Tampa
I love Tampa's many outstanding restaurants, theaters, museums and sporting venues. With its perfect mix of historic architecture and modern landmarks, Cuban and Spanish culture-infused flavor, vibrant business district and beautiful waterways, Tampa is a wonderful place to work, play and unwind. Its downtown has come alive in recent years with more urban parks, including the gorgeous Tampa Riverwalk, more hip bars and innovative restaurants and amazing restorations to turn-of-the-century buildings.
There’s no shortage of things to do in Tampa, whether it’s paddling along the Hillsborough River, walking or biking along the river walk, sampling tequila at a margarita festival, enjoying a pro football or hockey game, riding a thrill-coaster at Busch Gardens or attending an opera at the Straz Center.
Ybor City, which was created around the Cuba cigar-rolling industry in the late 1800s, is now world renowned as a hot nightlife spot, its old red brick buildings now filled with lively music, cocktails and late-night dancing. Downtown is now packed with young condo residents, and with them came a crop of new fusion-cuisine dining options, craft cocktail and beer bars and regular festivals, concerts and events hosted in the well-kept Curtis Hixon Park. Nearby Hyde Park, an upscale shopping and dining district, there are boutique stores and national brands, as well as excellent restaurants and bars. But one of the great things about Tampa is you can venture outside of the urban, metro centers to find plenty to do off the beaten path.
There’s also plenty of adventures to be had in Tampa’s museums and theme parks, well known to visitors from across the country. Busch Gardens has plenty of rides, shows and attractions to fill up a whole weekend and the nearby Adventure Island water park offers daring drops and relaxing wading pools. The impressive Tampa Museum of Art is directly next to the Glazer Children’s Museum which makes for great outing for the entire family.
Tampa is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation and one of my favorite places to visit and work in.
