• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Family Travels on a Budget

Travel with kids: theme park family deals, cruise ships for kids and best cruise lines for teens and other cool places to visit, including adult getaways

  • Home
  • Travel guides
  • Cruising
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Alabama
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Carolina
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Virginia
      • Washington, DC
    • World
      • Bahamas/Caribbean
      • Canada
      • China
      • France
      • Mexico
      • Spain
  • Interests
    • Adventure
    • Arts/Culture
    • Beaches
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Girlfriend Getaways
    • History
    • Kid Fun
    • Romantic Escapes
    • Teens and Tweens
    • Theme Parks and Zoos
      • Disney
      • Universal Studios
      • Other Theme Parks
      • Zoos
  • Reviews
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Products
    • Tech
    • Books
  • Travel Tips
    • Air Travel
    • Budget
    • Packing
    • Planning
    • Roadtrips
  • At home
    • Recipes
    • Shopping
    • Staycations

Home » Florida » Historic Ybor City

Historic Ybor City

February 8, 2013 by Karen Dawkins 5 Comments

As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pin
Share
Tweet

yborsidewalkAs long as I can remember, my husband and I have enjoyed exploring neighborhoods wherever we travel. In our early years, we spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh, exploring Squirrel Hill, Mount Washington and the Golden Triangle. Today, we share our love of exploration with our kids, most recently in Tampa, Florida.

We enjoyed Tampa’s downtown area and Channelside, but our favorite neighborhood is historic Ybor City. Located just a few blocks northeast of downtown, Ybor City maintains much of its Latin cigar-making heritage. The area’s development was influenced by Cuban, Italian, German and Spanish peoples in the late 1800’s. Though the neighborhood fell into neglect and decay from the 1960’s-1980’s, the neighborhood is recovering, thanks to an influx of artists. Today, Ybor City retains its historic, multi-cultural flavor through historic sites, festivals, ethnic restaurants and clubs.

Ybor City’s La Tropicana

latropicana

Start your day in Ybor City with café con leche at La Tropicana, and don’t let the decor fool you! The food here is authentic.

At first, we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into — the place obviously has not been remodeled in decades. Yet, it was packed with locals who obviously enjoy the food, the café con leche, and the fellowship. Then we found out the restaurant only takes cash — serious throwback! After a quick run to the ATM, we ordered the café con leche. Delicious!

An ornately carved table sitting in the corner piqued our interest. The table is permanently reserved for the family of Roland Manteiga.  Our server, Patty, who has worked there since the 1980’s, filled us in. Roland Manteiga, the quiet editor of ‘La Gaceta,’ held court at that table for more than 50 years. He was influential with congressmen and governors and influenced Florida politics throughout his life — all from that little table. Patty also told us about the red phone, but you should visit La Tropicana when you’re in Tampa to learn about that one yourself.

 ybortrop

Ybor City Saturday Market

Since our trip to Paris in 2012, we can’t say no to an open air market, so we visited the Ybor City Saturday Market. We enjoyed fresh bread, locally grown produce and the relaxed atmosphere of the market.

ybormarkettomatoeshoopyborEllie demonstrated her hooping prowess at the Hoopy Frood tent. Not only were these hand-crafted hoops sturdier than store-bought hoops, they were clearly created with love. Caroline, the hoopcrafter, and her assistants made Ellie feel so special.

Centro Ybor

Originally a neighborhood centered on cigar manufacturing, Ybor City has revitalized itself as an entertainment district, called Centro Ybor. It includes movie theaters, an improv comedy club, restaurants and bars.

centrotrolley

The Centro Ybor walkway over the city street and streetcar line.

 

rkybor

Look — I exist! I finally made it into a photo 🙂

 

centroyborYbor City architecture.

Getting to and from Ybor City

While the streetcar doesn’t run around the clock, the TECO Line Streetcar System offers easy transportation to Ybor City from downtown Tampa. The Streetcar system was essential to Tampa business from the late 1800’s through the 1920’s, but was eliminated after WWII. The streetcar’s return to Tampa provides easy, inexpensive transportation throughout the city. Not only that, but it’s fun too!

r&ktrolley

streetcar

The end of the line in downtown Tampa. History meets the 21st century.

For more on the Tampa area, check out:

Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival

Tampa is perfect for families

Courtyard Marriott Downtown Tampa

Pin
Share
Tweet

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Filed Under: Arts/Culture, Destinations, Florida, Florida, Food, History, Interests, Kid Fun, USA

Please keep in touch. Our FACEBOOK community is active, and a great place to ask questions. On TWITTER, I share great content from destinations around the world. Follow our adventures on INSTAGRAM — we love to answer questions during trips. And, we’re on PINTEREST saving all sorts of great content from around the web.

Comments

  1. sivas ilçeleri says

    February 16, 2013 at 8:09 am

    this is the first time to hear there 🙂 but it look like interesting 🙂

    Reply
  2. Leigh says

    February 9, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    It has a New Orleans feel to me …. What do you think? Love the pics of you and your hubby!! So glad you exist 🙂 Super Cute!
    Leigh
    http://Www.oneandoneequalstwinfun.com

    Reply
  3. Lynn says

    February 9, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    Looks like loads a fun. I am ready to pack a bag and explore! Thanks for a great suggestion. My hubby likes it too.

    Reply
  4. Leigh says

    February 8, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    I had no idea that this neighbourhood existed. It may be close to Tampa but it sure looks like it has a personality of its own – and a quirky one at that. Thanks for the info.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      February 8, 2013 at 10:05 pm

      It’s an amazing neighborhood. I’d like to go at night, without the kids 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

**This site may contain affiliate links and sponsored posts for which I earn a small commission to help cover the costs of running a blog.**

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in