The Castle in Ybor City

Over the river and through a concrete jungle stands a castle in the city of Ybor
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Well, actually it's a night club called "The Castle". Every evening, this night club caters to the disaffected youth of Tampa Bay. On the outside, this club seems like an enchanted fortress. However, on the inside is a world of lost youth and forgotten dreams.

This has become the secret lair of the forgotten generation: students, cashiers, telemarketers, waiters, hostesses and retail sales clerks. The typical dress for anyone visiting the castle ranges from simply dark to outlandish: grown men in lacy negligees, young girls with green hair and facial piercing and black vinyl as far as the eye can see. For one evening, they get to be someone else deviant to their public selves.

Young men and women go to the Castle to escape from the limbo that is there everyday lives. They are mostly caught in a world that lies somewhere between childhood and adulthood. This can be a painful and alienating stage for many.

While there are a great many night clubs on the Ybor strip, this one truly mirrors the sense of melancholy and darkness that these people feel inside. The atmosphere of the club alone says it all; a constant drip from the ceiling, gothic architecture, and metal fixtures complete the mythical feel of this club. Here they can toss their name tags aside and replace them with outlandish costumes and makeup and be someone else for the evening.

A long line of sad and downtrodden faces always lines the bar at the Castle. Some of them feebly try to catch the bartenders' attention-others just practice acting cool. The smell of numerous types of cigarettes fills the air: Camels, cloves, Lucky Strikes and Marlboro Menthols. The young hip men are typically found nonchalantly holding their bottles of Red Stripe beer while the young women hide behind their colorful, sugary mixed drinks.

There is a thick veil of smoke that blinds the vision of the dancers on the dungeon-like dance floor. The blaring electronic music and lewd images on the video screen blurs their thought. While this is typical of any club scene, it is also reflective of the lifestyle that these kids try to portray. It is only a nightclub, but tries to be something more. They are only people, but their style and attitudes scream that they are desperately trying to be different.

While the point of the evening is for these kids to have a fun night on the town, a thick blanket of discomfort always seems to hang heavily in the air. In an attempt to be alienated from society, they are also alienated from each other. Throughout the evening, they may watch their friends vomit or defend themselves from perversion. By 2 A.M., the magic is usually gone for them as they wipe the slime of the evening from the back of their necks. Tomorrow is another less exiting day.

Visit The Castle at 2004 N 16th St, Ybor City, FL 33605 or visit their website www.castle-ybor.com.