Tampa, FL

Tampa Bay is a region surrounding a picturesque bay and a natural port on Florida's Gulf Coast. Tampa and the adjacent city of St. Petersburg, along the bay's western peninsula, form the state's second-largest metropolitan area. Tampa itself has a population of nearly 400,000. Its tropical climate and vibrant economy make the city an attractive destination.

With abundant beaches and outdoor recreation, Tampa Bay is conducive to a relaxed lifestyle.Golf is a popular passion on more than 30 public and private courses in the metropolitan area. Numerous art museums, galleries, theaters, and music halls draw visitors and residents alike. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, located on the east bank of the Hillsborough River, is a giant complex with five separate theaters, hosting more than half a million audience members annually.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Situated on the border of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Tampa Bay bustles with diverse neighborhoods around a thriving downtown business district. Tampa is organized primarily into Downtown Tampa, North Tampa, South Tampa, West Tampa, and East Tampa. Following are a few of Tampa's many communities and neighborhoods:

• Ybor City, northeast of downtown Tampa, grew in the late nineteenth century as Spanish and Cuban immigrants employed in cigar making moved to the area. The neighborhood, now a National Historic Landmark District, has become a popular night spot with numerous Cuban restaurants.
• Close to the University of Tampa, Hyde Park is another historic community near the center of town. It features an upscale commercial center called Hyde Park Village, a charming outdoor shopping mecca covering three city blocks.
• A newer area with a dense concentration of condominium developments is Channelside, bordered by the Ybor and Garrison channels. The Channelside Entertainment Complex contains a public square with commanding views of the downtown skyline and the busy port. Locals compare the area to the swanky South Beach neighborhood of Miami.
• New Tampa, an area northeast of downtown that was undeveloped until the late 1980s, is the city's fastest-growing section. Its population increased fivefold between 1990 and 2005, and the growth shows no signs of abating.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

In the early twentieth century, the cigar factories of Ybor City rolled out hundreds of millions of smokes every year, a foundation of the city's economy. Cigar making remains a significant business here, but nowhere near the powerhouse it was at its peak. Today the city relies on a conventional mix of finance, insurance, real estate, and service industries. Several major corporations make their headquarters in the city:

• Raymond James Financial
• OSI Restaurant Partners (corporate parent of Outback Steakhouse)
• WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (a Fortune 500 health-care provider)

The city also has a number of other major employers:

• Hillsborough County government
• MacDill Air Force Base
• Publix Supermarkets
• University of South Florida

The Port of Tampa is a major economic nexus. By far the largest shipping center in Florida, it handles freight worth over $5 billion every year.

SPORTS TEAMS

The city hosts several professional sports franchises:

• A baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays (until recently known as the Devil Rays), which earned its first trip to the World Series in 2008
• A football franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL, winners of the 2002 Super Bowl
• A hockey club, the Tampa Bay Lightning, which won the Stanley Cup in 2004

In addition, baseball's New York Yankees hold their spring training in Tampa.

EVENTS

The Gasparilla Pirate Festival in January is a favorite event. It starts with the arrival of a pirate ship named after the mythic Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar. The invading "Krewe" disembarks and proceeds down Bayshore Boulevard in a festive parade that draws hundreds of thousands every year. The city also hosts other important events:

• Florida State Fair, in February
• Greater Hillsborough County Fair, in September
• Guavaween, a celebration of Halloween and Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

FAMILY FUN

Tampa boasts several popular family attractions:

• Children's Museum of Tampa (Kid City)
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Lowry Park Zoo
• Adventure Island water park
• Florida Aquarium
• Busch Gardens Africa theme park

EDUCATION

Tampa offers several options for higher education:

• University of South Florida, which enrolls more than 35,000 students
• Hillsborough Community College, a two-year institution with campuses located all around town
• University of Tampa, a private four-year college on a campus noted for its architectural interest. The school's main building is the former Tampa Bay Hotel, an opulent Moorish resort built in 1891 by the railroad owner Henry B. Plant. A museum inside the building features rooms furnished in the Victorian style.

LOCAL MEDIA

Dozens of radio stations crowd the dial in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area. The city's television lineup includes ten local stations:

• WEDU Channel 3 (PBS)
• WFLA Channel 8 (NBC)
• WTSP Channel 10 (CBS)
• WTVT Channel 13 (FOX)
• WUSF Channel 16 (University of South Florida)
• WCLF Channel 22 (CTN)
• WFTS Channel 28 (ABC)
• WMOR Channel 32 (Independent)
• WTTA Channel 38 (WB)
• WTOG Channel 44 (UPN)

The region is also served by two daily newspapers:

• Tampa Tribune (circulation 227,000)
• St. Petersburg Times (circulation 322,000)

DID YOU KNOW?

• In 1886 Vicente Martinez Ybor established a cigar factory in Tampa. Ybor City grew in the late 19th century as Spanish and Cuban immigrants employed in cigar making moved to the area.
• From the steps of Vicente Martinez Ybor's factory, José Marti, sometimes called the George Washington of Cuba, exhorted the cigar workers to take up arms against Spain in the late 1800s.
• Railroad magnate Henry Bradley Plant financed the Tampa Bay Hotel himself at the cost of $2.5 million in 1891. Furnishings cost $500,000.
• The 511 rooms of the Tampa Bay Hotel, built in 1891 and now a National Historic Landmark, were the first in Florida to be electrified.
• The U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command are headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.
• The average annual rainfall in Tampa is 44.77 inches.
• The Tampa Bay Hotel has hosted such famous guests as President Teddy Roosevelt and baseball legend Babe Ruth.
• Completed in 1987, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spans 29,040 feet and cost $244 million to build.
• The Gasparilla Pirate Festival in January starts with the arrival of a pirate ship named after the mythic Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar.
• At the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival the invading krewe proceeds down Bayshore Boulevard in a parade that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators.
• Guavaween is Ybor City's annual celebration of Halloween and Day of the Dead. It is also a major fundraiser for the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce.
• Parts of films shot in the Bay area include "Cocoon," "Edward Scissorhands," "Lethal Weapon III," "My Girl," "Parent Trap II," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Forever Mine," and "Oceans 11."
• The Tampa Bay Rays (once the Devil Rays) earned its first trip to the World Series in 2008.
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders 48-21 to win Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning, or as you may call them, the Bolts, won the Stanley Cup in 2004.
• The New York Yankees hold their spring training every year at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
• Bern's Steak House in Tampa has one of the largest working wine cellars in the world. It says its cellar contains more than 6,800 selections with more than half a million bottles.
• The first Florida brewery, the Florida Brewing Company, was built in Tampa in 1897.
• Known as the world's longest continuous sidewalk, Bayshore Boulevard borders Tampa Bay for 4.5 miles without a break.
• Famous rhythm and blues singer and pianist Ray Charles began his career playing dance hall gigs in Tampa.
• Tampa is home to the state's oldest restaurant and the world's largest Spanish restaurant. The Columbia Restaurant opened in 1905. It spans a city block with its 11 rooms and 1,660 seats.
• Baseball player Babe Ruth hit his longest home run in Tampa at Plant Field on April 4, 1919. He smacked a 587-foot home run that set a record in a preseason game.
• The title to a park in Ybor City, the Parque Amigos de Marti, is owned by the Cuban government. The park contains soil from each of the provinces of Cuba.
• Tampa is known as the "Big Guava." Ybor City guava delicacies include guava jelly, guava paste, guava turnovers and pickled guavas.