Best Urban Aquariums

Few settings are less scenic than Independence's strip malls, but an astounding assortment of exotic aquatic life makes its home in one of those unassuming storefront stretches. The Tropical Fish Cove houses hundreds of stunning sea creatures, from vividly colored, paper-thin wisps that look like floating neon playing cards to bulky catfish that ignore the hungry eyes of the store's real feline. The Cove rates its inhabitants from "docile" to "aggressive," warning the foolhardy away from those on the red-flag end of that spectrum with signs that plead for visitors to keep their hands out of the glass tanks. It's no wonder that the fish get feisty, given that the aquarium decorations resemble Ozzy Osbourne's bong collection, all plastic skulls and gothic castles.