Are you guilty of the calling Rivergate Tower “the Beer Can Building?” You’re not alone.
Across the US, communities have created their own nicknames that might confuse out-of-towners asking for directions. Chicago’s Willis Tower is still referenced by locals as the “Sears Tower,” NYC’s Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is lovingly shortened to “the BQE,” and Greenvillians in SC call Augusta Street “Augusta Road.”
How the names originate doesn’t matter. Be it a former title that locals can’t let go of or a silly nickname that caught on, we’re curious to know what Tampa Bay residents really call things — even if it’s just among friends or family. We’ll go first:
- Some longtime locals still call Amalie the Ice Palace — even though that hasn’t been its name for 20+ years.
- One of the Howard Frankland Bridge’s infamous nicknames is the “Howard Frankenstein,” for the sheer number of accidents incurred on the TBAY stretch.
What nicknames do you have for Tampa Bay’s parks, stadiums, roads,buildings, and other landmarks? Let us know, as we might share them in the newsletter.
