Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHOPPING
Hyde Park and Ybor City are two areas of Tampa worth some window-shopping, perhaps
sandwiched around lunch at one of the fine restaurants (see “Where to Dine,” below).
On the mall front, there's the upscale International Plaza ( & 813/342-3790; www.
shopinternationalplaza.com), near Tampa International Airport, where the headliners
include Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
CIGARS Ybor City is no longer a major producer of hand-rolled cigars, but you can
still watch artisans making stogies at the Gonzalez y Martinez Cigar Factory (www.
gonzalezymartinez.com), 2025 7th Ave., in the Columbia Restaurant building ( & 813/
247-2469 ). Gonzalez and Martinez don't speak English, but the staff does at the adjoin-
ing Columbia Cigar Store (it's best to enter here). Rollers are on duty Monday through
Saturday from 10am to 6pm. You can stock up on fine domestic and imported cigars at
El Sol, 1728 E. 7th Ave. ( & 813/247-5554 ), the city's oldest cigar store; King Corona
Cigar Factory, 1523 E. 7th Ave. ( & 813/241-9109 ); and Metropolitan Cigars &
Wine, 2014 E. 7th Ave. ( & 813/248-3304 ).
SHOPPING CENTERS Old Hyde Park Village, 1507 W. Swann Ave., at South
Dakota Avenue ( & 813/251-3500 ), is a terrific alternative to cookie-cutter suburban
malls. Walk around the little boutiques in the sunshine and simultaneously check out
Hyde Park, one of the city's most historic neighborhoods. The cluster of 50 upscale shops
is set in a village layout. The selection includes Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Restora-
tion Hardware, Brooks Brothers, Crabtree & Evelyn, and Godiva, to name a few. There
are also several restaurants there, including the Wine Exchange, Timpano Italian Chop-
house, and my favorite, Restaurant BT (see review later in this chapter). There's a free
parking garage on South Oregon Avenue behind Jacobson's department store. Most
shops are open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 7pm and Sunday from noon to
5pm. A farmers' market (at Swan and Dakota aves.) is held every Saturday from 9am to
2pm, offering local produce, seafood, and assorted tchotchkes.
The centerpiece of the downtown seaport renovation is the massive tourist trap known
as Channelside at Garrison Seaport, on Channelside Drive between the Garrison Sea-
port and the Florida Aquarium ( & 813/223-4250 ). It has stores, restaurants, a dance
club, and a multiscreen cinema with an IMAX screen.
In Ybor City, Centro Ybor, on 7th Avenue East at 16th Street ( & 813/242-4660;
www.centroybor.com), is primarily a dining and entertainment complex, but you'll find
a few chains here, such as American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, and Victoria's Secret.
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WHERE TO STAY IN & AROUND TAMPA
The listings below are organized into three geographic areas: near Busch Gardens Tampa
Bay, downtown, and Ybor City. If you're going to Busch Gardens, Adventure Island,
Fun Facts
“Tanpa” + Sloppy Handwriting = “Tampa”
Tampa used to be called Tanpa. No, this is not a spelling error. In the early days,
when the place was an Indian fishing village, that's what it was called. Loosely
translated, Tanpa means “land by the water.” Early explorers had illegibly written
Tanpa on the maps. In 1539, gold-searching explorers mistakenly changed the
name to Tampa.
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