Tampa, Florida

[sunshine]

Some forumers in the other websites keep bragging about how lively downtown Tampa is, so I drove over there to check it out and here is what I got.

Tampa Skyline

University of Tampa

Another skyline shot

It's not happening..... though I wish they get it....

Downtown Tampa has some sweet looking buildings. Hyde Park looks good.

I try to drive to Harbour Island but is is gated. Is Tampa going to do anything about the real downtown or just going to keep focusing on nearby Ybor and Channelside Dsitrict?

Then, I am off to St Pete and will post the pics in another thread...

[wolfdawg54]

Too bad that they will not have the 2012 Olympics. Great City

[bobliocatt]

Is Tampa going to do anything about the real downtown or just going to keep focusing on nearby Ybor and Channelside Dsitrict?

Great pics, yes just north of the office core is the "Cultural Arts" district (North Franklin Avenue. Several reconstruction projects are taking in this area. They include condo towers, lofts, an art museum, and the Law School. There's also plans to extend the streetcar system from Ybor & the Channel District through the office core into Tampa Heights.

I like the development pattern in Tampa because all of its inner city urban neighborhoods are so unique in character that they complement each other well.

Downtown should not attempt to compete with Ybor & Channelside to provide entertainment. The city should keep their focus increasing residential living opportunities, which it is already doing.

[M. Brown]

Nice Pics

[Brickell]

Very nice shots.

I love Tampa

[Urban_Legend]

OK, did you ask everyone in the city to move out of your shots? I didn't see a single pedestrian in the pics. I'm guessing that you took these on the weekend? Nonetheless, those are some nice pics!

[Allan]

Great pics! It does look devoid of any pedestrian life though. Hopefully some new residential projects will change that in the near future though.

[sunshine]

Well, there are not a single soul in the downtown area when I was there.

There are some people at the channelside district if you want to consider it downtown. But, it is not a walkable distance from the place I took the pics, at least not for me.

[bobliocatt]

You'll be hard pressed to find many people walking around office buildings and the county courthouse in any city on the weekend. Tampa's office core needs to add the residential component before you see heavy pedestrian use on non-workdays. The Channel Distrct, the convention center, and the nearest streetcar station is only about 3 or 4 blocks south of the shaded outdoor office plaza in the sixth pic.

It seems like they're two different areas because of the elevated Lee Roy Selmon Expressway and the surface parking lots in between them.

Once the 20 story Westin Hotel, and the two 50+ story condo towers are built they will be reconnected like they used to be before the urban renewal years.

By the way, there's also several small restaurants and shops along Tampa & Franklin Streets starting about 2 blocks north of the outdoor plaza in the sixth pic.

[sunshine]

Lets hope that happend. I really do not think that isolating the office area from the entertaintment area is a very good way to build a city. At least, I cant think of any cities that do that.

[sunshine]

Actually, there was something funny happended when I took those pics.

Some tourist think that I am from Tampa and ask me where do Tampa people normally hang out on a nice day like today and I told him, people here drive to ORlando on a day like this.

[bobliocatt]

lol

[SkyPeru34]

Tampa is a lovely city, i lived and studied there for 2 years..............and i clearly remember those pretty buildings.............

I also took photos to downtown Tampa. I will soon post them............

[Sean Reynolds]

Well doesn't look like downtown Tampa is kickin!