Tampa is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County. With an estimated population of 398,173 in 2022, Tampa is the 49th-most populous city in the country and the third-most populous city in Florida after Jacksonville and Miami.
Madeira Beach is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, bordered on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east by St. Petersburg. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,895. The entertainment district of John's Pass is located on the Intracoastal Waterway. The city is often referred to by locals as Mad Beach. It is named after the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater inflow into the bay is the Hillsborough River, which flows into Hillsborough Bay in downtown Tampa. Many other smaller rivers and streams also flow into Tampa Bay, resulting in a large watershed area.
Times Publishing Company is a newspaper and magazine publisher. Its flagship publication is the Tampa Bay Times, a daily newspaper serving the Tampa Bay area. It also publishes the business magazine Florida Trend and the daily newspaper tbt*.
Fort Brooke was a historical military post established at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida in 1824. Its original purpose was to serve as a check on and trading post for the native Seminoles who had been confined to an interior reservation by the Treaty of Moultrie Creek (1823), and it served as a military headquarters and port during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). The village of Tampa developed just north of the fort during this period, and the area was the site of a minor raid and skirmish during the American Civil War. The obsolete outpost was sparsely garrisoned after the war, and it was decommissioned in 1883 just before Tampa began a period of rapid growth, opening the land for development.
Seminole Heights is a historic neighborhood and district located in central Tampa. It is bounded on the west by Florida Avenue, on the north by Hanna Avenue, on the east by Interstate 275 and on the south by Osborne Avenue. It includes many early 20th century bungalow homes and historic buildings. It was an early residential area of Tampa connected by streetcar. The area had an economic downturn in the late 20th century marked by increased crime, but has since seen a resurgence with new restaurants, brew pubs and independent businesses opening up. The neighborhood's historic homes, eclectic shops and gourmet restaurants are an increasing draw.
Metrocon is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. It is Florida's largest anime convention and organized by Team Dynamite Productions. The convention evolved from meetups of AnimeMetro.com members.
Cambridge Christian School (CCS) is a co-educational, private, non-denominational Christian school serving grades PreK–12, located in Tampa, Florida, United States. CCS is a college preparatory school accredited by Christian Schools of Florida.
Clearwater Beach includes a resort area and a residential area on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas County on the west-central coast of Florida, United States. Located just west over the Intracoastal Waterway by way of the Clearwater Memorial Causeway from the rest of the city of Clearwater, Florida, of which it is part, Clearwater Beach is at a geographic latitude of 27.57 N and longitude 82.48 W.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is a gaming complex and hotel that opened in 2004. It is located on the Tampa Reservation off of Interstate 4, just east of Tampa, Florida. The 190,000 square foot casino has been expanded multiple times since its opening. It is a 24-hour venue that permits smoking indoors.
The Tampa City Council is the legislative body of the municipal government of the U.S. city of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida. The City Council consists of seven members, each representing one of seven corresponding districts from which they were elected. City Council, as the city's legislative branch, is responsible for enacting ordinances and resolutions administered by the corresponding executive branch, the Mayor of Tampa.
Columbia Restaurant is a restaurant in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida. It is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, as well as the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States. The 15 dining rooms cover 52,000 ft seating 1,700 customers. It is the largest Spanish restaurant in the world and occupies an entire city block. Founded in 1903 as Saloon Columbia, it was renamed in 1905 to Columbia Restaurant. The landmark has been owned by the Hernandez-Gonzmart family for five generations and serves Spanish and Cuban cuisine.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, also known as The Guitar Hotel, due to its tower constructed to resemble a Gibson Les Paul guitar, is a hotel and casino resort near Hollywood, Florida, United States, located on 100 acres (40 ha) of the Hollywood Reservation of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The property currently has three hotel towers, a 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) casino, large poker room, a 4-acre (1.6 ha) lagoon-style pool facility with a center bar and many private restaurants, shops, spa, cabanas, bars and nightclubs, and the Hard Rock Event Center. A large expansion was completed in October 2019.
Grand Central is an arts-entertainment district in St. Petersburg, Florida, located on Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South two miles west of Downtown. It is located within the boundaries of Kenwood Historic District, a neighborhood of St. Pete. This locale was voted among the 10 best "cottage communities" in America by Cottage Living. Many new businesses have opened in the area, with a large influx from the creative class. The area is also known as a bastion for St. Pete's LGBT community, including gay-friendly nightlife. The annual St. Pete Pride event is held here, which is the largest single-day event for the whole city as well as the largest gay pride parade in all of Florida. The event attracts tens of thousands of people to the area. Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, the first openly gay elected official in the region, was named Grand Marshal for the 2009 parade. Besides Pride, the neighborhood also hosts a weekly "Peddler's Market", similar to a more elaborate Farmers' market. Some controversy is brewing in the neighborhood regarding the marginalization of existing social services centers, and over a flag-hanging ordinance.
Mise en Place is a restaurant in Tampa, Florida, the core of a group of spin-off restaurants in the area. Named for the French term mise en place, the restaurant started in 1986 as a small catering business. Maryann Ferenc and chef Marty Blitz began the business, now a group of restaurant/ cafes offering full-service modern American cuisine as well as event catering. Mise en Place is located in Tampa architect M. Leo Elliott's 1925 plaza near the University of Tampa (Elliot also created Tampa City Hall and Ybor City's Cuban Club
Captain William Parker Jackson House is a historic residence in the Seminole Heights area of Tampa, Florida. An 1870s farmhouse, it was once owned by prominent Tampa pioneers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jackson was born November 11, 1847, to "first Anglo-American family to settle in the Tampa Wilderness."
Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe is a restaurant and bar in the Seminole Heights section of Tampa, Florida. Ernie Locke and Melissa Deming opened it in 2009. It is decorated with artwork from regional artists, hosts live music on the weekends, and serves Soul Food on Sundays. It is also known for its chocolate bacon bars. It is part of a group of notable restaurants in Seminole Heights that includes The Refinery and the Independent (restaurant). It is located at 5119 North Nebraska Avenue.
Alessi Bakery is a historic bakery and restaurant in Tampa, Florida. Offering desserts, sandwiches, soups, and breads, the family operated bakery has been in business for more than 100 years. It was founded in 1912 by Nicolo Alessi. The business is incorporated as Phil's Cake Box Bakeries. Take-out, dine-in and catering are offered. The bakery also sells wholesale and opened a $20 million 100,000-square-foot bakery plant off Waters Avenue in Town ’N Country, Florida in 2008.
Lee Elementary School of Technology/ World Studies was a historic elementary school in Tampa, Florida. It was established as Michigan Avenue Grammar School in 1906. It became Robert E. Lee Elementary School in 1943 when Michigan Avenue was renamed Columbus Drive (Tampa). The school was located at 305 East Columbus Drive and was the first brick school building constructed in Hillsborough County, Florida. In 2004, it became Lee Elementary School of Technology/World Studies. The school's colors are royal blue and gold and its mascot is Robert E. Lee's horse Traveller.
Howell Emanuel "Trai" Donaldson III is a serial killer who was convicted of the 2017 murders of three men and one woman around the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. All four victims were shot dead seemingly at random. Prior to his arrest, the media called the killer the Seminole Heights serial killer.
