Best place to live in Florida; a top-ten market for millennials to move to; one of the world’s greatest places. In a world that loves a superlative, Tampa has secured a spot on an outsized amount of best-of lists of late thanks to new and rapid development. And while we’re not ready to say “move over, Miami,” just yet, if it’s been some time since you checked out this sun-splashed city on Florida’s Gulf Coast long been overshadowed by heavier Florida hitters, then chances are you’ll be surprised by the Tampa of today.
Sports fans know the city for its winning NFL, NHL and MLB teams. And in 2024, the city’s first professional women’s soccer team, the Super League’s Tampa Bay Sun FC, will take the field. But Tampa has long evolved from its sports bar and chain-restaurant heavy roots into a city with wellness-driven neighborhoods, a restaurant scene that’s constantly one-upping itself, and a palpable entrepreneurial spirit driven by youthful energy pouring into the city from across the state and country—according to a 2022 Smart Asset survey, Tampa left Miami in the dust as one of the top ten American cities attractions millennials and Generation Z. For the best things to do in Tampa (and new, truly impressive places to stay), read on for our favorite ways to enjoy Florida’s it city right now.
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Keir Magoulas
What to do
Tampa is a city of leafy and palm-lined neighborhoods, the most inviting of which hug Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough River and radiate out from a new downtown district lined with boutiques, public art and worldly restaurants.
Pedestrian-friendly walking paths like the one along Bayshore Boulevard, which stretches for nearly 5 miles, and the 2.6-mile long downtown Tampa Riverwalk pair with a free downtown streetcar system that make it easy to explore on foot, via public transport or by renting a bike or motorized scooter to get around.
The city’s neighborhood du jour, Water Street Tampa, was recently named by the International WELL Building Institute as North America’s first certified wellness neighborhood thanks to design elements and policy strategies that spotlight community-focused elements (including public art, double-wide sidewalks and reduced light and noise pollution) that improve the lives of residents and visitors.
The 16-block district has completely remade the downtown corridor, once a virtual dead zone outside of business hours, into a livable, walkable, lively center, with events like monthly street markets and pop-up art installations that had long been missing. From Water Street Tampa, you can stroll the Tampa Riverwalk, scouting for passing dolphins and manatees along the way, to Armature Works, a gastronomic food hall housed inside a former streetcar warehouse where you can grab birria tacos or a Florida grass-fed beef sandwich for lunch. After, rent paddleboards nearby at Urban Kai to paddle out onto the river.
Just south of downtown in Hyde Park Village, a few blocks off Bayshore Boulevard and where 20th century craftsman bungalows abound, you can stroll leafy Snow Avenue, stopping at one of the many cafes and restaurants, ordering an espresso drink at Tampa’s homegrown Buddy Brew or getting a retail fix at at craft jeweler Albisia or French pret-a-porter import, Zadig & Voltaire.
