Tampa

A business giant. A recreational playground. A great place to live. All are apt but incomplete descriptions of Tampa. Florida's city by the bay is much more than Florida's third largest city. Not only have lots of people left their hearts here, but many more have arrived because they love its urban opportunities, especially when they're combined with Florida's world-famous climate and laid-back lifestyle. Hillsborough County's major city is the commercial capital of a four-county region that is the Sunshine State's most populous metropolitan statistical area (MSA). And continued growth is anticipated. A recent study by NPA Data Services, a Washington, D.C. research organization, puts Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater on its top 10 list of MSA's with highest anticipated population growth over the next 20 years. Current data suggests that the region will blossom from 2.25 million to 3.3 million by 2015. Tampa is the heart of this burgeoning metropolis. It's an impressive city in its own right and is the region's major economic engine.

Downtown Tampa redevelopment projects amaze many in urban planning and media circles. Immediately across the street from the new federal courthouse is the Floridian Hotel, scheduled for redevelopment, and the historic and architecturally important Kress Block, which is being developed for retail, office and residential using the existing buildings that include Renaissance revival, art deco and beaux arts style structures. The $94-million Florida Aquarium opened in 1995 in the Garrison Seaport Center; the $108 million Ice Palace opened next door in October of 1996. A new Marriott convention resort is also open for business. So whether its structures are new or recycled, it's fair to say that Tampa's on a building binge.

Hillsborough County possesses both substance and style. A touch of Tampa's class is evident in its symphony and museums, its playhouses and sports facilities. Yet families--especially families with kids--will welcome the smorgasbord of choices for foolproof family fun--the beaches, parks, nature trails, museums, roller parks, the zoo and other interactive exhibits.

Home Sweet Home

Tampa's real estate market is robust, reports the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors. And why not? The weather is great, occupational opportunities are varied and the cost-of-living is low. In 1998, about 87 percent of Greater Tampa's listings were single-family homes and only 13 percent condominiums. The median price of an existing, three-bedroom home in 1999 was $94,200, though homes can be found for $60,000 to $280,000 and higher. For an existing condominium or townhouse, the average sale price was $67,306.

Mature neighborhoods offer some of the best housing values. Many of the homes and properties in the suburbs -- Brandon, Valrico and Seffner -- offer a lot for the money. But there's plenty of new construction, too. New homes in Brandon's Fish Hawk Ranch average $156,000; in Tampa's Westchase the average home can be purchased for $175,000; and also in Tampa, Heritage Isles home prices run from $80,000 to $300,000.

A Community Investment Tax (sales tax) of a half-cent is dedicated to special needs: infrastructure (roads, sewers, etc.), schools and jails. Eleven percent went for construction of the new football stadium; the other 89 percent should ensure that Tampa will continue to be a good place to live, work, play and go to school.

Vital Stats

(Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA includes the counties of Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas)

Population: 2.18 million
Median age: 36.3
New citizens: 13,280 yearly
New job creation: 4.8 percent (1999)
Unemployment rate: 2.7 percent August, 1999
Cost of living: 99.21 percent (U.S. average: 100 percent)
Per capita income: $22,872
Median household income: $32,650

Rain & Shine

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

Major Bay Area employers include Hillsborough County School Board (23,400); Publix Super Markets (21,178); U.S. Postal Service (8,440); University of South Florida (7,559); MacDill Air Force Base (6,854); Hillsborough County government (4,230); and Tampa government (4,123).

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.

Class Notes

Extensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend.

Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth.

For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."

Getting Around

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.

Good 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 in their new Ice Palace or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play football in Raymond James Stadium. For big-league baseball, try the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field. The minor league Panther Yankees carry Tampa's torch in baseball. For spring training thrills, watch the American League's New York Yankees at Legends Field in Tampa or the National League Cincinnati Reds in nearby Plant City.

In a preliminary move toward hosting the 2012 Olympics, Hillsborough County deposited a non-refundable $150,000 with the U.S. Olympic Committee in late 1997. The deadline for submitting a final bid is Dec. 15, 1998.

Hot Times in the City

Gamblers enjoy horse racing, greyhound racing and jai alai during their short annual seasons. 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. Scheduled to celebrate its 10th anniversary early in 1997, the Center anchors the downtown revitalization effort, now continuing at a rapid clip with lots of construction, including the cultural infrastructure. 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. (An 800-room convention hotel will overlook the park's Serengeti Plain by late 1999.) Youngsters also like Adventure Island, the water wonderland next door to Busch Gardens. 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.

Shop 'til You Drop

Five major malls, two large flea markets and several neighborhood shopping centers are among the shopping mix. West Shore Plaza comprises 100 stores and a food court; Eastlake Square Mall combines department and specialty stores with restaurants; and Old Hyde Park Village features 65 shops and eateries in an exciting offering of individual, often upscale shopping places along neighborhood streets. The area's newest mall, Citrus Park Town Center, has 1.1 millin square feet and is anchored by Dillards, Burdine's and Sears. Or if you're downtown, take the elevated tram from the People Mover station and ride across the water to the Shops on Harbour Island.

Nightlife

After dark, sample the food and entertainment at Cafe Winberie in Old Hyde Park Village, taste the Po-Boys and listen to jazz in the village at Selena's, or watch the famous flamenco dancers at 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, MoJo, 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.

College Scene

Florida's second largest state-supported university makes Tampa its home base. Although it only recently fielded its first football team, the University of South Florida is a well-established coed, comprehensive educational and research institution that enrolls more than 36,000 students 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.

Just for Seniors

Many senior services in the Tampa area are coordinated by the Hillsborough County Department of Aging Services, which uses monies 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.