Maxim Magazine Ranks Tampa No. 6 On Party City List

FloridaFuture · October 24th, 2007, 12:10 PM

Maxim Magazine Ranks Tampa No. 6 On Party City List
By KEITH MORELLI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

TAMPA - The city may be losing ground in college football's Top 10, but there's still plenty of reason to party.

Or so the people at Maxim would have you believe. This land of strip clubs, drunken parades and prodigious beer consumption rates No. 6 on the bacchanalian Top 10 developed by the magazine known for having scantily clad celebrities on its cover.

Among the other factors in its party matrix: The number of 'modeling agencies,' the median age of divorcees, colleges in the area, 24-hour restaurants, gaming laws and condom sales.

Maxim picked Miami as the top party city, mainly because it has so many modeling agencies and a double-digit divorce rate. Tampa is No. 2 in the Sunshine State, but in the eyes of Maxim's editors, it beats New Orleans, Dallas, Chicago and Detroit.

Chris Smith, a vice president with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, was contacted by Maxim for his input and welcomes the attention. Convention business is directly connected to the city's party reputation, Smith said. 'A big draw for conventions is the nightlife afterward,' he said.

Mayor Pam Iorio learned of the city's new distinction Tuesday and agreed that Tampa is a fun place.

'If it's equated to having a good time, that's good,' Iorio said. 'People do come here to have a good time.'

That doesn't necessarily mean hanging out at strip bars or drinking until the wee hours, she said. So, what does it mean?

'Tailgating for our sports teams,' Iorio said, which include the University of South Florida's Bulls, No. 2 football team in the nation until a loss at Rutgers on Thursday dropped them to No. 10 in the BCS rankings. 'That's good entertainment before, during and after the games,' the mayor said. 'We are a community that has a lot of events, and at all of those events, people have a good time.'

She counts 800 events, including community functions nearly every weekend.

Maxim's editors, though, seemed to have other criteria in mind.

'It's four o'clock: Do you know where your dad is?' the magazine's Tampa profile begins. 'He's probably at one of the city's 49 strip clubs.' That's more clubs than Las Vegas, the magazine says. The photo representing Tampa: the 2001 Odyssey strip club.

Maxim also noted the city's relatively high median age, but considers that to be mitigated by fondness for beer: 'Citizens down 5.41 cases of beer at home annually.'

Bill Gieseking, director of marketing for Pepin Distributing, doesn't dispute the figure. About 14 million cases of beer are sold each year in Hillsborough and part of Pasco County, said Gieseking, whose company sells Budweiser. 'It's a good market for beer consumption because it is an active lifestyle market, good weather and a growing population,' he said.

Last year, Tampa didn't make the Maxim list. This year the formula was tweaked, said Sam Barclay, a Maxim contributor. The other cities scoring higher than Tampa: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

Even mathematicians and economists weighed in, considering such factors as whether you can buy a six-pack at a grocery store.

'We want to reward cities who don't punish people for partying,' Barclay said.

'Tampa is a hell of a party city,' he added. 'Ybor City is there, and anyone who has ever gone to Ybor City has had a good time.'

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/oct...-party-city-l/

randommichael · October 24th, 2007, 03:13 PM

I don't know if this is an honor or not. A trashy magazine calling us a good place to party? I don't know if its good to brag about the number of strip clubs we have. I wouldn't be too upset if they all shut down.

HARTride 2012 · October 24th, 2007, 03:32 PM

Agreed. This isn't something to be very proud about. Especially coming from a risque magazine such as Maxim.

JBrisco · October 24th, 2007, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wslupecki

Agreed. This isn't something to be very proud about. Especially coming from a risque magazine such as Maxim.

None the less, let's party!!!

jonknee · October 24th, 2007, 06:53 PM

I don't know if I would call Maxim risque, it's like men's general interest. Girls, gadgets, sports, movies etc. Regardless, I wouldn't put too much stock in their lists. They have a lot of them.

I often pick it up in the airport and remember seeing one on steak houses and Bern's made the list (forget the rank, but it was fairly high), so maybe they have a writer that lives here. Or maybe just a couple that follow the Yankees down for spring training--I think most of their staff is NYC based.

HARTride 2012 · October 24th, 2007, 07:57 PM

Well, certain aspects of the magazine may be pushing that line. I'm not saying the entire magazine is risque.

tamparican · October 25th, 2007, 05:46 AM

Maxim to me is more like the general-mainstream-men magazine...yea they have a slew of lists every issue for everything there is, but to me it really cannot hurt. If anything it would help bring more people/business to the area, people that might not have thought of coming to TPA before, might decide to come check it out now that its up there with the big boys in terms of things to do and entertainment life in their monthly mag

....Also have to remember the mag's target age range which is usually what 18-36yr old males..which is what DT/channelside/Ybor is trying to attract as well in terms of condo sales offices. Nothing to be proud of overall, but I guess it has some bragging rights for what its worth

Robert.Maddrey · October 25th, 2007, 05:51 AM

Maxim being risque...that laughable. Dennis Publications set the bar for the modern men's lifestyle publication when they brought Maxim stateside. Bearing the current state of things in the publishing market I would consider any praise there-in to be of value.

orlandonative · October 25th, 2007, 02:15 PM

Um, Tampas position in the poll was predicated by the number of strip clubs, not clubs, bars or restaurants, but strip clubs. The fact that the mayor was proud of it leads me to believe she had no clue what they based it on.

gstolze · October 25th, 2007, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlandonative

Um, Tampas position in the poll was predicated by the number of strip clubs, not clubs, bars or restaurants, but strip clubs. The fact that the mayor was proud of it leads me to believe she had no clue what they based it on.

As I understood, the ranking is based on several different factors. Tampa is a great place to be and has no reason to hide. That strip club issue is ridiculous anyway. Who cares. Nobody would let their image of a city influence by the number of strip clubs.

orlandonative · October 25th, 2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gstolze

Nobody would let their image of a city influence by the number of strip clubs.

I disagree

, its the first thing I think of and I don't mind strip clubs.

There was no article. The first paragraph in the paper was more covereage that the magazine gave, i've had it for a week now.

randommichael · October 25th, 2007, 03:02 PM

Being strip club capital of the world isn't a good thing!

jonknee · October 25th, 2007, 04:45 PM

There are definitely worse things to be known for.

randommichael · October 25th, 2007, 05:42 PM

Yeah, like the highest murder rate...now that would be a bad one.

cwat212 · October 26th, 2007, 05:07 AM

hey as it is always been said, "any news is good news..". Or something like that....right?

Robert.Maddrey · October 26th, 2007, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randommichael

Being strip club capital of the world isn't a good thing!

How exactly is it not a good thing? Its an industry that caters to its customers just like any other. Its not my thing personally, but I do not see its existence as a black and white good/bad thing.

cwat212 · October 26th, 2007, 05:36 AM

Strip clubs tend to give an idea of depressed areas. It is not about personal desires or acceptance, but being known as a "Strip Club City" does not equate to something considered high class or family related.

Personally, I do not give a crap what is done personally but because I have young children, I do understand the negatives. Granted, no problems have ever even come up in my life.

....as far as selling conventions or the area to people other than men, it might come into play...

jonknee · October 26th, 2007, 05:46 AM

Eh, Vegas isn't exactly known as a depressed area and it's Sin City.

Robert.Maddrey · October 26th, 2007, 03:45 PM

Exactly. As far as family friendly, the strip clubs for the most part are tucked away in areas that do not surround family friendly attractions. Most are hidden in areas like Drew Park or Industrial areas off of Adamo, etc... Of course there are the big names which reside along Dale Mabry or in Westshore but again they are not in high traffic family tourism areas either. That being said, it is amazing the number of clients that fly into Tampa and the first place they ask about is "Mons"... Its under that concept that I do not see the strip club mantra as being as black and white as good/bad for the city. So, while its not my thing or yours per say, it is a viable economic draw for the area. It would be interesting to hear ol' Joe Redners take on the subject.

jonknee · October 26th, 2007, 04:29 PM

The Mons is really well known, absolutely amazing. I've had people ask about it when I'm conventions and what not--"You're from Tampa? Oh I remember Tampa...". Always positive too

.

October 24th, 2007, 12:10 PM	#1
FloridaFuture Former Mod Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Tampa/Gainesville Posts: 5,234 Likes (Received): 0	Maxim Magazine Ranks Tampa No. 6 On Party City List Maxim Magazine Ranks Tampa No. 6 On Party City List By KEITH MORELLI, The Tampa Tribune Published: October 24, 2007 TAMPA - The city may be losing ground in college football's Top 10, but there's still plenty of reason to party. Or so the people at Maxim would have you believe. This land of strip clubs, drunken parades and prodigious beer consumption rates No. 6 on the bacchanalian Top 10 developed by the magazine known for having scantily clad celebrities on its cover. Among the other factors in its party matrix: The number of 'modeling agencies,' the median age of divorcees, colleges in the area, 24-hour restaurants, gaming laws and condom sales. Maxim picked Miami as the top party city, mainly because it has so many modeling agencies and a double-digit divorce rate. Tampa is No. 2 in the Sunshine State, but in the eyes of Maxim's editors, it beats New Orleans, Dallas, Chicago and Detroit. Chris Smith, a vice president with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, was contacted by Maxim for his input and welcomes the attention. Convention business is directly connected to the city's party reputation, Smith said. 'A big draw for conventions is the nightlife afterward,' he said. Mayor Pam Iorio learned of the city's new distinction Tuesday and agreed that Tampa is a fun place. 'If it's equated to having a good time, that's good,' Iorio said. 'People do come here to have a good time.' That doesn't necessarily mean hanging out at strip bars or drinking until the wee hours, she said. So, what does it mean? 'Tailgating for our sports teams,' Iorio said, which include the University of South Florida's Bulls, No. 2 football team in the nation until a loss at Rutgers on Thursday dropped them to No. 10 in the BCS rankings. 'That's good entertainment before, during and after the games,' the mayor said. 'We are a community that has a lot of events, and at all of those events, people have a good time.' She counts 800 events, including community functions nearly every weekend. Maxim's editors, though, seemed to have other criteria in mind. 'It's four o'clock: Do you know where your dad is?' the magazine's Tampa profile begins. 'He's probably at one of the city's 49 strip clubs.' That's more clubs than Las Vegas, the magazine says. The photo representing Tampa: the 2001 Odyssey strip club. Maxim also noted the city's relatively high median age, but considers that to be mitigated by fondness for beer: 'Citizens down 5.41 cases of beer at home annually.' Bill Gieseking, director of marketing for Pepin Distributing, doesn't dispute the figure. About 14 million cases of beer are sold each year in Hillsborough and part of Pasco County, said Gieseking, whose company sells Budweiser. 'It's a good market for beer consumption because it is an active lifestyle market, good weather and a growing population,' he said. Last year, Tampa didn't make the Maxim list. This year the formula was tweaked, said Sam Barclay, a Maxim contributor. The other cities scoring higher than Tampa: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Las Vegas. Even mathematicians and economists weighed in, considering such factors as whether you can buy a six-pack at a grocery store. 'We want to reward cities who don't punish people for partying,' Barclay said. 'Tampa is a hell of a party city,' he added. 'Ybor City is there, and anyone who has ever gone to Ybor City has had a good time.' Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/oct...-party-city-l/

October 24th, 2007, 03:32 PM	#3
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,111 Likes (Received): 24	Agreed. This isn't something to be very proud about. Especially coming from a risque magazine such as Maxim. __________________ Public Transit As Told By HARTride 2012 - Public Transit told from a unique perspective! - Tampa Bay, New York City, Hampton Roads, Europe \| Follow me on Twitter \| "Like" my page on Facebook

October 24th, 2007, 07:57 PM	#6
HARTride 2012 Let's go... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 10,111 Likes (Received): 24	Well, certain aspects of the magazine may be pushing that line. I'm not saying the entire magazine is risque. __________________ Public Transit As Told By HARTride 2012 - Public Transit told from a unique perspective! - Tampa Bay, New York City, Hampton Roads, Europe \| Follow me on Twitter \| "Like" my page on Facebook

October 25th, 2007, 05:51 AM	#8
Robert.Maddrey Native Floridian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 817 Likes (Received): 0	Maxim being risque...that laughable. Dennis Publications set the bar for the modern men's lifestyle publication when they brought Maxim stateside. Bearing the current state of things in the publishing market I would consider any praise there-in to be of value. __________________ Robert W. Maddrey Editor & Owner Down Shift Magazine >> My Photos of Tampa <<

October 26th, 2007, 03:45 PM	#19
Robert.Maddrey Native Floridian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 817 Likes (Received): 0	Exactly. As far as family friendly, the strip clubs for the most part are tucked away in areas that do not surround family friendly attractions. Most are hidden in areas like Drew Park or Industrial areas off of Adamo, etc... Of course there are the big names which reside along Dale Mabry or in Westshore but again they are not in high traffic family tourism areas either. That being said, it is amazing the number of clients that fly into Tampa and the first place they ask about is "Mons"... Its under that concept that I do not see the strip club mantra as being as black and white as good/bad for the city. So, while its not my thing or yours per say, it is a viable economic draw for the area. It would be interesting to hear ol' Joe Redners take on the subject. __________________ Robert W. Maddrey Editor & Owner Down Shift Magazine >> My Photos of Tampa <<

October 24th, 2007, 03:13 PM	#2
randommichael Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,414 Likes (Received): 0	I don't know if this is an honor or not. A trashy magazine calling us a good place to party? I don't know if its good to brag about the number of strip clubs we have. I wouldn't be too upset if they all shut down.

October 24th, 2007, 06:53 PM	#5
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	I don't know if I would call Maxim risque, it's like men's general interest. Girls, gadgets, sports, movies etc. Regardless, I wouldn't put too much stock in their lists. They have a lot of them. I often pick it up in the airport and remember seeing one on steak houses and Bern's made the list (forget the rank, but it was fairly high), so maybe they have a writer that lives here. Or maybe just a couple that follow the Yankees down for spring training--I think most of their staff is NYC based.

October 25th, 2007, 05:46 AM	#7
tamparican Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa Posts: 112 Likes (Received): 0	Maxim to me is more like the general-mainstream-men magazine...yea they have a slew of lists every issue for everything there is, but to me it really cannot hurt. If anything it would help bring more people/business to the area, people that might not have thought of coming to TPA before, might decide to come check it out now that its up there with the big boys in terms of things to do and entertainment life in their monthly mag ....Also have to remember the mag's target age range which is usually what 18-36yr old males..which is what DT/channelside/Ybor is trying to attract as well in terms of condo sales offices. Nothing to be proud of overall, but I guess it has some bragging rights for what its worth

October 25th, 2007, 02:15 PM	#9
orlandonative Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 239 Likes (Received): 0	Um, Tampas position in the poll was predicated by the number of strip clubs, not clubs, bars or restaurants, but strip clubs. The fact that the mayor was proud of it leads me to believe she had no clue what they based it on.

October 25th, 2007, 03:02 PM	#12
randommichael Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,414 Likes (Received): 0	Being strip club capital of the world isn't a good thing!

October 25th, 2007, 04:45 PM	#13
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	There are definitely worse things to be known for.

October 25th, 2007, 05:42 PM	#14
randommichael Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,414 Likes (Received): 0	Yeah, like the highest murder rate...now that would be a bad one.

October 26th, 2007, 05:07 AM	#15
cwat212 Palma Ceia Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 366 Likes (Received): 0	hey as it is always been said, "any news is good news..". Or something like that....right?

October 26th, 2007, 05:36 AM	#17
cwat212 Palma Ceia Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 366 Likes (Received): 0	Strip clubs tend to give an idea of depressed areas. It is not about personal desires or acceptance, but being known as a "Strip Club City" does not equate to something considered high class or family related. Personally, I do not give a crap what is done personally but because I have young children, I do understand the negatives. Granted, no problems have ever even come up in my life. ....as far as selling conventions or the area to people other than men, it might come into play...

October 26th, 2007, 05:46 AM	#18
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	Eh, Vegas isn't exactly known as a depressed area and it's Sin City.

October 26th, 2007, 04:29 PM	#20
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,286 Likes (Received): 0	The Mons is really well known, absolutely amazing. I've had people ask about it when I'm conventions and what not--"You're from Tampa? Oh I remember Tampa...". Always positive too .

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