Tampa, Florida

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Tampa, Florida
Skyline of Tampa, Florida
Official flag of Tampa, Florida
Flag		 Official seal of Tampa, Florida
Seal
Nickname: "Cigar City", "The Big Guava""
Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida.
Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida.
Coordinates: 27°58′15″N, 82°27′6.72″W
Country United States
State Florida
County Hillsborough
Government
 - Mayor Pam Iorio
Area
 - City  170.6 sq mi (441.9 km²)
 - Land  112.1 sq mi (290.3 km²)
 - Water  58.5 sq mi (151.6 km²)
Elevation 19.7 ft (6 m)
Population (2007)
 - City 345,556
 - Density 2,707.6/sq mi (1,045.4/km²)
 - Metro 2.7 million
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.tampagov.net/

Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of Florida. It serves as the county seat of Hillsborough County.GR6. The population within the city limits in 2005, according to the Census was 333,040;[1] it is the third-largest city in Florida, behind Jacksonville and Miami.

Tampa is a part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the "Tampa Bay area". The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.7 million residents, making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the third largest in the Southeastern United States, and the twelfth largest DMA Market in the United States.

Contents

[edit] History

Main article: History of Tampa, Florida
Downtown Tampa.
Downtown Tampa.
Historic house on Davis Islands
Historic house on Davis Islands
Historic Spanish apartments on Davis Islands
Historic Spanish apartments on Davis Islands
Palace of Florence Apartments
Palace of Florence Apartments

The word "Tampa" is a Native American 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. Toponymist George R. Stewart writes that the name was the result of a miscommunication between the Spanish and the Indians, the Indian word being "itimpi", meaning simply "near it" (Stewart, pg. 231).

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. While "Tanpa" is the apparent basis for the modern name "Tampa", archaeologist Jerald Milanich places the Calusa village of Tanpa at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, the original "Bay of Tanpa". Later Spanish explorers, having failed to locate Charlotte Harbor, assumed that the large bay they did find was the Bay of Tanpa, and the name stuck with the current Tampa Bay.[2]

In April of 1528, the ill-fated Narváez Expedition landed near Tampa with the intention of starting a colony. After being told by the natives of better riches to the north, they abandoned their camp after only a week. A dozen years later, a surviving member of the expedition named Juan Ortiz was rescued by Hernando de Soto's expedition.[3] 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 Great Britain 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-Onís 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 city's first census came in 1850 when Tampa-Fort Brooke accounted for 974 residents.[4] Tampa was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855, and Judge Joseph B. Lancaster became the first Mayor in 1856.[5][6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9]

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 Quisquina, two small Sicilian towns which Tampa maintains strong ties with) and Cuban immigrants came to Tampa to work at the factories.

Franklin Street, looking North, Tampa c. 1910s-1920s
Franklin Street, looking North, Tampa c. 1910s-1920s

Henry B. Plant built a lavish luxury hotel called the Tampa Bay Hotel in the city in 1891, which became the foundation of the University of Tampa when it was established in 1933 becoming Tampa's first institute of higher learning.[10]

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. Before it was incorporated two category 4 hurricanes hit Fort Brooke nearly destroying the whole Fort and town. In 1921 a category 4 hit Tampa.

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.[11][12]

The University of South Florida was established in 1956, sparking development in northern Tampa and nearby Temple Terrace.

There were four attempts to consolidate Tampa with Hillsborough County (1967, 1970, 1971, and 1972). All of which failed at the ballot box with the biggest margin was 33,160 for and 73,568 against the proposed charter in 1972.[13]

The city of Tampa grew rapidly, growing by another 150,289 residents from 1950-1960, but only grew by 2,600 (population:277,714) people from 1960-1970. It lost about 9,000 residents from 1970-1980,(population:271,523) but has grown past the 1970 point and is now 303,447 and is estimated at 333,040 and is expected to rise even further to 352,285 by 2010, which would be a 80,000 increase from the figure in 1970.

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.

[edit] Geography

Tampa is located on the West coast of Florida at 27°58′15″N, 82°27′53″W (27.970898, -82.464640).GR1 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. The Hillsborough River (Florida) flows out into Tampa bay, passing directly in front of Downtown Tampa and supplying Tampa with its main source of water.

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 (34.31%) is water. The highest point in the city is only in the forties.

[edit] Weather and climate

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg high °F (°C) 70
(21)		 72
(22)		 76
(24)		 82
(27)		 87
(30)		 90
(32)		 90
(32)		 90
(32)		 89
(31)		 84
(28)		 78
(25)		 72
(22)		 82
(27)
Avg low temperature °F (°C) 50
(10)		 52
(11)		 56
(13)		 61
(16)		 67
(19)		 73
(22)		 74
(23)		 74
(23)		 73
(22)		 66
(18)		 57
(13)		 52
(11)		 63
(17)
Rainfall in. (cm) 2.1
(5)		 2.9
(6)		 3.2
(8)		 2.0
(4)		 2.7
(7)		 6.6
(14)		 7.4
(18)		 7.9
(20)		 6.3
(16)		 2.3
(5)		 1.8
(4)		 2.0
(5)		 46.3
(128)
Source: Monthly Climate Summary

Tampa's climate is subtropical, with a threat of frost about once every 2-3 years. Highs usually stay between 65 and 95 °F (18 and 35 °C) year round, and lows rarely go below 32 °F (0 °C). These occasional freezes are an enormous threat to area agriculture and aquaculture. Likewise, summer temperatures are predictable, and have never risen above 100 °F (38 °C). The all-time record high temperature in downtown was 99 °F (37 °C), recorded on June 5, 1985.[14] The lowest temperature ever recorded in Tampa was 18 °F (-7.8 °C) in 1962.[15]

The 1977 snowfall
The 1977 snowfall

In the Great Blizzard of 1899, Tampa suffered its one and only blizzard, with bay effect snow coming off of Tampa Bay.[16] The last major snow Tampa received was on January 19, 1977, the city received .2 inches of snow.

Fog can also be an occasional problem in the winter and spring. Temperatures are hot from May through October, which coincides with the rainy season. 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).[17] Other times of the year, the temperatures are moderate and sunshine is abundant.

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. Tampa has a pronounced wet season, averaging 20.6 inches (524 mm) between July and September, but only 6.2 inches (157 mm) between November and January. The wettest month is August, which averages 7.6 inches (193 mm); November is the driest month, averaging only 1.6 inches (41 mm). Yearly precipitation averages 44.8 inches (1137 mm).[18]

Another major concern for Tampa is the Atlantic hurricane season which runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks in September. Tampa feels the effects of tropical systems, on average, every two to three years, but the city has not had a direct hit by a hurricane since the 1930s. If a category four or five hit the area, Tampa would see a storm surge of 25-30 ft. This surge, coupled with the fact that most of the downtown area is within five feet of sea level, means that Tampa would see greater destruction than Hurricane Katrina, the worst disaster in American history.[19]

Tampa also is popularly known as the "Lightning Capital of the United States" (Rwanda maintains the World title), due in part to the frequent, dangerous and (on rare occasions) deadly lightning strikes.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Tourism

[edit] Galleries and museums

[edit] Attractions and points of interest

Centro Ybor complex with a TECO Line car passing in front
Centro Ybor complex with a TECO Line car passing in front
Street festival in Ybor Historic District
Street festival in Ybor Historic District
  • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center at http://tbpac.org is the largest performing arts complex in the Southeast, presenting high quality performing arts programming from major Broadway tours to grand opera, dance, cabaret, comedy and concerts to the region. TBPAC is also home to the Patel Conservatory, which opened in 2004.
  • Historic Hyde Park[3] is a historical district in South Tampa with many fine architectural examples.
  • 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 skateboard contests.
  • Tampa Union Station is an historic train station between downtown and Ybor City.
  • Park Tower, once called the Lykes Building, was the tallest skyscraper in the Tampa skyline when it was first built in 1973.
  • 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.
  • Horse Racing at Tampa Bay Downs, near Oldsmar, first opened in 1926. The Tampa Bay Downs live racing season is from December to May with simulcasting year round. They also have a card room offering poker games.
  • Greyhound Racing at Tampa Greyhound Track first opened in 1933. They have live racing from June to December, with simulcasts year round. They also have a card room offering poker games.

[edit] Zoological parks and aquariums

[edit] Landmarks

  • The Story of Tampa, a public painting by Lynn Ash, is a 4' x 8' oil on masonite mural that weaves together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity. It was commissioned in 2003 by the City of Tampa's Public Art Program and can be found in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building.[21]
  • The Tampa Riverwalk is a project in the works, designed to open the Hillsborough River, which winds through the city, to the people.[22]

The city of Tampa is proposing building a more recognizable landmark in the downtown area - and one idea that has 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 be recognizable to outside visitors, welcoming them into the downtown area.

[edit] Events

Downtown Tampa during Gasparilla
Downtown Tampa during Gasparilla

[edit] Performing arts

[edit] Cinema

  • 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. (The Ruskin area just south of the city is home to the Ruskin Drive-In, one of America's oldest.)

[edit] Theatre

[edit] Music

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Tampa has its own style of Hip hop based music called Jook Music. Jook music is a style of music and dance that is associated through out the Tampa Bay Area. The genre of music was created in the early 2000s in East Tampa (a predominantly African American community, but the area is commonly referred to as West Tampa). Jook music is a up-beat hip hop tempo. Jook in ganeral is a dance, but there are a variety of dances typically performed to "jook music". They are The k-wag, City boy, Jackson Heights(which was named after the neighborhood in East Tampa), and The Sanchez.

Female rapper Khia(known as one of the pioneers for starting the genre of music), took the Tampa style genre of music to a national audience in 2002 with her controversial debut single "My neck, My back (Lick it)". Despite the fact that well over half the song had to be edited for the radio use, the song was a huge success, reach number 42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

[edit] Tampa in TV/film/novels/pop culture

  • See also: Tampa Chapter of the FL Motion Picture and Television Assoc.[23]

[edit] Religion

Tampa's first church was the First Methodist Church, founded in a cabin by circuit rider J.C. Lay in 1846. The most famous church, however, is the Sacred Heart Church which was officially opened in 1905. The city also contains St. Paul's A.M.E. Church which was founded by Reverend Thomas W. Long in 1870 and is Tampa's oldest African-American congregation, and First Presbyterian Church which is housed in a Spanish mission style building from 1930.[24]

[edit] Shopping

  • International Plaza and Bay Street, located in the Westshore business district, is home to many upscale stores: (with Nordstrom, Dillard's, Robb & Stucky Interiors and Neiman Marcus as anchors) as well as the Renaissance Hotel, which was recently built on the premises. International Plaza is located next to Tampa International Airport.
  • WestShore Plaza is an 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, Steve and Barry's University Sportswear, and Burlington Coat Factory as anchors.
  • Westfield Shoppingtown Brandon, A fairly large mall located in an eastern suburb, Brandon, with Sears, Dillards, Macy's and JCPenney as anchors.
  • Westfield Shoppingtown Citrus Park, A mid-size mall located in the north western part of the county in Citrus Park, located northwest of the city. Like the other Westfield mall in the area, it is anchored by Sears, Dillard's, Macy's and JCPenney.
  • Old Hyde Park Village, a small collection of specialty boutiques anchored by Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Williams-Sonoma. It has a pleasant park-like setting. Hyde Park is accessible by trolley from downtown, the Cruise Port and Ybor City.

[edit] Sports

Club Sport League Stadium
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football National Football League (NFL) - NFC Raymond James Stadium
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Baseball Major League Baseball - AL Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey National Hockey League (NHL) - Eastern Conference St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football Arena Football League (AFL) St. Pete Times Forum
University of South Florida Bulls Football College Football NCAA - Big East Conference Raymond James Stadium
University of South Florida Bulls Basketball College Basketball NCAA - Big East Conference USF Sun Dome
Main entrance to Raymond James Stadium
Main entrance to Raymond James Stadium
St. Pete Times Forum
St. Pete Times Forum
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field
The USF Sun Dome
The USF Sun Dome

Tampa is represented by teams in three major professional sports leagues; the NFL, the NHL, and Major League Baseball. Two of the teams play in Tampa proper, while the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of Major League Baseball play across the bay in St. Petersburg. All of the teams are considered to represent the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the area's first major franchise in 1976, and brought the area its first major sports championship at the end of the 2002 season, winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning was established in 1992, and currently play their games in the St. Pete Times Forum. The team won their first Stanley Cup championship at the end of the 2003-2004 NHL season. The Devil Rays began play in 1998, but have yet to be a major contender - finishing last in the American League's East Division in eight of the nine seasons they have played. The Tampa Bay Storm play in the lesser-known Arena Football League. Originally playing in Pittsburgh, the team moved to Tampa in 1991. The Storm won their first Arena Bowl championship in 1991, and have won four subsequent championships in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2003. Since 1997, the team has played its home games in the St. Pete Times Forum, which is located in Tampa.

Other sports teams include:

  • The Bay Area Krewe rugby union team who play at Alexander Park
  • The Tampa Bay Titans rugby union team

Tampa has hosted several franchises of other professional leagues over the years. The first of these was the Tampa Bay Rowdies, started in 1975 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 in 1975, bringing Tampa Bay its first professional sports championship. The NASL folded in 1984, while the Rowdies continued play in other indoor soccer leagues before folding in 1993. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the defunct United States Football League (USFL) began play in 1985, and played three seasons in Tampa Stadium before the league and the team folded. Coached by Steve Spurrier, their crowd-pleasing style of play was known as "banditball". The Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer began play at Tampa Stadium in 1996, and continued through 2001 before folding.

The Tampa Bay Area also hosts a number of Major League Baseball teams for spring training, as well as several minor league baseball teams. Playing in the spring training Florida Grapefruit League are:

And playing in the Minor League Baseball Florida State League (Single-A baseball) are:

Sporting Events:

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspapers

Daily

Weekly

  • La Gaceta: The nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish and Italian.
  • Creative Loafing: A free "alternative" tabloid, formerly published as Weekly Planet.
  • Tampa Bay Business Journal: A subscription tabloid focusing on local business news.
  • South Tampa News: Free tabloid community newspaper.
  • Centro Mi Diario: Free Spanish-language newspaper published by The Tampa Tribune.
  • Tampa Bay Newspapers: Publishes community newspapers, including the Seminole Beacon, Beach Beacon, Largo Leader, Belleair Bee, Clearwater Citizen and Pinellas Park Beacon.

[edit] Television

[edit] Radio

FM

  • WMNF 88.5 FM - Non-commercial listener-supported [5]
  • WYFE 88.9 FM - Bible Broadcasting Network [6]
  • WUSF 89.7 FM - "Concert 90 FM" -- University of South Florida (NPR) [7]
  • WBVM 90.5 FM - "Spirit FM" -- Christian Rock (also 88.3 WLMS) [8]
  • WKES 91.1 FM - Moody Bible Institute [9]
  • WLPJ 91.5 FM - "The Joy FM" -- Contemporary Christian (also 88.1 WJIS) [10]
  • WFTI 91.7 FM - Family Radio Network [11]
  • WYFO 91.9 FM - Bible Broadcasting Network [12]
  • WYUU 92.5 FM - "La Nueva 92.5" -- Tropical Spanish [13]
  • WFLZ 93.3 FM - "93-3 FLZ" -- CHR & Pop [14]
  • WSJT 94.1 FM - "Smooth Jazz WSJT 94.1" [15]
  • WWRM 94.9 FM - "Magic 94.9" -- Adult Contemporary [16]
  • WXCV 95.3 FM - "Citrus 95" -- Adult Contemporary [17]
  • WBTP 95.7 FM - "The Beat" -- Hip Hop and R&B [18]
  • WTMP 96.1 FM - "Today's R&B and Classic Soul" [19]
  • WXOF 96.3 FM - "Fox 96.3" -- Classic Hits [20]
  • WSUN 97.1 FM - "97-X" -- Alternative Rock [21]
  • WPCV 97.5 FM - "97 Country" -- Country (Lakeland) [22]
  • WXTB 97.9 FM - "98 Rock" -- Active Rock [23]
  • WWRZ 98.3 FM - "Max FM" -- Adult Contemporary (Lakeland) [24]
  • WLLD 98.7 FM - "Wild 98.7" -- Rhythmic CHR and Top 40 [25]
  • WQYK 99.5 FM - "Tampa Bay's Country Station" [26]
  • WMTX 100.7 FM - "Mix 100.7 FM" -- Adult Contemporary [27]
  • WPOI 101.5 FM - "The Point" -- 80's Music [28]
  • WHPT 102.5 FM - "The Bone" -- Classic Rock [29]
  • WFUS 103.5 FM - "U.S. 103.5" -- Country [30]
  • WRBQ 104.7 FM - "Q105" -- Classic Hits [31]
  • WDUV 105.5 FM - "The Dove" -- Easy Listening [32]
  • WJQB 106.3 FM - "The Real Oldies Channel" [33]
  • WCTQ 106.5 FM - "106-5 CTQ" -- Country [34]
  • WXGL 107.3 FM - "The Eagle" -- Classic Hits [35]

AM

  • 570 WTBN - Pinellas Park (based in Tampa) -- Christian
  • 620 WDAE - St. Petersburg (based in Tampa) -- Sports
  • 680 WRMD - St. Petersburg (based in Tampa) -- Spanish
  • 720 WRZN - Hernando -- Adult Standards
  • 760 WLCC - Brandon (based in Tampa) -- Spanish
  • 820 WMGG - Largo (based in Tampa) -- Spanish
  • 860 WGUL - Dunedin (based in Tampa) -- Talk
  • 910 WTWD - Plant City (based in Tampa) -- Christian
  • 970 WFLA - Tampa -- News/Talk (FOX News Radio)
  • 1010 WQYK-AM - Seffner (based in Tampa) -- Sports
  • 1040 WWBA - Pinellas Park (based in Tampa) -- Talk
  • 1110 WTIS - Tampa (based in St. Petersburg) -- Christian
  • 1150 WTMP - Egypt Lake (based in Tampa) -- Classic R&B
  • 1250 WHNZ - Tampa -- News/Talk
  • 1300 WQBN - Temple Terrace (based in Tampa) -- Spanish
  • 1340 WTAN - Clearwater -- News/Talk
  • 1350 WDCF - Dade City -- Country
  • 1380 WWMI - St. Petersburg -- Radio Disney
  • 1400 WZHR - Zephyrhills -- News/Talk
  • 1420 WBRD - Bradenton -- Gospel
  • 1450 WWJB - Brooksville -- "Full service"
  • 1470 WHBO - Dunedin (based in Tampa) -- Sports
  • 1490 WWPR - Bradenton -- News/Talk
  • 1500 WPSO - Port Richey -- Greek/ethnic
  • 1520 WXYB - Indian Rocks Beach -- Greek/ethnic
  • 1550 WAMA - Tampa -- Spanish
  • 1570 WTWB - Auburndale -- Christian
  • 1590 WRXB - St. Petersburg Beach -- Urban
  • 1610 Various, including Tampa International Airport parking info.
  • 1620 WBUL - Tampa -- USF Student Radio/Multiformat/Low Frequency

[edit] Economy

International Plaza and Bay Street.
International Plaza and Bay Street.

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 here, and the upscale Tampa Palms neighborhood is a desirable destination for retired professional athletes. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa.

The downtown area is also undergoing a large transformation to be mostly completed in time for the hosting of the Super Bowl in 2009 with over 43 condo, hotel, and mixed-use developments proposed/approved/under construction as of October 2005.[25] An earlier list by the city of Tampa includes large developments that have been approved and/or are under construction.[26] A large portion of these projects have multiple towers to compensate for the high land values in Downtown Tampa. The next tower 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.[27][28]

Tampa's port is now the seventh largest in the nation and Florida’s largest tonnage port, handling nearly half of all seaborne commerce that passes through the state. Many cruise ships anchor in Tampa as well.[29]

Three Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the metropolitan area-- OSI Restaurant Partners (the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and Bonefish Grill), TECO which provides energy for the surrounding area, and Raymond James Financial, the namesake of Buccaneers home field Raymond James Stadium. Additionally Publix, a Fortune 500 supermarket chain, is headquartered in nearby Lakeland, Florida.

Wikipedia is based in Tampa, with additional servers in Amsterdam and Seoul.

[edit] Government

Tampa is governed under the strong mayor form of government. The Mayor of Tampa is the chief executive officer of city government. The City Council is a legislative body. Pam Iorio is the current mayor of Tampa.

The city's web site has won awards for excellence.

[edit] Demographics

City of Tampa
Population by year[30], [31]

1850 - 974 (Z)
1860 - not returned
1870 - 796
1880 - 720
1890 - 5,532
1900 - 15,839
1910 - 37,782
1920 - 51,608
1930 - 101,161
1940 - 108,391
1950 - 124,681
1960 - 274,970
1970 - 277,714
1980 - 271,523
1990 - 280,015
2000 - 303,447
2005 - 326,519(Est.)
2006 - 330,866 (Est.)
(Z): Population including Fort Brooke.

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 303,447 people, 124,758 households, and 71,236 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,045.4/km² (2,707.8/mi²). There were 135,776 housing units at an average density of 467.8/km² (1,211.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.29% of the population, most of them Puerto Ricans. There are significant populations of Cuban, Italian, Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian descents within the city limits as well.

There were 124,758 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,415, and the median income for a family was $40,517. Males had a median income of $31,452 versus $26,133 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,953. 18.1% of the population and 14.0% of families were below the poverty line. 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 referred to either as a Tampan[32] or Tampeño.[33]

[edit] Education

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[edit] Colleges and Universities

The seal of the University of South Florida
The seal of the University of South Florida

[edit] Schools

Tampa's public schools are operated by Hillsborough County Public Schools.

[edit] Public Elementary schools

Elementary schools with over 1,000 students in Hillsborough County by size:

  • Westchase Elementary School-1,488 students
  • Alafia Elementary School-1,249 students
  • Symmes Elementary School-1,119 students
  • Summerfield Elementary School-1,112 students
  • Crestwood Elementary-1,103 students
  • Claywell Elementary School-1,095 students
  • Essrig Elementary School-1,089 students
  • Limona Elementary School-1,017 students
  • Boyette Springs Elementary School-1,001 students
  • Egypt Lake Elementary School-1,000 students
  • Dale Mabry Elementary School - 720 students

[edit] Public Middle schools

Middle Schools in Tampa by size:

[edit] Public High schools

High schools in Tampa by size:

[edit] Private schools

Private Schools with 300 or more students in Tampa by size:

[edit] Charter schools in Tampa and surrounding Hillsborough County

  • Anderson Elementary Academy
  • Carl Sagan Academy
  • Hope Preparatory Academy
  • Kid’s Community College
  • Learning Gate Community School
  • Literacy/Leadership/Technology Academy
  • Metropolitan Ministries
  • Mount Pleasant Standard-Based Middle School
  • Pepin Academy of Tampa
  • Prince Academy
  • Quest Middle School
  • Re-birth Academy
  • RCMA Wimauma Academy
  • Richardson Montessori Academy
  • Tampa Bay Academy
  • Tampa Charter School
  • Tampa Transitional School of Excellence
  • Terrace Community Middle School
  • Trinity School for Children
  • USF/Patel
  • USF/Patel Intermediate
  • Village of Excellence
  • Walton Academy of the Performing Arts

[edit] Sources

[edit] Infrastructure

HARTline logo
HARTline logo
A TECO streetcar picking up passengers in Ybor City.
A TECO streetcar picking up passengers in Ybor City.

[edit] Airports

[edit] 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. Like the port, it could potentially be a target for terrorism.

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 2001 and 2003, the Tampa Bay area was awarded the Abilene Trophy, which annually honors the most supportive Air Force city in Air Mobility Command.

MacDill also hosts an annual air show that is enjoyed by thousands of spectators each year. However, there were no shows in 2002 and 2003 due to 9/11. The 2006 show was also cancelled due partly to the war in Iraq.

[edit] Train stations

Amtrak services Tampa via the Tampa Union Train Station, located in a historic building near downtown.

[edit] Seaports

Several cruise ships make use of the Port of Tampa, located in the Channel District.

[edit] Mass transit

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) operates streetcars as well as the bus system. HART has a signed transit deal with the University of South Florida, allowing students to ride for free on most bus routes.[36] In addition, students from several other colleges and universities can purchases passes at half price from their school.[37]

The TECO Line Streetcar System, which links Ybor City, the Channel District and downtown Tampa, began operating on Saturday, October 19, 2002. Despite the system's limited reach and comparatively slow speed (about 10-15 mph), the air-conditioned cars do offer a nostalgic method of getting around in far greater comfort than was possible a century ago. The line is intentionally reminiscent of Tampa's extensive early twentieth-century streetcar network, albeit much smaller in scope at present (2006). Expansion, though costly, is generally acknowledged as desirable if it can be done affordably.[citation needed] Currently, the line has 10 stops along its 2.4 mile (3.9 km) route.[38]

[edit] Major roads

[edit] Sister cities

Tampa is a sister city with

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Census (PDf). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
  2. ^ Milanich, Jerald T. 1995. Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1360-7 p. 40
  3. ^ Floripedia "De Soto, Hernando" - URL retrieved January 30, 2007
  4. ^ http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-07.pdf
  5. ^ http://www.tampagov.net/dept_City_Clerk/previous_mayors/index.asp
  6. ^ http://www.tampagov.net/dept_city_clerk/archives/Records/City_of_Tampa_Incorporation_History.asp
  7. ^ http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/fl/fl002.html
  8. ^ http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/fl002.htm
  9. ^ http://www.baysoundings.com/sum05/phosphate4.html
  10. ^ http://www.travel-wise.com/northamerica/tampa/index.html
  11. ^ http://www.weeklyplanet.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A317
  12. ^ http://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_101.html
  13. ^ http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-04152005-170723/unrestricted/05_lsj_CHAPTER_4_b.pdf
  14. ^ http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USFL0481_f.html
  15. ^ http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USFL0481?from=search
  16. ^ The Weather Doctor Almanac 2002. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
  17. ^ http://www.wordtravels.com/Cities/Florida/Tampa/Climate
  18. ^ The Weather Channel (weather.com). Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  19. ^ The Palm Beach Post. Could Tampa Bay be the next New Orleans?. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
  20. ^ http://www.babezahariasgc.com/content.php?link=course_history.php
  21. ^ http://www.tampagov.net/dept_public_art/files/Ash%20%20Story%20of%20Tampa.pdf
  22. ^ http://www.tampagov.net/dept_riverwalk/
  23. ^ Tampa Chapter of the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association
  24. ^ Tour of historic downtown Tampa URL retrieved January 10, 2007
  25. ^ http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBC749VCFE.html
  26. ^ http://marketing.cbre.com/tampa/tampa_downtown/demo.htm
  27. ^ http://www.trumptowertampa.com/
  28. ^ http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2005/12/12/daily48.html
  29. ^ NOAA Brownfield: Pilot Port, Tampa Bay, FL. noaa.gov. Retrieved on 2006-05-13.
  30. ^ Publications: Census of Population and Housing (1790-2000) - retrieved November 25, 2006
  31. ^ 1850 census of Population - retrieved November 25, 2006
  32. ^ Victorian Tampa - retrieved July 21, 2006
  33. ^ Tampa y Cuba: cien años de solidaridad - retrieved November 25, 2006
  34. ^ "FAA Airport Traffic for CY2005." Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.
  35. ^ "Airports We Love." Condé Nast Traveler. Published on March 2003. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.
  36. ^ "USF UPass." Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.
  37. ^ "Adult Student Fare." Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.
  38. ^ "[1]." TECO Line Streetcar System. Retrieved on December 17, 2006.

[edit] Further reading

  • Deitche, Scott M. Cigar City Mafia : A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld (2004), Barricade Books ISBN 1-56980-266-1
  • Stewart, George R. Names on the Land, Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston (1967).

[edit] External links

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