3 May, 2025

The Castle in Ybor City is one of Florida’s most iconic venues for goth and fetish subcultures. It was originally built in 1932 as the Cristóbal Colón Castle, the building later evolved into a hub for alternative subcultures. By the 90s, it became what it’s now known as today, The Castle, a space that serves those known for more expressive edges of identity, fashion, and music.

Although we didn’t talk exclusively about it, after this interview I realized I do believe it’s incredibly important to include the more present harder truths when documenting subcultures and spaces like The Castle, which is why I plan on interviewing more regulars in the future.

For this piece, I reached out to Elyse, a mutual friend whose art, style, and presence I’ve long admired. Their ability to channel selfhood through visual and emotional expression made them an ideal person to speak with about alternative culture and the goth subculture in Florida.

In this interview, we explore their creative works, evolving identity, and some of the hardships both personal and cultural within the scene.

Juju

Captions available