"I believe that it's really one big city at the end of the day in a lot of ways."

Suzanne Perry calls it "jumping the bay."

And a lot of Tampa Bay's hottest haunts are doing it.

In June, Suzanne and Roger Perry will debut South Tampa's Datz gastropub in downtown St. Petersburg. Its soon-to-be St. Pete neighbor a few blocks away, game and sports bar Park & Rec, is making the opposite trek. Its second location will open in Tampa's Channel District this summer.

Star-crossed lovers of the Datz Cheesy Todd burger or Park & Rec's giant garbage can beer pong will no longer need to traverse the Howard Frankland to get their fix. Although the notion of Pinellas and Hillsborough county businesses expanding across the bay isn't new, the number of restaurants and bars taking the leap seems to be at an all-time high.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times