Newcomers to the Sunshine State will settle into the lifestyle in Tampa without much trouble. The city has world-class museums and art galleries, along with shaded parks and waterfront trails for quieter days.
There’s a lively bar and restaurant scene, and plenty of sports to watch and play. The weather is warm for most of the year, so a lot happens outdoors. It’s an easy place to fill a weekend, whether you’re after a night out or a slow afternoon by the water.
Shopping in Tampa
Whether you’re hunting for a bargain or after exclusive designer pieces, the shopping in Tampa has you covered.
Newcomers who favour luxury shopping will love Hyde Park Village. It’s an open-air centre that is built around a garden and fountain, and its walkways are lined with local boutiques and designer names. It’s an easy spot to spend an afternoon. International Plaza and Bay Street, close to Tampa International Airport, has more than 200 designer and brand-name stores. Its open-air Bay Street promenade is lined with restaurants for a break between the retail therapy.
For the essentials, head to Citrus Park Town Center or The Shops at Wiregrass. Both are family-friendly and have play areas to keep your children entertained. For rustic and antique finds, the long-running Oldsmar Flea Market is worth a weekend browse.
Nightlife in Tampa
Tampa is known for its sunshine, but there’s real nightlife in Tampa once the sun goes down. Two areas do most of the work. Ybor City, the historic former cigar district, has the densest run of bars and clubs, and its brick streets are lined with live-music venues. South Howard Avenue, known locally as SoHo, is the more polished option. Between them, you’ll find everything from down-to-earth Irish pubs and craft microbreweries to cocktail lounges and martini bars, so a night out rarely takes much planning.
Eating out in Tampa
One of the better perks of living here is eating out in Tampa, thanks to the city’s deep immigrant roots. The Cuban sandwich was invented in Ybor City, the old cigar quarter, and that’s still the best place to try one. For more variety, the restaurants and bars on South Howard Avenue and Hyde Park are packed close together, and the food-hall scene up in Tampa Heights is the casual option. Seafood is easy to come by, and you can eat well in Tampa without spending a fortune.
Arts and culture in Tampa
Newcomers who care about arts and culture in Tampa have plenty to go at, and there’s everything from historic artefacts to contemporary work. A lot of the city’s character comes from Ybor City, whose brick streets are still central to Tampa’s cultural life.
For live performance, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts has a full year-round programme, from touring Broadway shows and opera to ballet and concerts.
Outdoor activities and sports in Tampa
Spectators are well served when it comes to outdoor activities and sports in Tampa. The NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers play at Raymond James Stadium, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning play downtown at Benchmark International Arena, and the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays play across the bay in St Petersburg. The New York Yankees also hold spring training in Tampa each year, and there’s a range of semi-pro and collegiate teams worth following too.
If you’d rather play than watch, Bayshore Boulevard is the obvious place to start. Its waterfront path is one of the world’s longest continuous sidewalks, and it’s the go-to route for runners and cyclists. The Tampa Riverwalk is a paved stretch of about 2.5 miles (4km) beside the Hillsborough River, and many of the downtown parks are dotted along it. Beyond the city, there’s golf and deep-sea fishing, and the calm inland waters are good for kayaking or paddleboarding. The Gulf beaches are a short drive across the bay.
See and do in Tampa
There’s plenty to see and do in Tampa, and new residents tend to work through it bit by bit. You’ll find everything from scenic parks and waterfront trails to historic buildings and museums, and much of it is family friendly.
Here are some of Tampa’s top attractions to get you started.
Tampa Museum of Art
The Tampa Museum of Art has one of the largest collections of Greek and Roman antiquities in the southeastern US, alongside modern and contemporary art. It’s on the Riverwalk, and after dark, the LED artwork on its south wall is a landmark along the waterfront. Its exhibitions change throughout the year, so a single visit rarely does it justice.
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which opened in 1987, is a cable-stayed bridge over Lower Tampa Bay, between St Petersburg and Terra Ceia. The roadway is high above the water, and the views across the bay are wide open. If heights aren’t your thing, the crossing can feel daunting, but most drivers find it worth it.
Tampa Theatre
The Tampa Theatre, which opened in 1926, is one of the city’s most prominent historical attractions, and it still operates today. You can buy tickets at the vintage glass booth and settle into plush velvet seats. You’ll find films here, from classics to new independent releases, and the theatre puts on concerts and other live events too.
Tampa Bay History Center
At the Tampa Bay History Center, you can work through 12,000 years of Florida’s history, from its prehistoric inhabitants to the conquistadors to the Cuban cigar rollers of Ybor City. Children reliably enjoy the hands-on exhibits and the theatre.
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMOPA), now in Ybor City, is devoted entirely to photography. The rotating exhibits include historical and modern work by photographers from the US and abroad.
Meeting people and making friends in Tampa
Making friends in a new city takes effort, and meeting people in Tampa is easiest through a shared interest. Newcomers often join a running or cycling group along Bayshore or find their crowd through Meetup and local sports and hobby clubs.
Volunteering is another good route, and it’s a quick way to get to know a neighbourhood. Professionals will find plenty of business networking events downtown and in the tech scene around Water Street.