Tampa Offers Big City Amenities With a Beach Lifestyle That Make It a Perfect Balance for Work and Play
Nestled in the heart of the Gulf Coast, Tampa Bay sits confidently in the middle of Florida. Beginning in late January each year, residents celebrate eight weeks of events known as Gasparilla Season. The season starts with an annual pirate parade and includes a number of events such as a music festival, distance classic, and art festival, among other celebrations. This month, we headed to Tampa to show what we’ve known for years - that it is a great place to live and work!
Phelps opened its doors in Tampa in 2001. The East Coast location provides full-service coverage to the Gulf Coast with strengths in business, real estate, insurance, litigation and labor and employment. While Tampa was a closely kept secret over 20 years ago, the word is out thanks to its winning sports programs, consistent climate, quality of life, and workforce talent. It is now one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Florida and perhaps the country. Tampa Bay was ranked as one of the top five emerging real estate markets in 2022 by PWC and the Urban Land Institute, and the top emerging technology city in 2021 by Forbes. Why is everyone flocking to Tampa? After a fun day with partners Jason Pill and Josh Podolsky, we can tell you why!
From our downtown office, you can see the entire bay, with cranes sprinkled across the skyline. We headed out on a beautiful February day and walked past the storied Tampa Theatre. The theatre was built in 1926 and remains one of America’s oldest and most elaborate movie palaces. This beloved community landmark hosts hundreds of events every year and lights up the Tampa sky with its beautiful marquee. Partner Mike Hooker is the current vice-chairman. He has seen the theatre through major renovations and a restoration project to preserve the theatre’s celebrated heritage. If its walls could talk, they would tell stories of change and growth for Tampa.
Leaving downtown and headed northwest, we made our way to Ybor City, a historic Latin quarter serving as a lively lunch and shopping spot during the day with a vibrant night scene after hours. Reminding you that you are less than 500 miles from the Caribbean, this neighborhood was formerly the center of cigar manufacturing in Tampa (and the country), giving it the nickname Cigar City. Passing the roosters that roam the streets of Ybor, we went to Florida’s oldest restaurant, the Columbia. A Cuban sandwich tastes better in Ybor City!
Headed back to the Riverwalk, you are greeted by the unmistakable Moorish minarets, domes and cupolas of the University of Tampa (UT). Once a grand hotel credited with transforming the city from a sleepy fishing village to a modern destination, UT welcomes students from around the country with its memorable architecture.
You don’t have to go far to run into water in Tampa. Returning downtown, we strolled along the Tampa Riverwalk. The 2.6-mile pedestrian walkway along the Hillsborough River connects the energetic waterfront with downtown businesses. Easy accessibility to the water makes transitioning from work to play easy. This is the site for Gasparilla Music Festival during Gasparilla Season. During the rest of the year, it’s a bustling area that showcases Tampa’s best restaurants, museums and parks. And it’s perfect for a walk anytime of day.
Watching the sunset over the bay, we realized that we didn’t even have time to explore some of our favorite spots like The Museum of Science and Industry or the numerous beaches in nearby St. Pete. Next time we will catch a game from one of the world champion teams in “Champa Bay” or look in on spring training of one of the seven professional baseball teams. Tampa offers a great balance of big city life with a relaxed but vibrant community. Hosting a healthy mix of locals and transplants, business opportunities are booming, but the minute you walk out of work, you feel like you are on vacation. It’s like the perfect Groundhog Day, but we don’t have to pinch ourselves because this is where we live and work.
