Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s): Cigar City", " The Big Guava", "T-Town | |
 Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. | |
| Country State Counties | United States Florida Hillsborough |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pam Iorio |
| Population (2004) | |
| • City | 321,772 |
| • Metro | 2.6 million |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | http://www.tampagov.net/ |
Tampa is a major United States city located in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of Florida. It serves as its county seatTemplate:GR. The population within the city limits in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, was 321,772; making it the third largest city in the state, following Jacksonville and Miami.
Tampa is a part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area. The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.6 million residents, making it the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the state behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, and the third largest in the Southeastern United States.
History
see also History of Tampa
The word "Tampa" is an American Indian word used to refer to the area when the first European explorers arrived in Florida. Its meaning, if any, has been lost to the ages, though it is sometimes claimed to mean "sticks of fire" in the language of the Calusa, a Native American tribe. Other historians claim the name refers to "The place to gather sticks". "Sticks of fire" may also relate to the high concentration of lightning strikes that Tampa Bay receives every year during the hot and wet summer months. The name first appears in the "Memoir" of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda (1575), the author of which had spent 17 years as a Calusa captive. He calls it "Tanpa" and describes it as an important Calusa town.
Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez was the first European known to have visited the Tampa area, on April 8, 1528. Hernando de Soto arrived a year later to rescue the only remaining living member of de Narváez's expedition. A peace treaty was conducted with the local Indians and a short-lived Spanish outpost was established, but this was abandoned when it became clear that there was no gold in the area, and that the local Indians were not interested in converting to Catholicism and were too skilled as warriors to easily conquer.
When England acquired Florida in 1763, the bay was named Hillsborough Bay, after Lord Hillsborough, Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Spain transferred Florida to the United States in 1821 (see Adams-Onis Treaty). An Indian reservation was established in what is now north Tampa. As part of efforts to firmly establish United States control over southern Florida, then a vast swampy wilderness with sparse Seminole Indian population, a military outpost ("Cantonment Brooke") was established at what is now the Tampa Convention Center in downtown Tampa in 1823 by Colonels George Mercer Brooke and James Gadsden. In 1824, the post was renamed Fort Brooke. It was a vital military asset in the Seminole Wars. The village of Tampa began to grow up around the fort, which was decommissioned in 1883. Except for two cannons now on the University of Tampa campus, all traces of the fort are gone.
Tampa was incorporated on January 18, 1849 with 185 inhabitants (excluding military personnel stationed at Fort Brooke). The town's first census came in 1850 when Tampa-Fort Brooke accounted for 974 residents. Tampa was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855, and Judge Joseph B. Lancaster became the first Mayor in 1856. During the Civil War, Fort Brooke was occupied by Confederate troops, and martial law was declared in Tampa. In 1862, a Union gunboat shelled the city during the Battle of Tampa. Union forces took Fort Brooke in May of 1864, and occupied the town for the next year.
Phosphate was discovered in the Bone Valley region near Tampa in 1883. Tampa is now one of the world's leading phosphate exporters. Henry B. Plant's railroad reached the town shortly thereafter, enabling the commercial fishing industry to thrive.
In 1885, the Tampa Board of Trade persuaded Vincente M. Ybor to move his cigar manufacturing operations to Tampa from Key West. The Ybor City district was built to accommodate the factories and their workers. Tampa soon became a major cigar production center. Thousands of Italian (the majority coming from Alessandria Della Rocca and Santo Stefano, two small Sicilian towns which Tampa maintains strong ties with) and Cuban immigrants came to Tampa to work at the factories.
Henry B. Plant built a lavish luxury hotel in the city in 1883, which is now the campus of the University of Tampa.
Tampa was an embarkation center for American troops during the Spanish-American War. Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were part of the 30,000 troops stationed in Tampa for training.
In 1904, local civic association Ye Mystic Krewe "invaded" the city for the first time, establishing the yearly Gasparilla Pirate Festival.
Illegal bolita lotteries became very popular among the Tampa working classes, especially in Ybor City, where many gambling parlors sprang up. Profits from the bolita lotteries and Prohibition-era bootlegging led to the development of several organized crime factions in the city. The first boss of Tampa's organized crime world was Charlie Wall, but various power struggles culminated in consolidation of control by Sicilian mafioso Santo Trafficante, Sr. and his faction in the 1950s. After his death in 1954 from cancer, control passed to his son Santo Trafficante, Jr., who established alliances with families in New York and extended his power throughout Florida and into Batista-era Cuba.
The University of South Florida was established in 1956, sparking development in northern Tampa and nearby Temple Terrace.
The biggest development of the city was the development of New Tampa that started in 1988 when the city annexed a 24-square mile (mostly rural) area between I-275 and I-75. Today, the district boasts over 22,000 inhabitants.
With the advent of air conditioning, thousands of new residents have arrived in Tampa from the northern United States. The population continues to grow rapidly, and construction is proceeding rapidly on new housing developments around Tampa.
On January 5, 2002, just four months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 15-year-old amateur pilot Charles Bishop flew a Cessna plane into the 42-story Bank of America Plaza building in downtown Tampa. Bishop died, but there were no other injuries (because the crash occurred on a Saturday, when few people were in the building). A suicide note found in the wreckage expressed support for Osama bin Laden. Bishop had been taking a prescription medicine for acne called Accutane that may have had the side effect of depression or severe psychosis. His family later sued Hoffman-La Roche, the company that makes Accutane, for $70 million; however, an autopsy found no traces of the drug in the teenager's system.
Landmarks
The most famous landmark is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Being Florida's largest bridge, and being the worlds longest cable-stayed bridge, It is the best-known landmark in Tampa. The Hillsborough County line extends throughout the bay and to the Gulf of Mexico, in which is part of the city's water area. The current bridge replaced a cantilever bridge that fell when a freighter collided into it in 1980.
The city of Tampa is proposing building a more recognizable landmark in the downtown area - and two ideas that have been proposed is a Space Needle building similar to that of Seattle's. Another plan calls for four large fabric "gates" to be placed at four areas leading into the downtown area that would be illuminated at night and would recognizable to outside visitors welcoming them into the downtown area. The downtown area is also undergoing a large transformation to be mostly completed in time for the hosting of the Superbowl in 2009 with over 43 condo, hotel, and mixed-use devlopments proposed/approved/under construction as of October 2005. An earlier list by the city of Tampa includes large developments that have been approved and/or are under construction. A large portion of these projects have multiple towers to compensate for the high land values in Downtown Tampa. The next landmark currently under construction in the central business district is the Trump Tower Tampa, the largest residential tower on the Gulf Coast according to The Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Geography
Tampa is located on the West coast of Florida at 27°58'15" North, 82°27'53" West (27.970898, -82.464640)Template:GR. It is bordered by two bodies of water: Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, which both flow to form Tampa Bay, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 441.9 km² (170.6 mi²). 290.3 km² (112.1 mi²) of it is land and 151.6 km² (58.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 34.31% water.
Population and demographics
| City of Tampa Population by year [1], [2] | |
|
1850 - 974 (Z) | |
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 303,447 people, 124,758 households, and 71,236 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,045.4/km² (2,707.8/mi²). There are 135,776 housing units at an average density of 467.8/km² (1,211.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 64.22% White (51.0% White Non-Hispanic), 26.07% Black or African American, 0.38% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.15% Asian, 0.09% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4.17% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. 19.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race, most of them Puerto Ricans. There are significant populations of Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, Columbian, and Italian descents within the city limits as well.
There are 124,758 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% are married couples living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 3.07.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,415, and the median income for a family is $40,517. Males have a median income of $31,452 versus $26,133 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,953. 18.1% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 26.8% of those under the age of 18 and 15.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty level. A person from Tampa is called a "Tampanian", although the term "Tampan" is sometimes incorrectly used.
Economy
Like much of Florida, Tampa's economy is heavily based on services and tourism. There is a huge net influx of cash into the area. Many wealthy people have winter houses there, and the upscale Tampa Palms neighborhood is a desirable destination for retired sports athletes. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa, and the city is an extremely popular location for call centers.
Fortune 500 company Publix, a supermarket chain, is headquartered in nearby Lakeland, Florida.
Weather and climate
Tampa experiences a subtropical to temperate climate. Highs usually stay between 65 and 95 year round °F (18 and 33 °C), and lows rarely go below 32°F (0°C). These rare freezes are an enormous threat to area agriculture and aquaculture. Fog can also be a major problem in the winter and spring. Temperatures are hot June through October. These summer days have highs around 90 °F (32 °C) and high humidity. The summer nighttime temperature drops to only around 75 °F (23 °C).[3] Thunderstorms are a major concern on summer afternoons. High winds, small hail, and torrential rain often accompany these common afternoon thunderstorms which can be severe. Tornadoes are not unheard of. These storms often move out over the Gulf of Mexico at night, where they are easily seen from land as spectacular light shows. Another major concern for Tampa is the Atlantic hurricane season which runs from June 1st to November 30th and peaks in September [4]. It has been more than 50 years since Tampa has had a direct hit from a hurricane. Tampa also is synonymous as the "Lightning Capital of the World," due in part to the frequent, dangerous and (on rare occasions) deadly lightning strikes.
Education
Institutions of Higher Learning
- Florida Metropolitan University (FMU)
- Hillsborough Community College has several campuses around the Tampa Bay area.
- University of South Florida (USF) is located in northern end of the city, near Busch Gardens and Temple Terrace.
- University of Tampa (UT) is a privately-funded institution located just west of downtown Tampa, near the Hillsborough River. UT is a preferred winter practice destination for northern rowing teams from Ivy League schools.
Schools
Tampa's public schools are operated by the School District of Hillsborough County.
High schools
- Academy of the Holy Names - Website
- Braulio Alonso High School - Website
- Blanche Armwood High School - Website
- Berkeley Preparatory School - Website
- Howard W. Blake High School - Website
- Bloomingdale High School - Website
- Brandon High School - Website
- George D. Chamberlain High School - Website
- Durant High School - Website
- East Bay High School - Website
- Freedom High School - Website
- Vivian Gaither High School - Website
- Hillsborough High School - Website
- Thomas Jefferson High School - Website
- Jesuit High School of Tampa - Website
- C. Leon King High School - Website
- Ateo Phillip Leto High School - Website
- George S. Middleton High School - Website
- Joe E. Newsome High School - Website
- Plant City High School - Website
- Henry B. Plant High School - Website
- Riverview High School - Website
- Thomas Richard Robinson High School - Website
- Walter L. Sickles High School - Website
- Tampa Bay Technical High School - Website
- Tampa Catholic High School - Website
- Tampa Preparatory School - Website
- Paul R. Wharton High School - Website
Middle schools
- Adams
- Benito
- Ben Hill
- Booker T. Washington
- James Buchanan Middle School, Tampa, Florida
- Coleman
- Davidsen
- Dowdell
- Eisenhower
- Farnell
- Ferrell
- Franklin
- Greco
- Hill
- Liberty
- Madison
- Monroe
- McLane
- Memorial
- Orange Grove
- Pierce
- Progress Village
- Roland Park
- Sligh
- Stewart
- Van Buren
- Walker
- Webb
- Williams
- Wilson
- Young
Attractions and points of interest
- Big Red Balloon Sightseeing Adventures offers hot air balloon rides.
- Hyde Park is an upscale district in South Tampa. There are many fine shops and restaurants in the area as well as a movie theatre.
- Tampa Grand Prix is an entertainment complex with two 18-hole miniature golf courses, a gameroom, and two race tracks. This was previously known as Malibu Grand Prix.
- Seminole Gaming Palace - Seminole reservation, casino, Hard Rock Cafe
- The Skatepark of Tampa is a world-famous skatepark, with many professional skateboarders flocking to it in January for the Tampa Am, and in March, for the Tampa Pro.
- Tampa Union Station is an historic train station between downtown and Ybor City.
- Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District near downtown. It is a hotspot at night (especially on the weekends due to the many nightclubs, bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues in the area). Ybor City and Tampa in general were an integral part of the Florida death metal scene.
- West Tampa south of Raymond James Stadium, includes many Cuban and Spanish businesses, along Columbus Drive. Columbus Drive is also known as Boliche Boulevard after a famous Cuban dish. La Teresita, La Ideal, Lincoln Restaurant, The Italian American Club, and the Letter Carriers Hall are some of the well known local gathering places in Tampa. The "Brothers to the Rescue" Corner monument is in West Tampa at Dale Mabry Highway and Columbus Drive.
- The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg runs in neighboring St. Petersburg.
- Channelside located next to the Tampa Bay, it contains many arcades,shops,resturants and bars, and an Imax theatre
Cinemas
- Tampa Theatre is a historic movie palace that shows a wide range of independent, foreign and classic films in addition to an occasional live show. It also is the home of several film festivals that occur throughout the year.
- Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has an IMAX dome theater
- The Fun-Lan Drive-In is the only drive-in theater left in Tampa. Fun-Lan has four screens each showing first-run movies. There is also a flea market in the morning five days per week.
Live theatre
- Friday Morning Musicale The building, originally built in 1926, now serves as a community center and theatre. It is located in Hyde Park area of South Tampa.
- Gorilla Theatre is an intimate venue in Drew park.
- Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is located in downtown on the Hillsborough river and hosts a variety of live shows and concerts
- Tampa Theatre shows classic and art house films. It occasionally hosts live performances.
- Jobsite Theater is downtown's 8-year old regional theater company, and resident theater company of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Galleries and Museums
A list of upcoming and ongoing art events in Tampa can be found at the website Tampa Bay and Beyond.
- African Art Gallery
- American Victory Museum
- Artists Unlimited located in the Channelside district.
- Centre gallery student art gallery at University of South Florida
- Cigar Museum And Visitor Center is in Ybor City.
- Covivant Gallery is on North Florida av. heading downtown.
- Graphicstudio is a world famous print studio located at USF.
- Henry B. Plant Museum is located at the University of Tampa across the river from downtown.
- Hillsborough Community College has an art gallery at it's Dale Mabry and Ybor campuses.
- Matthers Art Gallery is located in Hyde Park near University of Tampa and the Tampa Museum of Art.
- Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI)
- Saunders Planetarium is part of MOSI.
- Tampa Bay History Center is in downtown.
- Tampa Museum of Art is in downtown on the Hillsborough river.
- Tampa Police Museum is in downtown.
- Ybor City Museum State Park is near downtown Tampa in Ybor City.
- Across the Bay in downtown St. Petersburg (a thirty minute drive from downtown Tampa), the Salvador Dalí Museum boasts the largest collection of Salvador Dalí's art in the world.
- William and Nancy Oliver Gallery is a student gallery located at USF.
Shopping centers
- International Plaza and Bay Street, located in the Westshore business district, is home to many upscale department stores (with Nordstrom, Dillard's, Robb & Stucky Interiors and Neiman Marcus as anchors) as well as a hotel that was recently built on the premises.
- WestShore Plaza is a upper-middle class shopping center, one mile away from International Plaza and Bay Street. On the middle class end, the mall is anchored by Sears and JCPenney, and on the higher end, anchored by Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue.
- University Mall, in the northern part of the city near the University of South Florida, with Sears, Macy's, Dillard's, and Burlington Coat Factory as anchors.
Sports
| Club | Sport | League | Stadium | Logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Football | National Football League (NFL) - NFC | Raymond James Stadium | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Logo |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) - Eastern Conference | St. Pete Times Forum | Tampa Bay Lightning Logo |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Baseball | Major League Baseball - AL | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg | Tampa Bay Devil Rays Logo |
| Tampa Bay Storm | Arena Football | Arena Football League (AFL) | St. Pete Times Forum | Tampa Bay Storm Logo |
The first major professional sports franchise in Tampa Bay started in 1975 was the Tampa Bay Rowdies as an expansion franchise of the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). They played their games at Tampa Stadium. The Rowdies won the inaugural Soccer Bowl of that league in 1975 bringing Tampa Bay its first professional sports championship. The NASL folded in 1984, and the Rowdies continued in other indoor soccer leagues before folding in 1993. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the defunct United States Football League (USFL) started in 1985 and played for three seasons before the league and the team folded. Coached by Steve Spurrier "banditball" was very popular. The Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer started in 1996 and continued through 2001 before folding.
Tampa also has a number of Major League Baseball teams that participate in Spring training in Tampa. As well as several minor league baseball teams based in the area.
College sports teams include:
- NCAA Football, Div.1, Big East : The University of South Florida Bulls: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa
- NCAA Basketball, Div. 1, Big East: The University of South Florida Bulls: The Sun Dome in Tampa
Horse Racing at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar is another popular sport. First opened in 1926, the Tampa Bay Downs racing season is from December to May.
Zoological gardens and aquaria
- Big Cat Rescue is a non-profit sanctuary for large cats. The facility is in the Citrus Park area and is open to the public.
- Busch Gardens is a popular theme park with rides, shows and animals.
- Florida Aquarium is located in the Channel District near downtown.
- Lowry Park Zoo is rated one of the nation's top mid-sized zoos.
- Suncoast Primate Sanctuary.
- University of South Florida Botanical Gardens.
Local media
Newspapers
Daily
Weekly
- La Gaceta: The nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish and Italian
- Weekly Planet: A free "alternative" tabloid
- Tampa Bay Times (TBT): A free information and entertainment tabloid published by the St. Petersburg Times
- Tampa Bay Business Journal: The region's premier source for local business news subscription tabloid
Television
- WEDU Ch. 3 (PBS)
- WFLA Ch. 8 (NBC)
- BAY9 Ch. 9 24 Hour Bay Area News
- WTSP Ch. 10 (CBS)
- WTVT Ch. 13 (FOX)
- WUSF Ch. 16 (PBS)
- WCLF Ch. 22 Independent
- WFTS Ch. 28 (ABC)
- WTTA Ch. 38 (WB)
- WTOG Ch. 44 (UPN)
- WMOR Ch. 32 Independent
- WFTT Ch. 50 Telefutura
- WVEA Ch. 62 Univision
- WXPX CH. 66 Pax
Yearly events
- Bonk Festival of New Music is an annual event to promote public awareness of new music and to foster relationships between musicians. It takes place at a variety of venues around Tampa.
- Florida State Fair lasts about a week in February and features livestock, food, entertainment and midway rides. It takes place at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
- Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a daytime parade that takes place one Saturday in February. It is also known as the Mardi Gras of Tampa.
- Sant'Yago Knight Parade is an illuminated nighttime parade that takes place one Saturday in February in Ybor City.
- Guavaween offers daytime events and nighttime parade one Saturday in October in Ybor City.
- Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival lasts a little over a week during October. The movies are primarily shown at the Tampa Theatre although other local venues are occasionally used as well.
- Tropical Heatwave is a diverse series of concerts sponsored by community radio 88.5 WMNF.
- Outback Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game held at Raymond James Stadium, normally on New Year's Day (January 1).
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base, located in south Tampa, is home to CENTCOM, the Central Command of the United States military; and SOCOM, the Special Operations Command. The base is run by the 6th Air Mobility Wing, and includes both the 310th Airlift Squadron, flying the C-37, and the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, flying the KC-135.
The base flightline was closed in the 1991 round of base closings under the Base Realignment and Closure committee discussions; at the time, the base was used for F-16 training and the air traffic in the Tampa area was considered detrimental to training; the noise produced was also considered inappropriate in a densely settled area. However, despite committee recommendations, the base remained open to house and support CENTCOM and SOCOM. The flightline was reopened in 1993 for NOAA operations, and in 1996 the air refueling squadron moved to the base from Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.
Approximately 14,000 people work at MacDill Air Force Base. It is a significant contributor to Tampa's economy, and the city is very supportive of the military community. In 2003 and 2004, the Tampa Bay area was awarded the Abilene Trophy, which annually honors the most supportive Air Force city in the country.
Transportation
Airports
- Tampa International Airport (KTPA) is the city's main airport. In March 2003, Conde Nast Traveler magazine ranked the airport #1 in the US and #3 in the world.
- There is also a smaller general aviation terminal called Peter O. Knight Airport (KTPF) which is located on Davis Island near downtown.
- Vandenburg Airport (KVDF) is another option for general aviation fliers.
- St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (KPIE) is across the bay and offers another option for air travelers.
Train stations
Amtrak services Tampa via the Tampa Union Station which is near downtown.
Seaports
Several cruise ships make use of the Port of Tampa, located in the Channel District.
Mass transit
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HARTline) operates the streetcars as well as the bus system. HARTline has signed transit deals with both the University of South Florida and the University of Tampa, allowing HARTline buses to transfer students from the two campuses to other areas of Tampa free of charge as long as proof of affiliation with the school is presented. Starting in December 2005, faculty from both schools now have to pay 25 cents.
The TECO Line Streetcar System, which links Ybor City, the Channel District and downtown Tampa, began operating on Saturday, October 19, 2002. Although quite limited in the scope of areas that it services, and its slow speed (about 10-15 mph), the air-conditioned cars do offer a comfortable and nostalgic method of getting around. The line is similar to the streetcar network in Tampa in the early 20th century.
Major roads
- Interstate 75
- Interstate 275
- Veterans Expressway
- Crosstown Expressway
- U.S. Route 41 - Business 41
- U.S. Route 92
- U.S. Route 301
- State Road 60
- State Road 580
- Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
- Dale Mabry Highway
Famous Tampa natives
Prominent individuals born in Tampa:
- David Sanborn (b. 1945), saxophonist
- Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975), saxophonist
- Nat Adderley (1931-2000), cornetist
- Les Blank (b. 1935), documentary filmmaker
- Aaron Carter (b. 1987), pop singer
- Butterfly McQueen (1911-1995), actress
- Robert Martinez (b. 1934), politician, Florida governor
- Ferdie Pacheco (b. 1927), doctor, boxing analyst
- Santo Trafficante, Jr. (1914-1987), Mafia boss
- Derek Bell (b. 1968), baseball player
- Steve Garvey (b. 1948), baseball player
- Luis Gonzalez (b. 1967), baseball player
- Dwight Gooden (b. 1964), baseball player
- Tony LaRussa (b. 1944), baseball player
- Al Lopez (1908-2005), baseball player
- Tino Martinez (b. 1967), baseball player
- Fred McGriff (b. 1963), baseball player
- Jason Michaels (b. 1976), baseball player
- Jay Feely (b. 1976), football player
- Lou Piniella (b. 1943), baseball player
- Gary Sheffield (b. 1968), baseball player
Prominent individuals born elsewhere, but well-regarded as Tampanians:
- Melissa Howard (b. 1977), (born in Japan, but raised in Tampa) actress/comedienne
- Robin Hibbard (b. 1976), reality personality
- Nick Carter (b. 1980), singer
- Aaron Carter (b. 1987), actor/singer
- Hulk Hogan (b. 1953), professional wrestler/actor
Tampa in television and films
Sister cities
Tampa is a sister city with
See also
References
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External links
- Tampa, Florida municipal government
- Tampa Bay Area Start Page
- History of Tampa (PDF) from the Tampa Chamber of Commerce
- Open Directory Project: Tampa
- Tampa Bay and Beyond art and music events for the area
- Tampa Bay History Center
