Tampa – A Fun Place to be with Your Whole Family

Raising a family demands an environment where each family member can enjoy life and feel at home. That place must have all the amenities of a highly modern city yet have a touch of tranquility like suburban communities. The place must enable the family to grow, by promoting recreational family activities as well as quality entertainment and pastimes for different age groups. The place must give a solid educational foundation for the youth in addition to providing stable income levels and jobs for the breadwinners. Such a place where living, working, and playing grow harmoniously together could only be Tampa.

Tampa is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, lining the shores by at least 28 miles of world class white sand beaches. With the huge variety of beaches, you can bring your whole family and relatives to have fun under the sun and never grow tired of being in only one beach. These white sand beaches are perfect for family outings, with countless activities to enjoy. You can work your tan with your daughter by sunbathing in one of Tampa’s beaches. You can have a father and son bonding experience by going on fishing trips. Or have your teenage kids go for hip activities such as jet skiing, parasailing, diving, and snorkeling. Bring the entire family on boating trips for a relaxing time, while feasting on succulent seafood. The weather is perfect for beach going all year round, with winter coming in only every two to three years.

Dads can enjoy a really good time playing in the world renowned golf courses. Dads can also enjoy the authentic cigars and crisp sandwiches which can only be acquired at the historic Ybor City just near Tampa. For moms, they can shop till they drop in various classy malls in Tampa, like the International Plaza, or take have a relaxing dining experience at Waterside café and other fine restaurants. The kids will also have a grand time at Big Red Sightseeing Adventures, where you can take them for hot balloon rides. Teens will definitely party all night long at the posh Soho district and Channelside.

Local events include the exciting Gasparilla Pirate Festival and the annual Florida State Fair. There are also venues like gardens, aquariums, and museums, including the Museum of Science and Industry which has the captivating IMAX theatre. Hyde Park, an upscale district in Tampa, has many fine shops, restaurants, and theatres. With countless other venues for live musical and sports performances, entertainment for the whole family can never be so convenient and diverse.

For those sports enthusiasts, there are many notable sports teams situated in Tampa. Enjoy the good old American sports experience with your family as famous professional teams in basketball, football, hockey and baseball are in Tampa most of the time to have frequent live competitions. Neighboring cities like Orlando and Miami also offer great entertainment in sports and are just a few hours drive away from Tampa. The local Tampa teams in different sports include the renowned Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lightning, and Devil Rays.

Tampa has excellent schools for building successful careers, which includes exclusive universities such as University of Tampa, Florida Metropolitan University, and the University of South Florida. These schools offer excellent academic training as well as top-notch sports programs. Aside from these, Tampa has the Performing Arts Center is the largest cultural center in the eastern states. Whether in academics, in arts, or in sports, you children will be sure to develop their skills and have the adequate training and experience they need to face the world.

TAMPA FAST FACTS

Found on the western coast of central Florida, Tampa is the state’s largest city. It boasts of a great weather, vigorous economy and first-class entertainment. It also founded on agriculture, health care, and categorically great technology, government, and financial and marketing systems.

The best seasons in Tampa are winter and spring, while summer afternoons are generally muggy or satiated with ostentatious thunderstorms, with temperatures ranging between 90°F and 70°F. Though the city is known in the Guinness Book of World Records that has the most number of days of sunshine, many consider winter as the most pleasant time in Tampa as temperature hovers around 60° F, not to mention Tampa Bay as being Florida’s largest open-water estuary.

Driving a car is the best means of transportation for those who live in Tampa. Major intersections include I-75 and U.S. 41 while its port is the seventh largest in the United States. Even its airline service was among the first cities to have regular scheduling of its services. It is also a leading exporter of phosphate which has numerous industrial use.

Since it is also the biggest market when it comes to media in Florida, many social causes were supported by its citizens. Without being entirely exclusive to social, economic or political causes, it also supports sports and has been headquarters (where they train) to many teams such as the Grapefruit League and New York Yankees. Noteworthy as well is the large percentage of Greek-Americans in the area that Tampa has been called the “Sponge Capital of the World.”

Here are some of the attractions Tampa has to offer to its residents and visitors alike:

• Land O’Lakes : where the movie “Edward Scissorhands” was filmed
• The world-famous Skatepark
• Ybor City for its cigar
• Tampa Bay beaches
• American Victory
• Florida Aquarium
• Lowry Park Zoo
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Tampa Bay History Center
• Tampa Museum of Art
• Tampa Theatre
• Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
• Convention Center and Tourism
• Henry B. Plant Museum
• Busch Gardens and Adventure Island
• Tampa Destination and Visitor Guide

If you have any questions call us for immediate assistance. Be sure to visit us often for up-to-date MLS listings for Tampa Real Estate and Northern Virginia Real Estate.

© 2008 Julia Vakulenko and Tampa4U Team