A cosmopolitan city, Tampa FL is known for its thriving Ybor City, enormous Florida Aquarium, and heart-pounding Busch Gardens. The area also features some of the best beaches in the world, including pristine Caladesi Island and State Park.
Locals enjoy shopping in fashionable boutiques, discovering gems along the scenic Tampa Riverwalk, and catching a game of professional sports.
Downtown
Located in the heart of Tampa, Downtown is fronted on both the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay. It is the center of the city’s business district and is also home to many top-rated museums.
Its ultra-modern Gasparilla Plaza hosts the Tampa Museum of Art whose collections range from modern paintings to ancient Roman and Greek antiquities. For kids, there’s the Glazer Children’s Museum.
Boutiques like Nordstrom and the high-end International Plaza offer designer duds, and Sail plaza hosts a monthly Brews & Bites food truck rally. The historic movie palace Tampa Theatre is date-ready, while Hotel Bar offers a cosmopolitan atmosphere and craft cocktails.
Harbour Island
Harbour Island is a small, gated community that embraces easy waterside living. Street names like Tropical Breeze Way and Coral Reef Drive make it clear that this is no run-down phosphate loading terminal.
Residents of the island, which was once called Seddon Island (after Seaboard Air Line Railway chief engineer W.L. Seddon), say it feels like a rural lifestyle literally a stones throw from downtown Tampa. The area also boasts a 2.5-mile stretch of hard-packed picture perfect pink sand beach that makes it a favorite among travel magazines and experts like Fodors, Frommers and the Travel Channel.
Those who live in Harbour Island can get around the island easily thanks to two bridges that connect the neighborhood to downtown Tampa and its trendy business district. Students attend public schools in the Hillsborough County School District, including Gorrie Elementary, Wilson Middle and Blake High.
Channel District
The Channel District has a lot to offer. Its restaurants and bars include popular places like JoToro, Battery and Splitsville Southern & Social. There’s also a beer garden called the LightHaus where locals and visitors gather for drinks.
This waterfront park is a hub of activity in Tampa, and it’s great for both tourists and residents. It hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, and it’s home to a number of beautiful waterside parks.
You can also check out the massive aquarium, which overlooks Ybor Channel. This is a must-visit for animal lovers, and it’s a great place to bring the kids. Afterward, you can stroll along the waterfront or enjoy a boat ride on Garrison and Ybor channels. There are several options for transportation in this area, including the TECO Streetcar and NEVs.
Port Tampa
The Port Tampa area features some of the best restaurants in the city. Rooster & the Till is an intimate eatery with a cozy atmosphere that serves innovative dishes like roasted bone marrow and fresh Florida Gulf seafood. The popular Tampa Bay History Center is located on the waterfront and features exhibits on pirates, shipwrecks, Native peoples, and Florida cattle ranching.
Today, Port Tampa accommodates a broad mix of bulk, break-bulk, roll-on/roll-off, and container cargo. The facility’s customer driven, strategic business focus and strong management practices ensure it continues to lead the maritime industry in serving customers and the community.
The Port Tampa City neighborhood is home to a number of museums, markets, and restaurants. It is also a popular departure point for Western Caribbean cruises.
Picnic Island
The secluded Picnic Island, a spoil island created from channel dredging, is a beautiful manmade space surrounded by unspoiled beaches and lush mangrove forests. It’s a favorite spot for kayakers, boaters and paddleboarders to enjoy the water, but it’s also great for fishing, hiking and camping.
Picnic Island is a great place to visit for birdwatching, and many different kinds of resident and migratory birds can be seen here. It’s also a popular tent-camping site for families and groups of friends.
Swimming, kayaking and canoeing are popular activities at the Picnic Island, but be careful because the waters here can have strong rip currents. You can launch a boat from the Punta Rassa or Matlacha boat ramps. The park is open to the public and is free to use.