Alpine Liquor
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Check out this sign for the Alpine Liquor store, on Nebraska Ave. in Tampa. It is in the area by the Springs Theater. The neon seems to be fading in spots, but the clock still keeps perfect time. Many thanks to Steve/Back on Tack for info.

Alpine Liquor has been serving Tampa since 1936, making it one of the city's oldest continuously operating liquor stores. Long before convenience stores and big-box retailers took over, neighborhood businesses like this relied on memorable signs to bring customers through the door. Alpine's classic pylon, complete with its hanging clock, has been doing that job for generations.

The store sits across from another Tampa favorite, the Three Coins Diner, creating a stretch of Nebraska Avenue that still feels a little like old roadside Florida. It's the kind of place where a simple drive down the street can turn into a trip back in time.

UPDATE: Alpine Liquor is still open, and the familiar roadside sign and clock continue to greet motorists along Nebraska Avenue. 08-26

Liquor World (Gone)
St. Petersburg, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Check out the Liquor World in St. Petersburg, Florida. The marquee features a huge globe that looks like something out of 2nd grade class. And yes, this is a real drive-in... liquor store that is.

The drive-in liquor store was built for the automobile age, letting customers pull under the canopy, make their purchase, and be back on the road in just a few minutes. It was convenience long before drive-thru windows seemed to be on every corner. Of course, it's the oversized globe that steals the show. Simple, colorful, and impossible to ignore, it turned an ordinary package store into one of St. Petersburg's more memorable roadside stops.

The original photo jokes about the globe, but that's exactly what makes the place so much fun. You don't expect a liquor store to have a giant world on top of its sign, and that's probably why so many people remembered it.

UPDATE: The drive-in store has closed and the original building is gone, but the famous globe sign was moved a few blocks away and can still be seen along Central Avenue. 08-26