This was the original Seminole Heights blog with commentary about life in and around the urban neighborhood of Seminole Heights in Tampa, Florida. Musings about other topics as my mood permits. The blog is essentially inactive since I moved to Lutz. Go to The Official Unofficial Seminole Heights Blog - www.seminoleheightsblog.com for active content.
(previously Tanga Rays Part 2 )
Tanga Rays - notice the 18+.
I debated whether to post this image taken from the website for this group as this would be an offensive image for many people. However this may be possible supporting documentation that Tanga-Rays is an adult use establishment.
Posted by Hello
Posted by
David Scott Banghart
at
5/05/2005 10:56:00 PM
8 comments:
So David, you must go check it out and report back. We are anxiously awaiting the scoop!
I thought you guys were kidding from your first story. How can you not know this that place is a strip club???
Me and my buddy went in there weeks ago to check it out. It was during our seldom (but fun) Nebraska Dive Bar Tours. We thought we were headed to The Springs Bar -- until we got there, of course.
Anyhow, Tanga-Ray is play on words. A Tanga-Ray is a liquor drink that is said to be especially popular with black people.
With that said, the place IS a partially nude strip club (i.e.: topless club) that serves full liquor. The dancers were mostly black (as was the clientele), but the manager/owner is a white guy. Me and my friend found this out, because we are decent looking, clean cut, early-30 yr old guys. He thought we were narcs (aka cops) and the girls were telling us he told them to be nice to us, but be careful what they said.
The girls were offering dances and trying to get us to buy them drinks; however, I have a feeling if they didn't think we were cops, there'd be a little more 'shady' stuff going on in there.
We were there for about an hour, as not to leave too early ('cause we felt we had to convince the guys in the place we weren't cops, so there would be no trouble in the parking lot). But for sure, it was fun people watching -- the very reason for the Nebraska Dive Bar Tour! As for the other clientele -- they were definitely different and more economically stereo-typical of what you could picture attending a strip club in that area.
Cookie, It looked like Torgo saved me the trouble.
Thanks Torgo. I appreciate the painful sacrifice you made for the good of the blog. This commendation will be noted on your record.
I thought it was a strip club, but I like to be very accurate about things if I can do so. Its location was just a little odd, being next to a church and across from the park. If I saw it in Drew Park or on Dale Mabry it would be a no-brainer. Or should I say a no-bra-er
I was hoping someeone who went inside would give me the scoop.
Also Torgo,
What bars are on the Nebraska Avenue Dive Bar tour and what ratings do you give them?
Oh, there's the: Why Not?!?, The Anchor Pub and Honeysuckle Pub (even though they're off of Florida Ave.) , Starlight Lounge and Library Lounge (both girlie clubs), The Springs (now Tanga-Ray's), etc.
They all receive an "F" for cleanliness, but "A's" for humor. Going from bar-to-bar obviously requires a group of people (for safety) with good spirits, open minds and even demeanors. You definitely don't want to upset the 'regulars'. That's a formula for injury or worse.
The Tour (if for more than one or two beers) also requires a Designated Driver.
It'd be fun to get some sort of Official Nebraska/Florida Ave. Pub Crawl going one day. There are plenty! (Before you ask, I do not have the time or energy to organize it right now; but I would participate!)
I find this absolutely hillarious that a Seminole Heights blog cares what goes on in a part of town that isn't even Seminole Heights. Everyone is so worried what is going on in Sulphur Springs. Ok let's not put the focus on what is going on around the area. Like the nasty ass hookers walking up and down the streets. The drug dealers lurking in Sulphur Springs. You mention it being across the street from a church and a park. What park? Oh yeah the swimming pool..And the church you speak of, I have never seen a single car at the church parking lot. It is an old abandoned office building. There is a church down the street, but there are churches everywhere. People should have the freedom to do as they please where they want. How would the christians take it if all of a sudden those who don't agree with their lifestyle choice started harrassing and lobbying to close down churches. Everyone knows that there are a lot of scam churches out there.
Again I have to ask, what does Seminole Heights care what goes on in Sulphur Springs. Not too long ago, Seminole Heights was a total shit hole. It still is for a a good portion of it but cleaning up. Now all you snooty fuckers come in and think you are better than the rest. Most of you bought your houses for pennies on the dollar and now think you are better? Kiss my ass.
Just for your information... Fetish Parties are not sex parties. Every single one of you have fetishes. There isn't a person alive that doesn't. Don't be a hypocrite. No one likes hypocrites. Check your closets.. everyone has skeletons.
What affect the neighborhoods around Seminole Heights affects Seminole Heights.
Seminole Heights has demonstrated how to help rid the prostitutes.
1. Have a very active neighborhood association.
2.Work closely with the police.
3. Create a Neighborhood Watch Vehicle Patrol to interrupt the prostitution business. We have Vehicle Patrols in Old and Southeast Seminole Heights. Prostitution is dramatically down in our area. Drug dealing is down also.
My point with Tanga Ray's is this.
Is the place an adult use establishment? I do not know. That's why I raised the question. At least one person has provided information that suggests that it might. If it is not, then okay.
If it is an adult use establishment, has it complied with the necessary zoning variance rules? If it has, so be it.
If it has not, then there may be a problem, of a business operating illegally. There are laws and ordinances as to where adult use establishments can operate. The place simply needs to operate within the law, assuming it is not already doing so.
The church (A.F.A.B) is immediately next door to Tanga-Rays and was there before Tanga-Rays began operation. The pool is a park, a park enjoyed by families.
The church in the tall building is too far to be considered in this equation.
I never said the fetish party was a sex party. I said "this may be possible supporting documentation that Tanga-Rays is an adult use establishment."
In a civilized society people do not have the freedom to do as they please wherever they want. You know that.
I ask you, for all your complaints about Seminole Heights, what are you doing to make your neighborhood a better and safer place to live? Are you a member of the Sulphur Springs Action Leaque? Are you a member of the neighborhood watch? Are you involved in other activities in your neighborhood to help better the place? If so good. If not, why not? Do you not care about where you live? I know people who live in Sulphur Springs and they want it to improve, to be a nicer place to live, where they don't have to be in fear of the crime and drugs and the nasty ass hookers.
I do understand your point on trying to make the area a better place to live. We should all want that. I do not like drug dealers or prostitutes roaming the streets in my neighborhood. Nor do I want to feel unsafe walking the street at night that some crack head will come up and try to rob me.
Here is my point. It shouldn't matter if Tanga Rays, or any other place is an adult establishment. The key word here is adult. Children aren't allowed in there, so what does it matter what happens behind closed doors? The religious groups such as the American Family Association, or the Christian Coalition have never had any problem shoving their values down other people's throats. Those who either work at a titty bar, or patronize one know exactly what they are going in there for, and would never bring their family into one. Nor do those who patronize these places ever try to force their values down the christian fundementalist groups throats.
This country was founded on the basic principles of freedom. Freedom from a tyrannical government,freedom to live as you please. If you are not hurting another, what harm is there? No one is injured by adult establishments. Most of the bars I have ever seen, all regulate that the customers get in their cars and leave and do not tollerate loitering. Nor do they want or tollerate prostitutes hanging around. Most try to operate on a low key and not bring what happens inside outside.
The police spend far too much time, effort, and money trying to police these establishments that are operating under the blanket of the law. Time could be better spent policing the neighborhoods and watching convicted child molesters, arresting actual criminals. These are the kinds of things that make a neighborhood better.
I lived in one of the best areas in all of Tampa Bay area. There were 2 adult establishments with an arms throw of each other. Neither one made property values go down, infact they have sky rocketed. You could go to sleep at night and forget to lock the front door and not have to worry about anything. When you woke up in the morning, your car and all it's belongings were still intact as you had left it.
Lets find places for the homeless people to go so that you don't get panhandled when you go in a store. Let's focus our energy other places that will make the neighborhoods better and safer.
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