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Water Street Tampa

Tonight, I was out in Downtown Tampa, Water Street taking photos. I captured this photo of the Boulon restaurant sign just as it lit up at sunset. You can see the sky turning from blue to red off in the in the distance just as the sun went below the horizon. The street seems empty and calm with the TECO Line Streetcar nowhere in sight. I love the contrast of bright blue sky against the dark streets, while the buildings are coming alive with light and activity inside.

Tampa Street

This isn’t a typical morning in Downtown Tampa.  Typically, it would be busy with cars and pedestrians on their way to work.  This picture was taken on Thanksgiving morning, just after the sun had risen.

I was able to stand directly in the center of Tampa Street.  It seemed like a ghost town.  I was the only one out on the street that morning.  It was a perfectly crisp morning without a cloud in the sky.

I love that I was able to catch the reflection of the BB&T Building in the Fifth Third Building. It is ironic that all of the traffic lights all the way down the street are green, but there is not a single car on the road to take advantage of that.

This intersection looks completely different today.  The brick building to the right on the southwest corner was demolished on Februrary 11th, 2022 .  A new high-rise condominium is being built in its place.

We have lost another historical building in Downtown Tampa.  That building also housed the “First Watch” restaurant.  I guess I’ll have to find a new breakfast place.  The landscape is constantly changing.

However, my favorite restaurant is across the street.  The best pizza in Tampa is at Eddie and Sam’s.  Eddie and Sam’s are well known for their New York style pizza.  New York style pizza has a thin crisp crust. Here is a direct link to Eddie and Sam’s website so you can learn more about their pizza: https://www.eddieandsamspizza.com/

They sell large pizzas that are twenty-eight inches.  They are so big, they are called “trunk” size pizza.  The only way to bring it home, is to carry it home in your trunk.

Tampa Theater

Here is another historical building in Tampa, the Tampa Theater.  Here is a direct link to the website if you want to learn more about upcoming events or shows: https://tampatheatre.org/ The Tampa Theater is nearly one hundred years old and more specifically it officially opened in 1926.  It is still a fully functional theater showcasing movies, concerts, and even comedy shows.  The inside has also been refurbished to its original glory.

I have had prior experience of being inside the theater.  My most recent experience was seeing the original Jurassic Park film at the theater.  Once inside the theater, it feels like you’re outside under a night sky.  When you look up towards the ceiling, you see twinkling stars and clouds.  Some guests that have been to the theater in the past, claim to have experienced ghost sightings.

This is not a typical picture of the Tampa Theater.  I wanted to capture the architecture of the top of the building and not the iconic box office.  I like that I can see the Tampa sign at the bottom of the picture, while capturing the trees against the building.

Tampa Postcard Mural

Downtown Tampa Mural (Postcard Mural)

This is a very famous mural on Royal Street in Downtown Tampa, Florida.  The Tampa mural in downtown is very popular with tourists and as well as locals.  It is right around the corner and it is walking distance from my condo in Downtown Tampa.  I constantly see people stopping to take pictures in front of the mural.

I live right around the corner, and I drive past the mural in Downtown Tampa on my way home frequently throughout the year.  I can’t count how many times I have had to stop turning onto Royal Street, because people were in the middle of the road taking pictures.  I can see why it would make a great Instagram post, so on a recent walk with my mother, we decided to stop to take some pictures.

I also love the vibrant colors against the red brick landscape, which combines modern Tampa with old historical Tampa.  I can see why the mural in Downtown Tampa has become a popular and trendy tourist attraction over the past twenty years.

The mural is known as the “Florida Avenue Mural” or the “Tampa Postcard Mural”.  The mural was commissioned by the city of Tampa in 2003 and was painted by Carl Cowden III.  It was repainted in 2012. Tampa Bay.com provides more information about the Tampa Postcard Mural: https://www.visittampabay.com/blog/archive/post/tampa-bay-murals/

This photo of my mother standing in front of the famous mural in Downtown Tampa is one of my favorites.  I also admire the contrast of how small my mother looks compared to the size of the mural.  It appears that she is holding up the mural.

Christmas Time in Tampa

This is one of my favorite pictures of the downtown Riverwalk at Christmas time. This is a picture of the Laurel Street Drawbridge. The lights on the bridge are constantly changing colors to match the holiday season. I love the way the lights are reflected on the river below. Off to the side, is the Tampa River Center. All of the lights are on and it is reflecting into the river as well. I imagine there is a large Christmas party going on inside. If you take the bridge to the other side, you will find Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. It is a 25-acre park located on the Hillsborough River directly across from the Straz Center. You can actually walk under the bridge where you see the purple lights. Along with the Tampa River Center, there is also a boathouse below it. Local rowing and dragon boat teams use the boathouse for storage. Most evenings I can watch these teams practice along the river and come and go from the boathouse. I am fortunate enough to live right across the street from the park, so I can see this view any night from my balcony.

Cattails in Downtown Tampa

I love when nature meets the city. I took this picture of these cattails on the Riverwalk with a backdrop of the city. The Tampa Riverwalk is actually a city park in my backyard. I love that I was able to capture both nature and cityscape in this particular photo. Through the cattails, you can see cars and I was even able to catch the reflection of some headlights peaking through the grass. I was also able to capture the unfocused buildings in the background, but you can also clearly see the blue sky and white clouds. I can be in the city and yet still always find a piece of nature.

Downtown Tampa Sunrise

I love my city of Tampa. I enjoy taking photos of the cityscape. I am fortunate enough to live right downtown on the Tampa Riverwalk, so I walk it often. The Tampa Riverwalk runs 2.6 miles along the Hillsborough River. There are several parks, restaurants, and museums along the route. Right across the river from downtown sits the University of Tampa, which I especially enjoy taking pictures of, because of it’s unique architecture. I took this picture in the of Fall of 2021 at sunrise. I woke up early before the sun, so I could capture some different pictures of Tampa as the sun was coming up. This picture was taken on the University of Tampa side of the Riverwalk, looking back across the river to downtown. I was able to capture this picture of the sun rising and just as it was peaking through the buildings. I love the way the rays of light burst through the building welcoming a new day to the city.