Finally went to see this place. Really old Florida History. Im very happy these people kept this…read moreplace alive

While the inside is not open to the public, you can view this original 1923 mansion in Safety…read moreHarbor. It's a official historic landmark! The architecture is Colonial Revival. It was built by Virginia Hernandez (Bailey) Tucker (1844-1931). She was the daughter of William James Bailey, a colonel during the Second Seminole War. He was stationed at nearby Fort Brooke in Tampa. Colonel Bailey purchased the land and nearby natural springs in 1855 and made the spring waters available for public use! Life is good with local history that's been preserved.

This is what you see coming into Tampa from the Interstate. I am a big fan of local landmarks and…read morepublic art. So Anytime I see a little bit of local flavor I always add it to yelp for others to see. This was created in 2018.

A lot of people know Tampa for Cuban cigars, but fewer realize just how deep and early the…read moreconnection between Tampa and Cuba really runs, and this marker does a nice job grounding you in that history. Standing here in Ybor City, it's easy to picture the moment when the cigar industry was just beginning to take shape, long before the factories multiplied and the neighborhood became the center of Tampa's identity. It reads, "The first Tampa cigars produced with "Clear Havana" tobacco were rolled at this site in the Sanchez y Haya Co. cigar factory on April 13, 1886. The factory, owned by Ignacio Haya and Serafin Sanchez, was licensed through the state of Florida as Factory No. 1. At the end of the first year, workers at the Sanchez y Haya factory rolled 500,000 cigars per month." The marker was erected in 2020 by the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council. It stands as a reminder that Ybor's story isn't just about nightlife or old brick buildings. It's about the people who crossed the water, the factories that shaped the city's growth, and the way Tampa and Cuba became intertwined through tobacco, labor, and culture. Walking past it, you get a sense of how much began right here, on a patch of ground that helped launch an industry and a neighborhood that would define Tampa for generations. [Review 149 of 2026 - 2256 in Florida - 25339 overall]

The Lutz Branch Library is located right beside the old Lutz train station. It shouldn't shock…read moreanyone that this library is decorated with historical and railroad memorabilia. Each bookshelf, at least in the children's section, has a train carved into their side. I love the character, the uniqueness and the community connection that each of the libraries in the Hillsborough Collective have. I guess that is one of the benefits of giving autonomy to each branches "friends of the library." They can make the branch into what their community needs. As far as the library itself goes, the Lutz version is pretty small and cramped probably due to its age. It has a lot less space than some of the other branches. This isn't helped by the fact that the windows in here, save for some of the corner ones, are tiny and let in little light. This gives the Lutz Branch Library more of an old school elementary library feel. There are a few tables set up that have children's puzzles and activities for the little ones which gives them something to do while mommy or daddy or grandma looks for books. The humidity, especially in the community room where toddler time is located, is strong and it makes things a bit musty. I really like the version of toddler time that this branch puts on. It is very engaging and includes literacy concepts, book reading, music, arts and bubbles. It is also a bit smaller and more intimate than some of the other ones which allows my daughter to participate better. My motto for this branch of the Hillsborough Collective: If the train should jump the track do you want your humidity back?

Like the non-headquartered libraries of the Tampa area, this library can fit about 10 elephants…read morewithout them feeling cramped-- anymore and we'd have a problem. On the other hand, this library is small, cute, and has lots of charm... who goes to the library for books nowadays anyway? Located next to busy HWY 41, a tiny train station, train sculpture made of bricks, and an arched bridge covered in flowers decorate the building's outside. Inside there's books (DUH)-- but the fiction and nonfiction together make a total of 8 aisles! Of course, there's DVD's, computers (around 20 internet machines), a kids area... I've never seen an entire aisle dedicated to romance novels. Now I know where to go when I'm lonely at night. It seems like the older ladies who work here were either Disney cast members or professional grandmas before... they seem to know EVERYBODY! They were so happy to help a young blood like me. Pyra says: Never busy so you can hog the internet, but not lots of books.

Just stopped in to grab some cigars. The cigar tender couldn't have been nicer. He was super…read morehelpful and helped me find some cigars that i had been searching for. Loved the building and the vibe, wished i could have stayed for a smoke!

Great staff! Great drinks! Great cigars! And the vibes are crazy…read more I love it here so much.

As a historian, this location called me to go visit and take in the significance of this place. The…read morebuilding is located in a quiet businesss area. It currently is closed off with a fence and you can see its falling apart. We arrived and parked next to it. You can walk up and see the homestead with no obstacles. I enjoyed it yet the reason I gave it 3 stars was not much to do once you arrive and take pictures History nerds and their kids will enjoy the ten minute stop others might not. Sad, that it can't be restored.

This is a beautiful historic residential building that was adapted as a boarding house for African…read moreAmerican travelers during the era of segregation. It is located near downtown Tampa by Union Station (about a block and a half away). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Tampa code enforcement officers have stymied efforts to save and restore the building, so it's not expected to be around for long. Better get there soon! The Old Union Depot Hotel by the station (featured in the Punisher movie) was lost in 2011. The city's strategy seems to be to let these old historic buildings deteriorate until they can be demolished. Then it will likely become a parking lot like most of the surrounding lots. Update: some private funding to stabilize the building will help keep it standing.. at least for a while. http://wfla.com/2015/07/30/historic-tampa-boarding-house-renovations-set-to-begin/

The Westchase Community Association provides Residents with beautiful landscaping, a well…read moremaintained Olympic Pool, Pool Slide, & 4 Tennis Courts, off Linebaugh Avenue, Belgrave, & Parley, in the Westchase District of West Tampa. The Westchase Community Association has another Olympic pool with 6 Tennis Courts off Countryway Boulevard and Linebaugh Avenue but that pool is in use on weekdays by a swim team from 3-7pm and the pool is only open until 8pm. Luckily the pool off Parley is not in use by a swim team during the weekdays. The Westchase Community Association has 3 well maintained parks & 3 kids playgrounds. The pools are open 10:00 am to 8:00 pm year round and the tennis courts are open 8am to 9pm. The pool is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. The tennis courts are home to recreational and USTA league play, private lessons, clinics, after-school programs, summer camps, junior and adult tennis lessons, group lessons, and tournament play. On two of the 6 courts at Countryway are 4 pickleball courts. The Westchase Community Association charges a monthly Home Owners Association fee of $384 per year for a 3 bedroom house, $324 for a 3 bedroom townhouse, and $242 per month for a 2 bedroom townhouse which is pretty reasonable. Westchase is surrounded by mature oaks on land dotted with lakes and ponds, one has the feeling of being tucked away in a pristine section of Hillsborough County but the community is far from isolated. The West Park Village retail area features restaurants, bars, and eclectic shops designed in the neotraditional style: pedestrian-friendly and densely populated, reminiscent of early-American mixed-use town centers. And Westchase neighborhoods are just a quick drive to supermarkets, popular eateries, pharmacies, and every other convenience you need. Niche.com honors Westchase with an A+ rating as the Number 1 suburb in the Tampa Bay area!

The city of Palm Harbor is really one of those places where if you Blink, you might miss it. They…read moredo have a lovely 4 square block district that is comprised of shopping, dining and a few churches. But it's off of Pinellas Ave (Alt 19) and Omaha, so again, if you blink, you will miss it.