Tampa - Then and Now

Kitsune · 10-10-2005, 09:26 PM

So, I tried the "then and now" photo hunt in my own town, Tampa. Here are some of the results.

All historic images courtesy USF Special Collections.

What was once The Ritz theater, shown in 1939 ("Lady of The Tropics" was showing) and then in 1949 ("Under Capricorn" was on the board) has become what is shown in the following post: a nightclub known as The Masquerade, where Gwar will soon be performing in an act that showers the audience in fake blood and urine.

Kitsune · 10-10-2005, 09:28 PM

2005

Kitsune · 10-10-2005, 09:33 PM

Seventh Ave in Historic Ybor as seen near 16th street from the balcony of what was once a casino, now "The Big City Tavern". Across the street, on the corner seen below, what used to be a cigar shop is now "The Rare Olive" with the other parts of the building containing a tattoo shop and deli. You'll note that the buildings on the left side of the image are changed -- they've been torn down to make way for Centro Ybor, part of the rennovations issued to the area to make it more touristy some years ago.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-11-2005, 12:57 AM

Do you know when all the palm trees were added?

Kitsune · 10-11-2005, 06:53 AM

I think they were put in around 2000 or so when they tried to polish the area, but I'm not sure. They never grow them from scratch, they just truck in a full-sized palm and drop it into the ground.

These two shots are of downtown show that in the city's great planning, they elected to rip out the beautiful lighting that they decided to leave in Ybor and pave over the brick streets only to replace part of it with new bricks for a crosswalk. Odd. There is also no trace left of the trolly tracks. Most of the buildings have been destroyed, but you can use the Tampa theater and its companion down the street as reference. They look a bit bigger in my photo thanks to a different lens and the inability to stand on top of a car while taking the picture as the Burget Brothers did with all their street shots.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-11-2005, 09:01 AM

And went from 6 lanes, including parking, to 2.

Don't know if it applies to Tampa but after WW II, General Motors went around the country buying up trolly lines. They ripped out the infrastructure and converted to (GM) busses. Then after people were used to busses they quietly sold off these lines, often at a loss. But they accomplished the destruction of dozens of trolly lines which was their goal.

Kitsune · 10-11-2005, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

And went from 6 lanes, including parking, to 2.

Don't know if it applies to Tampa but after WW II, General Motors went around the country buying up trolly lines. They ripped out the infrastructure and converted to (GM) busses. Then after people were used to busses they quietly sold off these lines, often at a loss. But they accomplished the destruction of dozens of trolly lines which was their goal.

Interesting! Do you have any links on the GM story? I need to research that because it means that GM would have stolen Tampa's trolly system for fifty years! What a waste.

I really do hate many of the changes they've made to downtown. Streets slimmed down so they could force traffic flow along one-way lines, storefronts were wiped out to make way for lunchtime-only sandwich shops, warm lighting was removed and replaced cheaper, harsher lamps, and buildings have been allowed to rot and collapse. Instead of doing what so many other cities have done, which is to rennovate and turn the spaces residential, Tampa has elected to build newer condos along the waterfront.

They'll have to gut the entire city, in the end, in order to bring it back to life.

BigV · 10-11-2005, 10:33 AM

wrt Trolley lines: I would direct your attention to the film Who Framed Roger Rabbitt?

wolf · 10-11-2005, 04:02 PM

My first thought was "Oh my gods!! You mean the storyline of Who Framed Roger Rabbit was real?"

And then I started wondering about the bullets. And the Taxi.

Is it me ... or in Post #5 ... does it look the building in the right foreground on the "today" picture was half-a block further down in the original picture? (on second thought, perhaps the today pic was taken from a different intersection ...)

xoxoxoBruce · 10-12-2005, 02:00 AM

I forget where I read that. Article about mass transit. I'll have to think on that awhile.

Kitsune · 02-23-2006, 07:41 PM

I think I'll bring this idea back <a href="http://tc.fox.org/index.html">in project form</a>.

10-10-2005, 09:26 PM	#1
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Tampa - Then and Now So, I tried the "then and now" photo hunt in my own town, Tampa. Here are some of the results. All historic images courtesy USF Special Collections. What was once The Ritz theater, shown in 1939 ("Lady of The Tropics" was showing) and then in 1949 ("Under Capricorn" was on the board) has become what is shown in the following post: a nightclub known as The Masquerade, where Gwar will soon be performing in an act that showers the audience in fake blood and urine. Attached Images

10-10-2005, 09:28 PM	#2
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	2005 Attached Images

10-10-2005, 09:33 PM	#3
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Seventh Ave in Historic Ybor as seen near 16th street from the balcony of what was once a casino, now "The Big City Tavern". Across the street, on the corner seen below, what used to be a cigar shop is now "The Rare Olive" with the other parts of the building containing a tattoo shop and deli. You'll note that the buildings on the left side of the image are changed -- they've been torn down to make way for Centro Ybor, part of the rennovations issued to the area to make it more touristy some years ago. Attached Images

10-11-2005, 12:57 AM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Do you know when all the palm trees were added? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

10-11-2005, 09:01 AM	#6
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	And went from 6 lanes, including parking, to 2. Don't know if it applies to Tampa but after WW II, General Motors went around the country buying up trolly lines. They ripped out the infrastructure and converted to (GM) busses. Then after people were used to busses they quietly sold off these lines, often at a loss. But they accomplished the destruction of dozens of trolly lines which was their goal. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. Last edited by xoxoxoBruce; 10-11-2005 at 09:07 AM.

10-11-2005, 06:53 AM	#5
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	I think they were put in around 2000 or so when they tried to polish the area, but I'm not sure. They never grow them from scratch, they just truck in a full-sized palm and drop it into the ground. These two shots are of downtown show that in the city's great planning, they elected to rip out the beautiful lighting that they decided to leave in Ybor and pave over the brick streets only to replace part of it with new bricks for a crosswalk. Odd. There is also no trace left of the trolly tracks. Most of the buildings have been destroyed, but you can use the Tampa theater and its companion down the street as reference. They look a bit bigger in my photo thanks to a different lens and the inability to stand on top of a car while taking the picture as the Burget Brothers did with all their street shots. Attached Images

10-11-2005, 10:33 AM	#8
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	wrt Trolley lines: I would direct your attention to the film Who Framed Roger Rabbitt? __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

10-11-2005, 04:02 PM	#9
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	My first thought was "Oh my gods!! You mean the storyline of Who Framed Roger Rabbit was real?" And then I started wondering about the bullets. And the Taxi. Is it me ... or in Post #5 ... does it look the building in the right foreground on the "today" picture was half-a block further down in the original picture? (on second thought, perhaps the today pic was taken from a different intersection ...) __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-12-2005, 02:00 AM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I forget where I read that. Article about mass transit. I'll have to think on that awhile. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-23-2006, 07:41 PM	#11
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	I think I'll bring this idea back <a href="http://tc.fox.org/index.html">in project form</a>.

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