when I moved here. The streak has been broken. I've now lived in the DC metro area for almost eight years. I came here for yet another internship and was hired on immediately. The nonprofit world certainly isn't where I thought I'd be but guess life isn't exactly the way you script it all the time. And after 9/11 - when I was ready to put my tail between my legs and retreat back to the safety and comfort of Florida - I didn't expect to still be here. But here I am. :) I've since left the nonprofit/association sector to move into the gov't contract world. I usually work on the civil side of things rather than defense but it's still a lot more lucrative and I get to keep my skills relevant.

Again, DC has a good deal of information available. Besides, it is the nation's capital. My favorite things in the city, in no particular order: Haines Point (the Awakening statue), Mt. Vernon Trail, FDR Memorial, the National Cathedral and Bishop's Garden, and Iwo Jima.

 




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