Q49255

Understand

Tampa is on the north shore of Tampa Bay in West Central Florida. Saint Petersburg lies west of the bay, while Bradenton is on the southern shore. The downtown business center of the city is on the north shore of Hillsborough Bay (a small bay within Tampa Bay which is bordered by the eastern shore of Tampa Bay and the small peninsula of South Tampa) and Ybor City lies just to the east. MacDill Air Force Base is on the southern tip of South Tampa, while the city also extends to the north all the way to New Tampa.

Orientation Tampa is divided into five main districts fanning out from Downtown in the south-center between the Hillsborough River and Ybor Channel. West Tampa, once a separate city, lies across the Hillsborough River to the west of Downtown. South Tampa, a large residential area, extends south along the Interbay Peninsula. Historic Ybor City (sometimes considered a part of Downtown) lies on the northeast side of downtown. East Tampa, the historically African-American side of the city, lies north of Ybor City. North Tampa forms the urban/suburban sprawl north of Busch Boulevard. The northernmost extremity of North Tampa, known as New Tampa due to its having been annexed to the city in 1988, is very suburban and somewhat isolated from the rest of Tampa. Within Tampa proper, there are six official "historical districts" (Hampton Terrace, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Historic West Tampa, Ybor City) and at least 86 named neighborhoods.

History The Tampa Bay area was visited by many Spanish explorers, beginning with Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528. However, no long term permanent settlements were created until 1824 when the US federal government created a reservation for north Florida Seminole Indians. At the same time, the US created Fort Brooke to oversee the reservation as well as protect the strategic harbor. The town's first population boom occurred in the 1880s. In 1883, phosphate was discovered in the area, spurring the development of

Getting there

By plane

Tampa International Airport

1 Tampa International Airport (TPA IATA), 4100 George J Bean Pkwy (8 mi (13 km) West/NW of downtown, on the Tampa side of Old Tampa Bay, via Exit 39 from I-275 at its jct of SR-60 (cross over bay from Clearwater). From St Petersburg it is 21.5 mi (34.6 km) north/NE across the bay via I-275.), ☏ +1 813 870-8700. The airport is built with a central terminal, accessible by ground transportation, where passengers check in for flights and reclaim checked luggage (arrivals). The central terminal is then connected to (4) airside satellite terminals by SkyConnect trains to access flights. Non-stop service is available from most major U.S. cities (and from Puerto Rico); intrastate flights from other parts of the state (with Silver Airways, Southwest, and Southern Airways Express); and international flights from the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, Great Britain, Germany, Mexico, Panama and Switzerland with the following:

Airside A: JetBlue, Silver Airways, United/United Express Airside C: Alaska Airlines, Breeze Airways, Southwest, Sun Country Airside E: Air Canada, Delta/Delta Connection, Frontier Airside F: American Airlines/American Eagle, British Airways, Cayman Airways, Copa Airlines, Edelweiss, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Swift Air, Westjet, international arrivals Car rental is located in a separate 2 Rental Car Center located along Airport Service Rd, next to the economy parking buildings. It is accessible from the main terminal by the frequent SkyConnect train. Courtesy pick-up for off-airport car rental companies can be arranged at the red or blue luggage reclaim zones at the airport or at the "commercial curb" at the Car Rental Center. Bus stops for Hillsborough Area Transit (HART), to Tampa (Rt #10, 30, 32) and to St Petersburg & Clearwater with Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)(Rt #300x) are next to the Rental Car Center. Follow signs to the "remote curbside" from the Rental Car Center to reach the bus stops. HART #10 and PS

Getting around

By car Car rentals are the most convenient form of transportation for visitors, with local companies offering better prices but national chains offering more convenience vis-a-vis return policies and times. The main freeways in Tampa are Interstate 275, Interstate 4, the Veterans Expressway (toll FL 589), and the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (toll FL 618). Some of the main east-west roads through town are Kennedy Boulevard (SR 60), Gandy Boulevard (SR 694), Hillsborough Avenue (US 92) and Fowler Avenue (SR 582), while some of the north-south roads are Dale Mabry Highway (US 92) and Florida/Nebraska Avenue (US 41). Traffic is especially bad during the rush hours: from about 7:30AM to 9:30AM and 3:30PM to 7:30PM. During these times, try especially to avoid I-275 between I-4 and SR 60 (by the airport) as this section runs by downtown and is being rebuilt.

By bus

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) provides extensive bus service throughout Hillsborough County. There are four types of routes offered: "local", "Commuter Express", "MetroRapid" (Bus Rapid Transit), and trolleys (see below). Local routes are ones which have many stops in a small region. Commuter Express lines are long-distance lines namely providing service from suburbs into Tampa. Only local to local & commuter express to local transfers are allowed. Fares are $1.75 for local routes and $2.75 for commuter express lines. Four small routes (83, 87, 88, & 89) have a 50¢ fare with no transfers. Riders over 65, 17 and under, on Medicare, or disabled are half-price: 85¢ for "local" routes and $1.35 for "commuter express" routes. Bus transportation in the Tampa area is not popular and one can expect plenty of room in buses. 1 Marion Transit Center at 1211 N Marion St, just north of downtown is the hub for almost all local and regional buses. PSTA, offers service in Pinellas County (the county west of Tampa Bay, home to Clearwater and St. Petersburg) similar to what HART offers in Hills

See

Downtown Tampa

1 Channel District. The Channel District has many shops, restaurants, and is one of the beginnings of the Tampa River Walk. Formerly home to a shopping center named Channelside Bay Plaza, this area is now completely remodeled and opened in late 2018 as Sparkman Wharf, with many take away eateries and a beer garden, along with a lively lawn beside the waterfront. The area also serves as a major cruise hub with five lines embarking or stopping in Tampa. The Florida Aquarium is also here (see entry below). (updated Jan 2019) 2 Florida Aquarium, 701 Channelside Drive (Channelside district, just east of downtown), ☏ +1 813 273-4000. Daily 9:30AM-5PM. Fabulous aquarium following a drop of rain from a swamp through Florida's aquifer, to its rivers and out into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Restaurant, gift shop, children's play area, touch tank, interactive dive experiences, and eco-tours of Tampa Bay. The aquarium also has a great outdoor water play area (included