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Why
Tampa Bay Area
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.
Look at what the
Greater Tampa Association of Realtors has to say.
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.
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.
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.
Hillsborough County's public schools educate 143,880
students and another 14,455 adult learners in 158 facilities. There are 149 schools--104
elementary, 30 junior high or middle and 15 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. Additional school data CLICK HERE
Transportation
In Tampa Bay
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ParkTown Center and Brandon Towncenter.
Citrus Park Towncenter is located in Northwest Tampa and is designed with
individual, unique store fronts as well as captivating bronze statues of children playing.
Brandon Town Center is centrally located in the heart of Brandon and will meet
every shopper's needs whether looking for clothing, books or even unique kites!
After dark, sample the food and entertainment at Cafe
Winberie in Old Hyde Park Village, or 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.
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.
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.
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