Tampa, Florida

Tampa, the third largest city in Florida, forms the upper center of the Tampa Bay, a bay on the Gulf of Mexico, where among other things, the cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg lie. Overall, after years of explosive growth of around 100,000 people per year, the metropolitan area now has more than 2.7 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest in the southern United States.
For many years Tampa was a small outpost of civilization in a swampy area, to which the Spaniards, later the Americans as new owners paid little attention. 1520 Spanish explorers came in the search for gold in the region, but found no riches, but small settlements of Indians, they were not friendly and they left the Tampa Bay quite quickly. Not much changed in the region in the 18th and the mid-19th centuries, but the Americans displaced the indigenous peoples living here during this period. In 1823, a reserve had been established in the center of Florida, and some forts, including Fort Brooke on what is now Tampa, had been fortified. Florida became a state in 1849, and a year later the village of Tampa had just under 1,000 inhabitants – but included several hundred soldiers in the fort.

Tampa then constituted itself as a permanent location, but the city administration was soon overruled again during the Civil War. After the war, the fort was shut down, many residents died from a yellow fever epidemic, many others moved on and soon Tampa was again a neglected fishing village. This changed abruptly in the mid-1880s, when suddenly valuable phosphates were found in the soil and soon afterwards the connection to the railway network took place. About this railway connection came the cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez Ybor in the then 5000 inhabitants large Tampa, which should change the place sustainable (see Ybor City). By 1900, Tampa was already one of the largest cities in Florida. As a result, the city lived mainly by the cigar manufactories. After Tampa played an important role in the Second World War thanks to MacDill Air Force Base, built in 1941, an immense boom ensued, bringing thousands of new residents, millions of tourists, and extensive infrastructure upgrades and upgrades to Tampa Bay. Between 1940 and 1970, the population increased from less than 110,000 to almost 280,000 people. The upswing continued to this day; Most recently, in 1988, a large, previously rural area in the surrounding area was added to the urban area and developed by means of completely planned settlements. This district, now known as New Tampa, now has more than 20,000 inhabitants.

Altogether, the city area now covers a good 440 km², of which no point is higher than 15 meters above sea level. The city, which is actually between two small bays on the Gulf of Mexico, which together make up the Tampa Bay, is surrounded by numerous smaller towns around and is located opposite St. Petersburg, the second regional center of the region. Tampa today has a very heterogeneous population, 46% white, 26% black, and 23% Latin American. More than 20% of the city’s 157,000 households speak a language other than English.

A Chamber of Commerce investigation has revealed that there are more than 740,000 employers in Hillsborough County, whose capital is Tampa. Among them, the military still plays an important role, which alone provides 15,000 jobs. In addition, banking, commerce and the port, which is one of the most important ports for cargo and cruises, are important economic sectors, but above all tourism. In addition to the beaches along the Tampa Bay, amusement parks are among the major visitor attractions. Mainly Busch Gardens (10165 North McKinley Drive). Opened in 1959, the amusement park is still one of Tampa Bay’s main attractions. In the past, beer was brewed here by the parent company and served for free, later the interest of the visitors shifted visibly to the additional offers. Meanwhile, the site covers just under 1.4 square kilometers and includes more than 20 so-called r >Adventure Island, a water park belonging to the same group with water slides, several pools and children’s play areas. For be >Florida Aquarium (701 Channels >Admire Lowry Park Zoo (1101 West Sligh Avenue, open daily from 09:30 to 17:00). Awarded one of the country’s most family-friendly zoos, the Lowry Park Zoo has over 230,000 square feet of entertainment for children and the opportunity to see more than 1700 animals in species-friendly enclosures. The offer also includes two roller coasters and interactive elements, for example the possibility to touch stingrays. A special focus is on animals from Florida.

Tampa’s other attractions include the Tampa Bay History Center (801 Old Water Street, open daily from 10 am to 5 pm). The museum, which opened in 2009, reconstructs 12,000 years of human life in the bay area on three floors, including the indigenous people and the history of Ybor City, and also offers space for temporary special exhibitions. The Tampa Museum of Art (Gasparilla Plaza at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, open daily from 11am) is an art museum focusing on 20th century art; In addition, photographs, sculptures and exhibits from Greek and Roman antiquity are shown. The museum moved to a glass and aluminum new building on the banks of the Hillsborough River in 2009. This river, which flows through Tampa and flows into the Gulf of Mexico, is best explored in the Hillsborough River State Park just outside the city at Zephyrhills. This area on a section of the river with fairly fast flow has been protected as a state park since 1938. Parts of the area are marshland, in the others you can go hiking, cycling, camping or canoeing. The offer includes a swimming pool, which is open in summer.

Downtown Tampa is home to important facilities, the convention center and the city council. The latter res >City Hall (315 East Kennedy Boulevard), a 1915 heritage listed building. At its opening, the town hall, with its almost 50 meters high, was the highest in Flor >Tampa Theater (711 North Franklin Street) is an example of classic American cinema architecture. The Lichtspielhaus, which was built in 1925, is on the national register of historical sites and is today a venue for foreign, independent and documentary films. Not far away is the Straz Center for the Performing Arts (1010 North MacInnes Place), home of the Municipal Opera. Located on the banks of the Hillsborough River, inaugurated in 1987, the inn has five theater halls, with the largest 2600 seats available. The Straz Center is the scene of cultural events of all kinds. These include musicals, Broadway productions and concerts.

The Tampas calendar of events also includes several annual events with great traction for locals and tourists. The most important and biggest is the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which takes place every year on the first Sunday in February. The festival goes back to a Spanish pirate named José Gaspar, who is said to have lived in the region. For the event, an invasion Gasparilla after Tampa is readjusted, after which the mayor hands the pirate the keys to the city and thus gives the starting signal for a big parade. Other events are based on the celebrations since 1904, including the Gasparilla Film Festival for Independent Films in March. With the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival held annually in October, another event of this kind has a permanent place in the calendar. However, the year starts right on New Year‘s Day with a traditional event, the Outback Bowl. Each year, two college teams that made a name for themselves during the season are selected for this football game. Venue is the up to 75,000 spectators Raymond James Stadium (4201 North Dale Mabry Highway), which was opened in 1998 and was both in 2001 and 2009, the venue of the Super Bowl. Inside the multifunctional stadium is a 30-meter-long replica of a pirate ship firing at points for the home team Confetti fountains. The stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a top-flight NFL football team that has existed since 1976 and won the championship in 2002. Across the street is the stadium where the New York Yankees baseball team conducts their spring training each year. Tampa does not have a professional basketball team and the Tampa Bay Rays from MLB Baseball League have their home in neighboring St. Petersburg. The rather flor >St. Pete Times Forum (401 Channelside Drive), an approximately 20,000-capacity arena that hosts other sporting events.

More about Tampa:
Ybor City

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