Downtown Tampa,
which also includes the neighborhoods of historic
Ybor, Channelside District, Harbour Island, is
the center for Tampa Bay Commerce and is quickly
becoming a great place to live as well. Aside
from offering the hustle and bustle of city life,
Downtown Tampa offers river front living and entertainment,
world class museums, fantastic restaurants, nightlife
and in close proximity to some of the Tampa Bay
area’s best shopping and entertainment complexes,
the Gulf beaches and two universities.
Housing
While for many years Downtown Tampa was primarily
a business district, it has recently began adding
numerous skyrise apartment and condominium buildings
and houses and apartment buildings in the surrounding
neighborhoods have been rennovated. This area
offers an eclectic mix of architecture from various
decades in the form of single family homes, corporate
housing, townhomes, student living quarters for
University of Tampa students, towering high-rises
with fantastic views of the city and the HiIlsborough
River.
Things
To Do
There is no shortage of things to do in and around
Downtown Tampa. Museums include the
Tampa Museum of Art, The H.B.
Plant Museum and the Tampa
Bay History Center. A short drive, bike ride
or trolley car ride over to the Channelside District
brings you to the Florida
Aquarium and the St
Pete Times Forum, which hosts concerts and
is where the Tampa
Bay Lightning play. Channelside is also where
cruise ships arrive and deport, including the
Yacht
Starship Cruise which offers nightly dinner
cruises. Nearby Bayshore Boulevard, the world’s
longest sidewalk, is enjoyed by walkers, joggers
and roller bladers. Centro
Ybor features GameWorks, nightclubs, people
watching, unique shops and a movie theater with
IMAX as well.
Dining
and Shopping
The Channelside
district is a large shopping and entertainment
complex that features restaurants including Hooter’s,
Wet Willy’s, Oishi Sushi and Hibaci Grill,
Splitsville, Stumps Supperclub, Thai Thani and
Tina’s Tapas. Ybor features many more restaurants,
including Hamburger Mary’s, Green Iguana,
Centro Cantina, Tampa Bay Brewing Company, Columbia
and more. If these two shopping centers are not
enough there is also nearby IKEA, Westshore Plaza
Mall and the International Plaza, which is home
to such high end stores as Burberry, Crate &
Barrel, J.Crew, Gucci, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom.
Traffic
and Driving
Being a center for business Downtown Tampa streets
can get congested during rush hours and lunch
time. There are several one way streets. Streets
are pedestrian friendly. There is also easy access
to highway 60 and I-275. Public transportation
includes the HART
bus line, taxis and the TECO Streetcar System
which runs 2.4 miles with stops in Channelside,
Ybor and Downtown.
Schools
Public schools include B.T. Washington Elementary,
Just Elementary, Madison Middle School, Blake
High School and Middleton High School. Private
schools include St. John Greek Orthodox Day School,
St Jude Cathedral School, and the Villa Madonna
School. Universities and colleges include University
of South Florida, University of Tampa and Hillsborough
Community College- Ybor Campus. The 140,000 square
foot John
F. Germany Public Library serves this area
it is also the main library of the Hillsborough
County Public Library Cooperative.
Business
Many corporations have regional offices in banking
and telecommunications in Downtown Tampa. Additional
commerce is generated by commercial and residential
development, tourism and hospitality. Banking.
Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times both
have offices in Downtown Tampa and Tampa General
Hospital is nearby.
