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If you ask residents of Florida' west central coast what comes to mind when you say Ybor City (Ybor pronounced e-bore), they'll almost overwhelming say things like Guavaween, parties and nightlife, particularly the younger crowd. Some of the older folk might first think of Cuban cigars, social clubs and streetcars, but they're also almost certain to add—and not as an afterthought—debauchery, crime and too much drinking to their list of Ybor attributes. And that's precisely the unfortunate, albeit accurate, reputation city planners are seeking to change. Today's Ybor City Vision Plan presents a broader, progressive and more attractive view of Ybor City, calling it:

…a unique urban community melding beautiful historic architecture, a celebrated multi-cultural heritage, a bustling "main street," creative businesses, and livable neighborhoods into one of Tampa Bay’s most desirable places to live, work, visit, and be entertained.

This description of Ybor City is, increasingly, becoming truer and truer as well—Ybor truly offers a unique way of life. Ybor City, ranked by Forbes.com as one of the 20 best places to buy a home in 2006, is a Historic Landmark District, one of only two such districts in all of Florida. With its brick-laid, compact urban streets and readily available streetcar transportation to and from Tampa and its exploding Channelside district, Ybor City is one of few remaining places in the region where you can live, work and be entertained without needing a car. The city spans 540 acres, has approximately 2,500 residents, and is located less than two miles northeast of downtown Tampa.

Ybor City Schools

Children in Ybor City are served by Shore, Desoto, Oak Park and Booker T. Washington Elementary schools. Older students attend Booker T. Washington Middle, Orange Grove Middle, the Franklin Middle magnet, as well as Middleton High. Ybor City is also home to the Tampa Marine Institute, which offers unique marine-related classes like SCUBA diving and boat navigation to at-risk youth.

Leisure and Play in Ybor City

Ybor's Historic District offers more than food and drink; it is also home to many eclectic shops, museums, art galleries and nightclubs, where you can enjoy live entertainment however you like it—salsa, reggae, jazz, blues, rock, disco…even hip-hop.

Ybor is also home to more than 15 annual events, including the Gasparilla parade in late February, Guavaween in late October, the Rough Rider's St. Patrick's parade in mid-March, and the Tampa Cigar Heritage Festival in mid-November.

To explore Ybor's cultural and historical sides, visit the Ybor City Museum State Park on East 9th Avenue. Tour a historic casita; watch a cigar-roller in action; or take a walking tour of the city with park staff. Or, connect with and visit one of the many ethnic social clubs that helped early Ybor to flourish and then to survive even during tough times. While the social clubs of yesterday provided everything from medical care to entertainment to their members, the clubs of today exist primarily for cultural and historical preservation.

The still-active clubs include L'Unione Italiana, The Italian Club, which is more than 100 years old; it is housed in a beautifully restored building, several rooms of which are available for rent. To raise funds, the club hosts a festival each year and sells pizza. Other active clubs include El Circulo Cubano, The Cuban Club, founded in 1899; and the Centro Asturiano, Ybor's largest social club established primarily by Spaniards of Asturian descent.