Carrying Laurel Street over the Hillsborough River in the Riverwalk district of Tampa, this is…read moreknown as both the Laurel Street Bridge and the Fortune Street Bridge. It is a Strauss overhead counterweight trunnion bascule bridge. The bridge was originally named after Madame Fortune Taylor, a former slave who became a successful landowner and entrepreneur in Tampa. She owned land on the east side of the Hillsborough River, which the city needed for bridge construction in 1892. The original bridge was replaced in 1927 with the current trunnion bascule bridge. In the late 1960s, road realignments led to the renaming of the bridge as Laurel Street Bridge, but in 2017 the City Council restored its original name to honor Fortune Taylor. A nearby historical marker provides a biography of Madame Taylor and her efforts that turned Tampa into the metropolis we see today. The Riverwalk continues underneath the bridge where you'll find an interesting artwork. [Review 333 of 2025 - 1988 in Florida - 23895 overall]

This is a nice lil drawbridge to take by car or on foot from one side of Hillsborough River to the…read moreother. On the west side it begins by Julian B. Lane Park near its dog park and River Center where there is ample parking. On the other side it reaches between the Straz and Armature Works for a nice walk on the River Walk to either. Nice river views. Also called the Fortune Taylor Bridge there is some history and markers in the area as well asnbusts of historic figures in Tamoa history. Well worth visiting lovely new Julian B. Park and crossing over the river on foot. Free parking at park too. Water views. Riverside trail for biking on both sides of the river.

Arbor Greene Community Center aka the "Gathering Room" is located in a 24 hour secured gated…read morecommunity. It is a spacious, modern facility providing everything you need for your event. Beautiful landscaping all around with lakes scattered throughout the property. Large parking area. HOURS: Weekdays 05:30am - 10:00pm Weekends 08:00am - 10:00pm

Great people. Great tennis. 2 main pools. Great tennis players and teams. Always the nicest of…read morepeople there today was a car show that was a lot of fun

This 9-11 memorial can be found in Ybor City, at a streetcar station. Unveiled to the public in…read more2014, this special memorial is a tribute to those that have lost their lives on 9/11/2001. Becky Ault was the artist of this memorial in which there is a long iron beam that was from the original World Trade Center Tower 2. In front of the beam are "Fearless Champions" that compose of two firemen and a police officer helping a gentleman (a survivor) that is surrounds by rubble. Each life like figure was made in clay and then cast in stainless steel, which took about 1.5 years to make. The sidewalk below here has a statement of, "We Will Never Forget." This memorial was definitely beautifully and thoughtfully made. Worth a visit if you are in this part of Tampa.

The 9/11 Fallen Heroes Memorial has a beam that was salvaged from the ruins of tower 2 of the World…read moreTrade Center. In front of the beam is a beautiful sculpture. The sculpture is named Fearless Champions and represents firefighters, civilians and police killed in the attack. It's a beautiful memorial that honors all who were lost. A couple of places around the memorial we are reminded that "we will never forget." Truer words have never been spoken. There are benches surrounding the memorial.

Lexington Oaks Community is located off of 54 or Wesley Chapel Blvd. It is right across from the…read moreMazda/Hyundai Car Dealership. This location is their community center. They also have a country club for their community golf course. They have an in ground pool for the residents, a work out center, basketball courts and sand volleyball. They also have a soccer field and huge grass area for play. This is a nice spot to enjoy the outdoors with your family! They also have a good sized parking lot. Two times a year the community has a community garage sale. They also have vendors located in the parking lot of this location!

I don't know what it is, maybe it's the way I dress, the way I talk, or the fact I am young. What…read moreever it is I have been in to the Community Center to talk to some one on four different occasions.With the exception of one, I have been sneered at, looked down on and yelled at by the people in charge. Once when I went to report a broken piece of equipment in the gym, the woman made a comment how I must have broken the thing. Another I went to talk about a Rottweiler that has been very aggressive and broken his chain and nearly killed our dog. The woman just shrugged and told me It wasn't their problem to call someone else. Very snarky. Today I went to ask for permission to put up fliers to sell something in the gym. The man who was there was very gruff and looked down his nose at me. Telling me they probably wouldn't put them up. It isn't what they said it's how they say things. Every time I go in there I feel like they want me to just leave cause I am wasting their time. I went in there once to ask about having my ID renewed, apparently it was just after six and they were going to have a meeting about something. I swear the woman in charge SHRIEKED at me to get out they were closed.

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 New River Branch Library is a great place to read, book a study room, and find a quiet,…read morepositive atmosphere. The library staff is so great! They're always happy to help and really accommodating. I love that they have events happening every week, it keeps the community connected. New River Branch Library also has a little garden and a butterfly garden! They're encouraging people to grow different fruits and veggies there. The New River Branch Library is a great place, it's a positive environment, and one can borrow books for two weeks with the library card!

I loved going to this library before the renos but I have not been back since they upgraded…read more Today was my first day back post-renovation. I didn't have time to assess all the new amenities but from what I see, I'm liking the upgrades. There is a dedicated room from children with computers and a few toys. The main area was rearranged and there are also other study rooms to utilize. There is a garden outside as well as an indoor hydroponic garden. I need to renew my library card to see what has changed with regard to the book loan process. See photo for current library hours.

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.