May 2013
There’s an extra confidence to the curiosity that accompanies travel. My fancies guide me rather than my map. I’ll enter spaces without fully knowing what awaits on the other side, and more often than not, it feels as though that place existed just for me! Add one of my best partners in adventures, and the confident inquisitiveness only increases.
This curious time, it was the potential for coffee that lured us into this enviable space. Upon opening the doors, we realized we were stepping into an environmental/community lecture. In our hesitation to interrupt the happenings, we were quickly rescued by one of the space’s planners who welcomed us, explained the concept of the building’s use and compensated for our weariness with yerba mate prepared with steamed almond milk and honey. Our hippy hearts had found a home away from home!
The Roosevelt 2.0 is an urban renewal project that could almost convince me to move to Tampa! Once a condemned building, the vast, industrial interior now plays host to a mix of uses: a cafe, event space, local retailer (fabric, clothing, art, furniture), artist studios, a nightly indoor farmers market (strategically planned for the 9-5 types who are buying lofts in the area), rentable venue and an indoor farming experiment.
The coffee bar is basic but beautiful with its reclaimed wood countertop and its commitment to quality ingredients.
This urban farming wall immediately caught my attention with its bright lights and colors and filled my imagination with restaurants sourcing their ingredients straight from the walls! I question the energy load of such a system, but removing the typically required transportation does make this hyper local solution very attractive. Learn more about it here.
My partner in caffeine inspired adventuring and fellow bridesmaid in our best friend’s wedding (our reason for wandering around Tampa in the first place), Nina Barbuto also knows a thing or two about mix-use spaces. She continues to make magic at Assemble, a community space for arts and technology. She isn’t easily impressed when Arnold tries to show off his muscles though.
By far, my favorite spot was the second floor balcony and hammock. Maybe instead of caffeine I just needed a nap? Wedding preparations can be exhausting [ie: nighttime bachelorette outings lead to daytime laze]!
Traveling and wandering, sometimes I really win just by stumbling upon something. I would love to be a part of a project like this. The space has so much potential, and above all, the people were so welcoming. Does this mean a move to Tampa to let my designer mind run wild with ideas?
Not this time, but I do hope to cross paths with the Roosevelt 2.0 again!
