Tampa is at first glance a 9-to-5, all-business kind of city. If you’re in town on a temporary assignment or relocating to the area, you may want to carefully weigh your options for corporate housing. After all, the right neighborhood can make a difference in your stay. Here are four neighborhoods that will leave you feeling as though you’ve discovered the Fountain of Youth:
Downtown Tampa, and in particular the section known as Ybor City, has a preponderance of dining and entertainment options that will leave you itching at your desk for the end of the day. Ybor City in particular is an area with a great deal of history and character, and exhibits the Spanish, Italian and Cuban influences of the immigrants who settled the area in the 19th century. There are still many functioning cigar factories to tour here, as well as great boutique shopping and a number of fine restaurants.
St. Petersburg, like the Russian city of the same name, is replete in culture and refinement. Not to mention beaches. The Tampa Bay metropolitan area beaches rival the best in the world. Here Fort Desoto has been ranked number one in the Nation by several online magazines, including TripAdvisor and Dr. Beach. For arts and culture, visit the Salvador Dali museum, which holds the largest collection of Dalis in the world. In then top off the afternoon with a visit to BayWalk Shopping Complex, which is home to many high end retailers and cafes.
Clearwater is home to festivals year-round. Starting with the Imagine International Film Festival, there is then the Fun N Sun Festival, the Clearwater Celebrates America Festival, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday and the Hispanic Heritage Festival. The Foster Grant Ironman World Championship is held here as well. Hop on the Clearwater Jolly Trolly and take a ride down to the famous Clearwater Beach. There’s also Pier 60, a Clearwater sort of version of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
The sleepy little Bradenton-Sarasota area of the city is known mostly for its retirement communities, and for Bradenton’s Village of the Arts. Special zoning laws allow artists here to live and work out of their homes, and many of the studios are open during the day so that you can watch the artists create. There’s also the Bishop Planetarium, and the Parker-Manatee Aquarium in Bradenton. Lido Beach in Sarasota is locally famous, and the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are a relaxing end to a stressful work day.
It’s always fun to explore the more touristy things the Tampa Bay area has to offer- Busch Gardens and the Lowry Park Zoo. However, these are events that require some planning and time commitment. If you’re simply looking to live in an enjoyable neighborhood with plenty to do within walking distance of your front door, then these are your best options for Tampa corporate housing area.