Why Tampa Bay?

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.

Weather and Climate
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.

Job Market Facts
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.

General School Information
Hillsborough County's public schools educate 164,181 students and another 13,813 adult learners in 188 facilities. There are 161 schools--106 elementary, 36 middle and 19 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.

Transportation In Tampa
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.

Great Outdoors
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.

Tampa Sports
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 at the Ice Palace Arena along with the Storm, our Arena Football team. Beautiful Raymond James' Stadium has triple duty with the Buccaneers (NFL), Mutiny (MLS), and USF Bulls (NCAA football), all claiming it as their home turf. The Bulls Basketball team, coached by Seth Greenberg, play at the USF Sundome. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays call The Tropicana Dome their home field in St. Pete. The New York Yankees also reside in Tampa during spring training.

Things To Do In Tampa
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.

Shopping in Abundance
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 storefronts 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!

Tampa Nightlife
After dark, 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.

Colleges & Universities
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.

Tampa Cares For It's Seniors
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.