St. Petersburg • Clearwater 2009 - (Page 35) » Dunedin : SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? • Shephard’s Wave Dance Club – “Saturday Night Fever” meets sand at this modern Clearwater Beach disco with a dizzying high-tech light show and beach view. Popular with spring breakers and the young at heart. 727-442-5107 You can almost hear bagpipes and see plaid as you make the pub crawl along Main Street in Dunedin. This small, Scottish-influenced town is the place to go for a pint, a game of darts and even a little ’80s disco. Eat bangers and mash to live Celtic music at Flanagan’s Irish Pub (727-736-4994). Skip’s Bar & Grill (727-734-9151) and Simon’s Pub (727-733-7962) a few steps away are neighborhood bars where jukeboxes rock, darts fly and you never meet a stranger. For another U.K. flavor, visit Cricketers British Pub & Restaurant (727-736-1322). Listen to original tunes and Grateful Dead covers as ale brews in the ceiling-high vats behind you at Dunedin Brewery’s Snug Pub (727-736-0606). Norton’s Sports Bar and Grill (727-734-2053), complete with 18 TVs, is the place to catch a game. For a trendy scene and a unique martini, go to the Chic-a-Boom Room (727-736-0206). Then head next door and shake your booty at the eclectic dance club Blur (727-210-2783). • Gulfport Casino – Dancing feet have glided over these hardwood floors since the 1930s. Anchoring Gulfport’s waterfront promenade, the 5,000-sq.-ft. hall hosts of a variety of dances ranging from swing to salsa. 727-893-1070 • Gunslingers Saloon – This Largo country and western bar isn’t just for line dancers and Toby Keith fans. The West Coast Swing Club kicks up its heels here too on Sundays. 727-239-7951 » Gulfport The funky, laid-back spirit of downtown Gulfport glides into the night at unpretentious bars and artists’ enclaves. Join the art walk the first and third Friday of every month. O’Maddy’s (727-323-8643) is a popular dive anytime, and Gulfport on the Rocks (727-321-8318) is the essence of a locals’ beach bar. Mingle with bohemians over java, organic brews and acoustic music in the Art Village Courtyard (727-459-1963). • Push Ultra Lounge – This multilevel, swank palace is known for hot DJs, live bands, top-shelf liquors and sightings of celebrities such as Paris Hilton, who showed up to watch her DJ boyfriend Benji Madden spin records. 727-895-7874 • Georgie’s Alibi – Techno house beats and VJs’ mixes of music videos keep this St. Petersburg dance floor packed on Friday and Saturday nights. Clientele is primarily gay, but the atmosphere is welcoming to all. 727-321-2112 ~LW Dunedin Brewery. » The Beaches On the islands, ride the Suncoast Beach Trolley (727-540-1900) all the way from St. Pete Beach to Clearwater, stopping for drinks, dancing and live music along the way. The rooftop bar at The Hurricane on the south end of St. Pete Beach is a fine starting point. Farther north, the casual Undertow Beach Bar (727-368-9000) is the “in” place for 25-to-40-year-olds, while Woody’s Waterfront Café & Beach Bar (727-360-9165) is a hit with “parrot-heads” of all ages. If you’re in the mood for something different, catch a first-run or independent flick at the nearby vintage Beach Theatre (727-360-6697). Dine and dance to a rock cover band at the sarong-casual Caddy’s Waterfront (727-360-4993) on Sunset Beach. Cross the street for acoustic tunes and colorful locals at Ka’ Tiki (727-360-2272). Sloppy Joe’s on the Beach (727-367-1600) on Treasure Island glows after dark with specialty drinks, while dockside Gators Café & Saloon (727-367-8951) is known for its heavy rock, Florida football and gator bites (made from alligators, not given by them). In Indian Shores, listen to live R&B at The Pub Waterfront Restaurant and Lounge (727-595-3172) and chuckle at the bawdy decor at Mahuffer’s pub (727-596-0226). The deck crowd at Shephard’s Tiki Bar (727-442-5107) on Clearwater Beach sways to live reggae, while nearby Frenchy’s Rockaway Grille (727-446-4844) and the Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill & Bar (727-446-2642) – across the parking lot from one another – serve live music with their menus. ~Lynn Waddell » True Florida Glass blowers, bungee swings, face painters, shell nightlights and marshmallow guns are just a few of the things you can expect at Clearwater Beach’s Sunsets at Pier 60. The nightly family festival with buskers and artisans starts two hours before sundown and ends two hours after it (727-434-6060). Sunset festivities at Pier 60. www.VisitStPeteClearwater.com 35 http://www.VisitStPeteClearwater.com
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