Tampa is a major city on the west coast of Florida. It’s a lively city with a lot going on. Popular because of the subtropical climate and easy access to Miami, Tampa Bay and wider Florida. With a population of around 380,000, it is a busy city but never overcrowded.
Thanks to a colorful history, Tampa Bay and its attractive economy and environment, the city is very diverse. As well as a growing port, the city has a varied and thriving economy causing steady growth. Property is a mixture of apartments, family homes and estate homes and are reasonably priced considering the strength of the local economy.
The Tampa Bay area has apparently been occupied for thousands of years and archaeological finds date back to 1000 AD. More recently, Spanish explorers are credited with being the first Europeans to travel the area. Attempts at trade and interaction repeatedly failed so settlement didn’t happen for at least a couple of hundred years after that first contact.
As far as we can tell, Fort Brooke was the first ‘official’ settlement in the Tampa Bay area. The fort was built by the US Army in 1824 to protect the frontier. Settlers followed and gradually they ousted the native Seminole population. The bay area made a natural port, so shipping quickly became an economic driver for the city. This was followed by cattle and citrus fruit farming.
The discovery of phosphate and the arrival of the railroad added strength and diversity to the economy and secured the future of Tampa. More industries came, along with MacDill Air Force Base.
Tampa is known for its idyllic climate with mild winters and warm summers. City highlights include; the Channelside entertainment complex, Museum of Science and Industry, Florida Aquarium, Busch Gardens, Tampa Museum of Art, Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa Theatre and the University of Tampa and University of South Florida.
Some of the major employers in the city include; BayCare Health System, Publix Super Market, HCA West Florida, Frontier Communications, Wal-Mart, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citi and MacDill Air Force Base.
Neighborhoods of Tampa include: Downtown Tampa, New Tampa, West Tampa, East Tampa, North Tampa, and South Tampa. Well-known neighborhoods include Ybor City, Forest Hills, Ballast Point, Sulphur Springs, Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Palma Ceia, Hyde Park, Davis Islands, Tampa Palms and College Hill.