Take a streetcar straight to kid-friendly Ybor City
By KATHERINE SNOW SMITH
Published August 24, 2003
Ybor City. It's not just for teens, tourists and adults anymore. There's a slew of places in this east Tampa area that your kids would enjoy if you want to make a full day out of it or just visit a couple of these places here and there. To begin with, you might park at the Florida Aquarium or IMAX theater at Channelside and take the Teco Line Streetcar to one of the four stops in Ybor. Eight cars patterned after 1920s streetcars have glossy oak and cherry interiors with brass detailing. A one-way fare is $1.25 - you need exact change. Cars stop every 15 or 20 minutes. The ride from Channelside to Ybor takes about 15 minutes. Call (813) 254-4278 for more information.
Creatures of Delight. This place is part arts-and-crafts center, part museum and part working factory. The company makes and sells latex creatures, masks and more. It also has latex animals, similar in size and shape to stuffed animals, that kids can paint with paint pens and decorate with hair, glitter, buttons, lace, fabric and more. They can choose from fish and parrots to dragons and mermaids or try a puppet or mask. Prices range from $10 to $20. Call ahead for hours and to make sure you're not crashing a birthday party or Scout outing. It's located at 1901 N 15th St. next to a streetcar stop. (813) 248-4167.
The Ybor City Museum shows cigar rolling on weekends and offers 10-minute tours of a historic Casita, the tiny home that cigar workers could rent for $2.50 a week around 1895. The museum is at 1818 E Ninth Ave. Admission is $2 a person over 6 years of age. (813) 247-6323.
The Clayground is a paint-your-own pottery studio at 1729 E Seventh Ave. It has plenty of neat things kids can paint; then they fire it up in the kiln. (813) 241-2529 or (813) 241-CLAY.
Centro Ybor is a retail and entertainment complex with 26 stores and restaurants and a multiscreen movie theater. It's located at 1600 E Eighth Ave. (813) 242-4600. The following places are part of the two-story retail complex.
The International Bazaar offers cool things from 50 different countries that kids can browse through as if they are going from country to country. Prices start at $1. They can also play or watch chess at the tables in the back for free. On Fridays and Saturdays a master cigar roller is showing his craft. Sometimes dancers and musicians perform for free on weekends as well. (813) 241-8292.
Game Works is a lot like Chuck E. Cheese but with better food. (813) 247-0164.
Fresh Mouth is a kid-friendly burger joint with a diner atmosphere in Centro Ybor. (813) 241-8845.
At Marble Slab Creamery children can create their own ice cream by choosing their favorite candy, cookie, fruit or even cookie dough to stir into any flavor ice cream. It's mixed up right in front of them on, you guessed it, a marble slab. The ice creams range from rich, to low-fat to non-fat frozen yogurts. (813) 247-4406.
- Editor's note: On the fourth Sunday of every month, Rookie Mom will do something different. Instead of a column, she will offer a list of activities. Here's the first one.
