Channel District

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Channel District
Neighborhood
Channelside Bay Plaza in Tampa, FL.jpg
Overlooking Channelside Drive from the parking garage. Foreground: Channelside Bay Plaza Background: Harbour Island skyline
USA Florida location map.svg
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Channel District
Coordinates: 27°56′51″N82°26′38″W / 27.9476089°N 82.4438019°W / 27.9476089; -82.4438019
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida

Channel District is a residential neighborhood in the City of Tampa that includes an entertainment complex, just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida. It is bordered by Ybor Channel on the east and Garrison Channel on the south. Channelside is a nickname for the entertainment complex Channelside Bay Plaza, within the neighborhood that includes shops, restaurants, and bars. It is located next to the Florida Aquarium, American Victory Museum, Port Tampa Bay (the launching point for cruise lines) and a short stretch on the Tampa Riverwalk to the Tampa Bay History Center. Also located in the district is the Benchmark International Arena (formerly the Tampa Bay Times Forum) where the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning play their home games. The Arena also hosts concerts and other events. [1] The center of the Bay Plaza has a large open court for live music, with views of the downtown skyline, cruise ships and the Port of Tampa. It also houses a Sony Giant Screen theater. The TECO Streetcar has several stops in the district. [2] Also, NEVs are being utilized by startups to link Tampa's core neighborhoods including Channelside. [3] [4] [5] [6] The Tampa Convention Center is located adjacent to the district to the west.

Twin 30-story upscale condos Towers of Channelside were completed in 2007, with many other mid and high-rises completed since. Saint Leo University opened an adult continuing education center, called the Tampa Education Center, in the Channel District in July 2011. [7] More shopping and entertainment is planned for the area along with an urban sports park, to be named Madison Park. The side streets away from the bay plaza are becoming the focal points of the neighborhood, featuring many new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] The Channel District also includes the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida.[ citation needed ]

Starting in 2010 the Tampa Attractions Association formed a tradition of coloring the Garrison Channel green for Saint Patrick's Day. [13]

Sparkman Wharf is a recent addition to the Channel side area in 2018. [14] This outdoor food hall is located on the waterfront. The Sparkman Wharf has options for food, drink, and outdoor seating. [15]

Several official Super Bowl XLIII parties featuring celebrity appearances were held in the district. [16] [17] [18] [19]

A Crowd at the Channelside Complex Channelside.jpg
A Crowd at the Channelside Complex

References

  1. ↑ "Rain Doesn't Dim Final Four Hoopla". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Streetcar Maps". Tecolinestreetcar.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Hop Tampa ready to give folks a ride downtown – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ Archived December 9, 2012, at archive.today
  5. ↑ "Free electric cart rides fail to charm Tampa cabbies - St. Petersburg Times". Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Residents sketch plans for park | TBO.com". Centraltampa2.tbo.com. October 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ PRWeb – Thu, Aug 25, 2011 (August 25, 2011). "Saint Leo Only One of the Universities in Tampa in Channelside District – Yahoo! News". News.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Madison Street Park Next For Channel District In Downtown Tampa". 83Degrees.
  9. ↑ "Towers of Channelside, Tampa / Emporis.com". Archived from the original on February 20, 2007.
  10. ↑ Walt Belcher (June 23, 2009). "Downtown barber shop inspired by 'Big Lebowski'". TBO.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Tbt: Twist on steel". Sptimes.com. September 17, 2004. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Tampa's Grand Central at Kennedy adds two retail tenants – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  13. ↑ "For St. Patrick's Day, Channelside's waters go green – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  14. ↑ https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/10/23/sparkman-wharf-reveals-grand-opening-date.html.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ "Sparkman Wharf | Water Street Tampa | Tampa, Florida".
  16. ↑ "Pam Anderson, Warren Sapp Turn Out For Athletes And Angels Party". Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  17. ↑ Archived December 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "Citytimes: Nightlife has a new spin".
  19. ↑ "What is Kim Kardashian doing in Tampa? – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
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