Why
Tampa Bay Area
The most recent edition of Places Rated
Almanac includes the Tampa/St. Petersburg area on its Top 10 list. The weather is great,
occupational opportunities are varied and the cost-of-living is low. About 90 percent of
Greater Tampa's listings were single-family homes and only 10 percent condominiums.
The recently passed Community Investment Tax of a
1/2 cent increase in the sales tax for the next 30 years is dedicated to special needs:
infrastructure (roads, sewers, etc.), schools and jails.
January's average low temperature is 50 degrees
Fahrenheit, while July's average high is 90. The average annual rainfall is 49 inches.
Some rain falls 107 days of the year, but it's sunny most of the time; best of all,
according to snowbirds and more permanent refugees from the north, it doesn't snow.
Major employers include Hillsborough County School
Board (21,860); Hillsborough County government (8,527); University of South Florida
(7,559); MacDill Air Force Base (5,890); Tampa International Airport (4,830); U.S. Postal
Service (4,284); City of Tampa (4,069); General Telephone (GTE) (4,010); Publix
Supermarkets (3,566); GTE Data Services (3,500), Tampa Electric (TECO) (3,056); Kash n
Karry Supermarkets (3,007); Tampa Tribune (2,200); and Busch Entertainment (2,200).
Historically, Tampa occupies a major place in the
cigar making business, and thousands of cigars are produced here each year. One cigar
factory even offers demonstrations for Ybor City tourists and curious local residents, but
in terms of employees and economic impact, the industry isn't what it was in the late 19th
century when it turned out 88 million cigars a year.
Hillsborough County's public schools educate 143,880
students and another 14,455 adult learners in 158 facilities. There are 149 schools--104
elementary, 30 junior high or middle and 15 high schools--and nine special facilities for
various categories of exceptional and adult education. Tampa private and parochial schools
associated with the Florida Council of Independent Schools include Academy at the Lakes
Day School, Bayshore Christian School, Berkeley Preparatory School, Brandon Academy,
Carrollwood Day School, Hillel School of Tampa, Independent Day School, the Montessori
House Day School, Saint John Greek Orthodox Day School, Saint John's Parish Day School,
Saint Mary's Episcopal Day School, Seminole Presbyterian School, Tampa Preparatory School
and the Tampa Reading Clinic & Tampa Day School. Additional school data CLICK HERE
Transportation
In Tampa Bay
Tampa International Airport deserves its reputation
as one of the best in the world. The brilliant original design has proven itself since
1971; growth and expansion occur without shortchanging passengers or diminishing services
to the traveling public. Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the Airline Passengers
Association and the International Federation of Airline Passenger Associations all give
A's or A+'s to Tampa's 25-year-old airport, as do most of its approximately 12 million
annual passengers.
The port is Florida's largest, handling more than
half of the state's tonnage. Its economic impact tops $5.5 billion annually. Freight
travels in and out of Tampa by truck and by rail, via the CSX Railroad. Amtrak also serves
the city.
Ground transportation includes private cars, taxis
and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit's (HARTline) 177 buses that travel over 44
established routes and serve nearly 8 million passengers yearly. HARTline also runs a
special rubber-tired trolley service that stops at five locations: Ybor City, downtown's
business district, Harbour Island, the Florida Aquarium and the Tampa Convention Center.
Greyhound buses depart from Tampa 27 times a day. Major highways include I-4 east to
Orlando and Daytona Beach and I-75 north to Atlanta and south to the Naples/Marco Island
area and Miami. U.S. Highway 301 travels northbound through Jacksonville, and U.S. Highway
41 extends into Georgia.
To travel by water, try one of the Tampa Town
Ferry's two boats, the Spirit of Tampa or Miss Garrison. Stops include Harbour Island,
Tampa General Hospital, Tampa Museum of Art, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the
Florida Aquarium and the Tampa Convention Center.
The Hillsborough River winds serenely through town,
and its northern reaches approach the idyllic, complete with oak and cypress canopies-the
perfect setting for canoeing, sighting alligators and exotic tropical birds like the Blue
Heron or simply enjoying nature's riches. A good place to start--or rent a canoe--is the
Hillsborough River State Park in the northern part of the county. Much of Tampa's great
outdoors might be renamed Waterworld. Large expanses of water protected from direct
contact with the ocean give Tampa many areas for exploring on and under water.
Baywatch, a nonprofit organization, works to protect and restore the enormous Tampa Bay
Estuary from the Manatee River to Clearwater Harbor and from Hillsborough Bay to the Gulf
of Mexico. Tampa Baywatch recruits and trains thousands of volunteers to help restore
saltwater marshes and protect sensitive seagrasses.
Water sports retain their popularity, and why not?
With Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough River, the Alafia River
and innumerable canals, channels and lakes, boating, waterskiing and fishing opportunities
abound. Golf enthusiasts can select from 30 courses, and tennis buffs find plenty of
places to play, too.
You can watch the Tampa Bay Lightning play pro
hockey in their new Ice Palace or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play football in Raymond James'
Stadium.
Mavens of culture relish all their
choices--symphony, opera, ballet in traditional seasonal format. The Tampa Bay Opera is in
its infancy, but not without ambition. Theater is flourishing at numerous venues and
available year-round. The elegant and enormous Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's four
theaters/halls host numerous local and national performers. The Tampa Museum of Art
expanded recently and includes a children's activity area. The Channel District attracts
artists of all kinds, including numerous fine-art studios, a dance studio and the
Warehouse Theater.
Kids love Tampa's museums and its two impressive zoos--one in Lowry park, the other a
major segment of Busch Gardens Tampa, an area attraction. Youngsters also like Adventure
Island, the water wonderland next door. More than 300 hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater
and a planetarium comprise the Museum of Science and Industry. The new Florida Aquarium
impresses nearly everyone with its four major galleries: Florida Offshore, Florida Coral
Reefs, Florida Bays and Beaches, and the Florida Wetlands. Explore-A-Shore provides
interactive fun (and knowledge, too) for area young people. Local kids also enjoy the
Children's Museum of Tampa, a hands-on bonanza with its own places to create art, blow
bubbles, make paper or to visit a post office, grocery store or bank.
Finding something to do in Tampa is never the
problem; finding the time to do it is. Major festivals include the Gasparilla Pirate Fest
Weekend, the Florida State Fair and Ybor City's Fiesta Day & Illuminated Night Parade
in February; the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, the Gasparilla Festival of the
Arts, the President's Cup Regatta and the Winter Equestrian Festival in March; the Florida
Dance Festival in June, the Greater Hillsborough County Fair in September and October; the
Taste of Florida in October; and the Ruskin Seafood and Arts Festival in November. In
December, Brandon hosts a three-day Marathon & Balloon Classic.
The whole family appreciates Tampa's myriad museums
and their collections, including the Florida Center for Contemporary Art, the Henry B.
Plant Museum, the Museum of African-American Art, the Museum of Natural History, the Tampa
Bay History Center, the University of South Florida Art Museum, the University of Tampa
Scarfone Gallery, the Veteran's Memorial Museum & Park and the Ybor City State Museum.
Four major malls, two large flea markets and several
neighborhood shopping centers are among the shopping mix. Westshore Plaza comprises 100
stores and a food court; and Old Hyde Park Village features 65 shops and eateries in
an exciting offering of individual, often upscale shopping places along neighborhood
streets. The areas two newest malls are Citrus Park Towncenter and Brandon Towncenter.
Citrus Park Towncenter is located in Northwest Tampa and is designed with
individual, unique store fronts as well as captivating bronze statues of children playing.
Brandon Towncenter is centrally located in the heart of Brandon and will meet every
shopper's needs whether looking for clothing, books or even unique kites!
After dark, sample the food and entertainment at
Cafe Winberie in Old Hyde Park Village, or enjoy the landmark Columbia Restaurant--known
for its paella and Spanish cuisine--in the Ybor City section of town. Don't limit your
stop to one place, no matter how well-known. Stick around this funky and fun district and
explore its entertaining mix of taverns, restaurants, dance spots and Cuban restaurants.
Other notable eateries include Donatello, Bern's Steak House (Golden Spoon 1997 from
Florida Trend), Mise en Place (Golden Spoon '97), Armani's, Exodus, Boca, Le Bordeaux, the
Ovo Cafe, Oystercatchers and the Next City Grille, where New World cuisine is triumphant.
Or enjoy a dinner-dance cruise on the Starlite Princess Riverboat departing from the
Garrison Seaport Center.
Florida's second largest state-supported university
makes Tampa its home base. The University of South Florida, a coed, comprehensive
educational and research institution enrolls more than 36,000 during the academic year.
The two-year Hillsborough Community College annually enrolls more than 33,000 for a class
or two, but regularly serves about 8,000 students on several campuses scattered throughout
the county. The private, four-year University of Tampa educates 2,000 full-time students
at its architecturally unique campus. The school's Moroccan-style main building, Henry B.
Plant Hall, was originally the Tampa Bay Hotel and houses a museum dedicated to Plant, its
builder.
Many senior services in the Tampa area are
coordinated by the Hillsborough County Department of Aging Services, which uses money
supplied by the county and also state and federal funds administered by the Area Agency on
Aging (Planning Service Area 6) headquartered in Tampa. Aging Services offers a range of
programs including Information and Referral, case management, congregate meals, adult day
care and personal care. Other services include home-delivered meals, respite care,
transportation for health-care purposes, nutrition and homemaker services. Unfortunately,
there's a waiting list for most services, whether age-based (60 and over) only or age and
need-based. Working Seniors offers employment training and placement for those 55 and
older hoping to re-enter the job market. And the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
continues to help the Tampa Community under the aegis of Aging Services.
The Life Enrichment Center in Tampa is a bustling,
not-for-profit senior center offering crafts, classes, games, entertainment, dances and
numerous activities seniors enjoy. In addition, several churches sponsor clubs and special
activities for seniors. And, of course, for those who can afford to pay for services,
there's plenty to entertain them or assist them, including an ample supply of home care,
transportation and health-care providers.
To find out what's available for seniors, your best
bet is to call the Elder Helpline at (813) 273-3779. It's part of a high-tech,
sophisticated information and referral network in the region that has equipped its
information specialists with IRis, a software program that makes it comparatively easy for
them to help seniors or their caregivers locate precisely what they need from the
appropriate service providers closest to their homes.
For a
FREE Market Analysis of your Home
or more Information on homes
in the Tampa Bay Area,
email me
Tropical Realty
Eileen M. Pickering
Office
727-785-2626
Fax 727-331-8349
Tampa Website Design
Experts
On Yourside & Company
P O Box 272591
Tampa, Florida 33688
813 273-8900
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