My Downtown Tampa

Way back in 1847, when John Jackson first platted the Village of Tampa, Water Street was the name of the southernmost and easternmost road in downtown Tampa, running along the waterfront businesses from current day Adamo Drive south to the Florida Aquarium, through the current day Channelside Bay Plaza, and west nearly to the Hillsborough River.

In 1968, Water Street was connected to (and renamed) Ashley Drive (see From Shoreline to Museum).

Part of that roadway exists today as Saint Pete Times Forum Drive, and begins at Platt & Brorien Streets heading south and turning east to Franklin Street / Harbour Island Blvd (map).  If you looked at that map, you will see SPTF Drive’s current as well as it’s former name, Ice Palace Drive.

The City of Tampa renamed the road Ice Palace Drive in 1992 when the arena was built for the Tampa Bay Lightning.  In 1997, Mayor Dick Greco temporarily named the road Sesame Street to highlight the arrival of a Broadway performance of the kids educational TV show at the arena.  In 2003, the Lightning sold naming rights of the arena to the St. Petersburg Times.  Along with that came the street’s latest name, Saint Pete Times Forum Drive.

And now, in preparation for the coming of the new Tampa Bay History Center, city officials want to change the name again.  If Tampa City Council approves the changes, Saint Pete Times Forum Drive will be renamed Old Water Street in a tip of the hat to the all-but-forgotten waterfront warehouse district.

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Will there be a new 26-story apartment building in downtown Tampa?  Maybe.

In late January, Developers Intown Group and Crosland plan to ask Tampa City Council to rezone property at Tampa and Tyler streets (see proposed apartment tower map).

The art deco style project would have 404 apartments, 16,000 square feet of shops and a parking garage, and will be similar to New York City’s Chrysler Building and Empire State Building.

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The Downtown Tampa Attractions Association is co-sponsoring two downtown holiday boat parades this year.

Launching from the Davis Islands Boat Launch at 6:30pm, the cruise route will circle Harbour Island, traveling through the Sparkman Channel, Ybor Turning Basin, Seddon Channel, Garrison Channel, and ending at the Tampa Convention Center before heading back to Davis Islands.  Check out the Tampa Holiday Boat Parades map.

You’ll find the best views at Channelside Bay Plaza (map) (approximately 7:00pm), Beneficial Bridge (map), and the Convention Center (map) (approximately7:30pm-7:45pm).

Boat Parades will take place on December 13 and 20.

The parade is open to all boaters.  If you want to enter, please visit www.yachtstarship.com/boatparade.asp to register for your FREE entry number. Deadline for registration is each Wednesday before the scheduled parade. For additional information please call 813-471-1531 or e-mail ezimmerman@funintampabay.com

Judging:

• First, Second, and Third place prizes will be awarded for each parade.
• Display and illuminate entry number so it is visible from the water post side.
• Vessels will be judged by the public via Text-To-Vote.

Dock space is available at Marriott Marina - cal 813-221-4900 for more information on dock space.  Additional dock space is available at the Tampa Convention Center after each event.

All Captains participating in one of this years parades are invited to attend a “Captains Party” aboard Yacht Starship prior to the parades.

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Joe Chillura Courthouse Square was dedicated in January 2000 by the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.

The park is one city block, 245 feet by 242 feet, and features a circular park design, public art (Freedom Sculpture), a covered gazebo, and a history walking trail.   The “dome” of the gazebo resembles the dome of the 1892 County Courthouse and the image on the County Seal.

Shade trees at the park are live oaks and the palms are the Florida state tree, the cabbage palm.  The ground cover is a native plant called coontie.  Ten times around the square is approximately one mile.

Joe Chillura Courthouse Square (map) is located on the block surrounded by Kennedy Blvd. on the south and Morgan, Madison, and Pierce Streets in the Government Center district of downtown Tampa.

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A note from our friends at the Henry B. Plant Museum:

Come experience the holiday season in a new light: escape the commercialism and stress of a modern Christmas and capture the warmth and joy of an old-fashioned holiday with your loved ones. The Henry B. Plant Museum presents its Victorian Christmas Stroll from December 1st to 23rd, 2008, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily.

Bring family and friends together in the soft glow of 1891 lighting as you discover a lavish Christmas at the former Tampa Bay Hotel. There are numerous rooms, each dazzling with trees designed in unique 19th century themes. While strolling down the Grand Hallway, your spirits soar as you become immersed in Charles Dickens, beautifully wrapped gifts, Christmas stockings and Santa Claus.

Is it possible to think of Christmas without thinking of children and toys? Antique toys, lovingly handed from generation to generation, are strewn under decorated trees and displayed in antique cabinets. For Victorian girls there were dolls - dolls to dress and play with, and dolls with porcelain heads and fabric bodies. There were also dollhouses. Some were simple playthings and others were perfect architectural miniatures. For Victorian boys there were trains and boats, toy soldiers and forts, games of chance and skill, cowboys and Indians.

New this year is a three-story Victorian-styled dollhouse, complete with chandeliers, stained glass windows and fireplaces. The exquisite furniture was handmade by Bill Thirkill of Housemartin Miniatures, Nottingham, England. Bill once worked for Pinewood Studios, and helped build many of the spectacular James Bond sets. These days, Bill is better known for his fine dollhouse furniture, a skill, he says, he owes to his dad. As a boy he used to watch him working with wood for hours, and together they used to make model airplanes. His delight in woodwork had begun. Today, Bill designs furniture ranging from Tudor chairs to 1930’s bedroom furniture.

At the Victorian Christmas Stroll, the essence of an old-fashioned holiday is observed and honored as Tampa’s most popular family tradition. Complimentary spiced cider and savory cookies will be served on the veranda every day, and each evening carolers will perform music for our merriment. Visitors are invited to sing with the carolers in front of the 18-foot tree in the hallway. Admission is $10 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger. Discount Days are December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16 when admissions are reduced to $6 for adults and $3 for children. Group tours are welcome: please make reservations for parties of 20 or more with Sally Shifke, Museum Relations Coordinator, (813) 258-7302.

The Museum Store has a huge selection of merchandise, from fanciful ornaments to embroidered linens. It specializes in exquisite holiday accessories. The Museum Store also offers books, fragrances, jewelry, children’s toys, stationary, and home accessories. Enjoy shopping in a unique Victorian atmosphere: the Museum Store is open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm daily and no admission is required.

Proceeds from the Victorian Christmas Stroll fund significant museum restoration and preservation projects, as well as educational programming.

Find out more about the Henry B. Plant Museum at the University of Tampa.

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The Florida Aquarium is one of downtown’s gems, and is often named one of this nation’s best aquariums.

Jennifer Murphy from ForbesTraveler.com recently reported on America’s Most Awesome Aquariums, and names Tampa’s own Florida Aquarium in the top ten:

While African black-footed penguins are on exhibit at the Florida Aquarium, the diverse aquatic habitats and ecosystems of Florida are the main feature here. Ideal for children, the Aquarium offers everything from a Caribbean-themed outdoor water exhibit where kids can play to a shark-diving activity that allows certified SCUBA divers (at least 15 years of age) to swim with live sharks. Equally inspiring is the Aquarium’s Coral Reef Gallery, which simulates a 60-foot dive from shallow-water reefs to deeper waters teeming with eels, squirrelfish, angelfish, and blue tang.

This is the fourth such honor the aquarium has received in as many years.  Both Coastal Living and TripAdvisor.com ranked Tampa’s aquarium in its top 10 aquariums in America and Parents Magazine ranked it in their top five “family-friendly aquariums in the country.”

The Florida Aquarium (map) is in the Channelside District.

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Jay Cridlin is reporting that ESPN the Magazine’s NEXT Super Bowl party is rumored to be held in the vacant lot at the corner of Jefferson and E Whiting Streets.  Of course, we may not all be able to get in:

This is an exclusive VIP party, so public admission is likely to be minimal. But there will be a red carpet and a party beneath a big tent.

Celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson is slated to spin at the celebration, currently scheduled for January 30.

Look for a huge tent to go up there at Jefferson & Whiting (map) sometime in January.

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From the Florida Aquarium website:

The Florida Aquarium, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution astounds visitors with the beauty and fragility of our eco-system. The facility is home to more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from Florida and all over the world. The cornerstone of The Channel District, The Florida Aquarium’s mission since opening in 1995 is to entertain, educate and inspire stewardship about our natural environment. It serves as a significant example of Florida’s commitment to preserving native landscapes, ecosystems, historical and archaeological sites, and ethnic and cultural traditions representative of the diverse geography and cultural life unique to our state. Opening in March 1995, the Aquarium has provided cultural enrichment experiences to more than seven million visitors, including 100,000 school students and 1,000 teachers annually.

Opened in March 1995, the 250,000 sq-ft aquarium tells Florida’s unique water story as it follows a drop of water from its underground source to the open sea and is home to more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals both native to Florida and from all over the globe.

Four galleries highlight the route of that drop of water:

• Wetlands - Explore Florida’s freshwater environments, including springs, streams, marshes, rivers and mangrove forests. Come face-to-face with otters, spoonbills, gators and snakes. Climb to the top of the dome to check out Aquariumania! An exhibit dedicated to home aquariums.
• Bays & Beaches - Discover sea life along Florida’s coast, such as bonnethead sharks, seahorses, spiny lobsters, stingrays and a 350 lb. grouper!
• Coral Reefs - Plunge 60 feet below the surface into a colorful coral grotto called Sherwood Forest without ever getting wet! Home to more than 2,300 fish including moray eels, grouper, tarpon, Queen Triggerfish and much, much more! Guests age 6 and over can ‘Swim with the Fishes’ in this 500,000-gallon tank! Learn more.
• Sea Hunt - Encounter the world’s most fascinating predators: sharks, a giant Pacific octopus, lionfishand more! Certified SCUBA divers age 15 and older can ‘Dive with the Sharks’ in Shark Bay! Learn more.

Other highlights include:

• Explore A Shore - Cool off this summer with splashin? fun at The Florida Aquarium?s 2-acre water adventure park, Explore A Shore! Watery waves, slippery slides, gushing geysers and an assortment of animal models are just a few of the attractions that await the kids. While the kids play, parents can enjoy the comfort of the Tampa Tribune Cantina with easy viewing of the play and table service.
• Aquariumania! - Explore the art, science and fun of the aquarium hobby and discover why Florida is a leader in the global tropical fish business.
• Dive with Sharks - Our new shark experience, featuring the chance for certified divers to dive in our shark tank. Reservations required: (813) 367-4005.
• Behind-the-Scenes Tours - Explore the Aquarium as never before. See previous “off-limits” areas and learn what it takes to make the Aquarium work.
• No Bone Zone - A kid-friendly, interactive presentation of invertebrates, featuring a 600-gallon touch pool.
• Eco-Tours - The journey through the bay aboard The Bay Spirit, our 49-foot powered catamaran, allows guests to encounter the awesome animals that thrive in these local waters. The only requirement is a sense of adventure. A good pair of binoculars is optional.

The Florida Aquarium (map) is located in the Channelside District, at 701 Channelside Drive. Parking is available in the lot just north of the aquarium (map), or the nearby Channelside Parking Garage (map).

The Florida Aquarium is open daily from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, but closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

As of November 2008, General Admission is $19.95 for adults, $16.95 for Seniors 60 and older.  Children under 12 get in for $14.95, and little ones 2 & under are Free.  Some of the optional tours incur an extra cost.

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Last time the Super Bowl was in town, we had difficulties making calls on cell phones.  The networks were overloaded.

Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T are working to keep that from happening again, as they are adding a big bunch cellular antennas all over Tampa:

All three major cellular carriers are rushing to put up more cellular antennas downtown and around Raymond James Stadium, Ybor City and various hotel districts, to double calling capacity before the National Football League’s biggest game.

Of course, Verizon’s network has been nearly flawless in and around One Tampa City Center, where Verizon has offices.

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