Lakeland has it all.
* Bustling night life. If you consider a Hooters, IHOP and Steak-n-Shake bustling.
* Sweet neighborhoods. If you consider chain-link fences and trailer parks sweet.
* And gorgeous weather. If you consider 90-degree afternoons in April gorgeous.
OK, 1-for-3 ain't bad.
Here are five things you didn't know about Lakeland:
5. Not only is Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis a native of sunny Lakeland, but so is Rod Smart. That's right. "He Hate Me" got his start here.
4. The first Red Lobster was built in Lakeland. (See you thought this was going to be boring stuff. We surprised you again, didn't we?)
3. Frank Lloyd Wright designed 12 buildings on the Lakeland campus of Florida Southern College.
2. Lakeland is booming. The 2000 census placed Lakeland's population near 80,000. Some publications expect that number to double by 2020.
1. Playboy Playmates Kara Monaco and Samantha Dorman have called Lakeland home. (And no, they haven't made an appearance in Tigertown this week. What gives?)
Ouch. You're obviously staying North of I-4.
Would it be a fair review if my short visit to York resulted in a snide mention of your Hooters, "factory tour capital of the world," and Peppermint Patties?
I've only been in Lakeland a short while and I've found some of the charms of this big-small town. Surely we have more in common than not?
I wrote about the Revolution the other day and was hoping to come see the team this weekend. I'll be glad to stop by and point out some of the parts of Lakeland you missed.