{"id":165817,"date":"2026-02-23T17:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/165817\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T17:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T17:01:12","slug":"the-crows-nest-goes-to-the-castle-the-crows-nest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/165817\/","title":{"rendered":"The Crow\u2019s Nest goes to the Castle\u00a0 \u2013 The Crow’s Nest"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dungeon is the first floor of the building, known for more mainstream music. The patio, which is a patron-favorite, is a small courtyard where people can listen to goth music, smoke and get fresh air. The top floor of the castle is known for EDM music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photo by Julia Birdsall | The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

By Alisha Durosier and Julia Birdsall\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hearing Depeche Mode\u2019s \u201cBlack Celebration\u201d in a crowded room was something pre-graphics arts sophomore Kea Shindel never thought she would experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was raised on goth and industrial music and partakes in the style.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was crazy hearing that with a room full of people that were all liking the same thing,\u201d Schindle said. \u201cWhich I\u2019ve never experienced before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an experience that many students from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg can recall \u2014 walking into the Castle for the first time and feeling like they belong.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Located in Tampa\u2019s Ybor, the Castle is a popular club among alternative communities, and in recent years, it has operated as a hotspot for students who are under-21 in Tampa Bay.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Especially for students at the St. Petersburg campus; it\u2019s largely due to the fact that there are not a lot of options for students who are under-21.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing that I know about [clubs in St. Petersburg] is that pretty much everywhere is 21 plus, which is why I don\u2019t really try to club in this area,\u201d said sophomore biology major Jelal Turpin.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Jessica Greenberg, a junior criminology and psychology major, the Castle is a great option for students under 21.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cYou don\u2019t have to drink to have fun,\u201d Greenberg told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cI think that\u2019s really important for college students to have that space where they don\u2019t feel pressured to engage in that. But they know they can still have fun.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Greenberg, this is what separates the Castle from the other 18-plus clubs in Ybor, such as Tangra, Showbar and The Ritz.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI went one time to Tangra, and I will never go back,\u201d Turpin said. \u201cThe castle is my one true love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Crow\u2019s Nest decided to take students\u2019 word for it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The clubs in St. Petersburg feel more like bars than clubs, Robinson said, whereas Ybor has more of a genuine club culture.\u00a0
Photo by Julia Birdsall\u00a0| The Crow\u2019s Nest<\/p>\n

On Feb. 13 four staffers and three contributors stepped into the Castle \u2014 the first club experience for some.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Crow\u2019s Nest entered to see flashing low lights, clubbers dressed in a range of alternative fashion, a corner for consensual spankings and three areas to choose from.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Dungeon is the first floor of the building, known for more mainstream music. The patio, which is a patron-favorite, is a small courtyard where people can listen to goth music, smoke and get fresh air. The top floor of the castle is known for EDM music.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Crow\u2019s Nest traveled through the floors and spoke to Castle patrons about their experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

USF alum, Abby Montidoro, who The Crow\u2019s Nest ran into on the top floor, appreciates the Castle\u2019s openness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This night, she brought a friend, Sierra Robinson \u2014 also a USF alum \u2014 who got to experience the Castle for the first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely not like a club I\u2019ve been to before,\u201d Robinson said.\u00a0 \u201cThe way the theme and the type of people you see here are just more unique.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Robinson was referring to the crowd that frequents the Castle. They are known for being part of a wide range of alternative subgroups that are typically very accepting of those with unique styles and personalities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bre\u00f1a Carter, who travels an hour every weekend to visit the Castle, told The Crow\u2019s Nest that she comes specifically because of the friendly atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite part of coming to the castle is that this is the only place in basically any of the Tampa Bay area that the alt scene will come together,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s so easy to make friends. I love\u2026the open mindedness.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jacob Suggs, who had only been in the Castle for thirty minutes at the time of the interview, already felt welcomed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful thing in such an ugly state like the red state of Florida,\u201d they said. \u201cYou know, that\u2019s epic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Schindle agreed, noting that there is a shortage of goth clubs in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is the only one on the East Coast,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s very unique to have something so close, even though it feels far.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

All interviewees echoed the same sentiment. The Castle has become a place where people feel safe from the judgment of others, as well as the dangers that Ybor is sometimes known for.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the past four years, Ybor has experienced varying incidents, from shootings<\/a> to vehicular manslaughter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, Turpin and other interviewees have noticed that, as the Castle has gained popularity, it has also gained patrons who are not so accepting of the alternative atmosphere and crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely makes it less of a safe space, especially when there are the kind of people that do go because it\u2019s the freak show to them,\u201d Turpin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He feels that having an alternative club in St. Petersburg might be safer and more open because of the accepting and LGBTQ+ friendly nature of the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Having spaces where people can feel comfortable and interact with like-minded people is important for students\u2019 social lives, said Turpin.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The Castle\u2019s building was originally built in 1930 as a clubhouse for American fraternity Knights of the Golden Eagle. It was renovated and opened as a nightclub in 1992.\u00a0\u00a0
Photo courtesy of Skye Smith\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe internet is a great place to be like, \u2018Oh, here\u2019s a cool alternative person. Let me try to be mutuals with them or whatever,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re at the castle, it\u2019s like, \u2018This is a person that I can look in the eyes and have a conversation with.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Robinson also felt that having more clubs like the Castle in St. Petersburg would grant USF St. Petersburg students more opportunities to go out, socialize and form important connections.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before Robinson turned 21, she and her friends did not go out as often as they wanted to because of the commute and lack of affordable transportation. After turning 21 and beginning to go out in St. Petersburg, she found it much easier to walk to and from her destination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, others find that the commute is worth it, as the Castle offers something they can\u2019t find anywhere else.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like with the Castle, the environment there is very much like, \u2018Be yourself,\u2019\u201d health sciences junior Clemence Sawadogo told The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cPeople show up in the craziest get-ups there. Honestly, it\u2019s like I don\u2019t feel as much pressure to\u2026 conform in a certain way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sawadogo even highlights the difference in preparing to leave for the Castle in comparison to Ybor\u2019s other 18-plus club, noting that there is pressure to look conventionally \u201chot\u201d that is not present when going to the Castle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because of this, the Castle can serve as a great way for students to find community, acceptance and a place to enjoy themselves outside of their campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Castle has definitely given me so many friends\u2026 some lifelong friends that I wouldn\u2019t have had otherwise,\u201d Greenberg said, recalling her favorite memories.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA dance circle formed on this dance floor, and I just remember having a lot of fun and looking over at my friends and being like, \u2018Yeah, this is my place.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t Post Views: 32 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"More<\/a>
Written by: Julia Birdsall<\/a> on February 23, 2026.
Last revised by: Julia Ferrara<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dungeon is the first floor of the building, known for more mainstream music. The patio, which is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":165818,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-165817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}