There is much more to Tampa's location than beautiful beaches and pleasant year-round temperatures. With 2.7 million people, the Tampa Bay area is West Central Florida's center of government, commerce, communications, business, health care, scientific research, sports, culture and entertainment.

The David A. Straz Jr. Center for Performing Arts , Tampa Museum of Art and Benchmark International Arena are just a five-minute walk from campus. Busch Gardens , Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park and the Florida Aquarium are also popular Tampa attractions. Students are only a 30-minute drive from the front gates of Ruth Eckerd Hall, Mahaffey Theater, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and the Salvador Dalí Museum.

The turnstiles at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, as well as Sea World and Universal Studios are also just a short drive away.

Five major shopping malls and hundreds of nearby restaurants offer many options for shopping and dining. Historic Ybor City, only 10 minutes away, is well-known for its vibrant nightlife, dining and entertainment.

With plenty of sunshine, Tampa residents love sports activity. Bayshore Boulevard offers a six-mile continuous waterfront sidewalk for jogging, rollerblading and cycling. Fans root for Tampa Bay's Buccaneers football, Lightning hockey and Rays baseball teams. The area has long been home to many baseball teams' spring training facilities – with Tampa serving as host for the New York Yankees.

Arts and Culture

The Tampa Bay area is prominent as a regional cultural center. The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for Performing Arts is just a five-minute walk from campus. The Tampa Museum of Art opened in February 2010 and offers traveling exhibitions, a collection of contemporary and classical art, educational programs and outdoor events along Tampa's Riverwalk. The historic Ybor City nightlife, dining and entertainment district is a mere 10 minutes from campus. A 30-minute drive will put visitors at the front gates of Ruth Eckerd Hall, the Florida International Museum, the Mahaffey Theater or the Salvador Dalí Museum. Latin American, African, Asian, Caribbean and European influences all add spice to this cultural crossroads.

Attractions

If any state is known for theme parks, it’s Florida. In addition to Tampa’s own Busch Gardens, the turnstiles at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Sea World, Universal Studios and Adventure Island are just a short drive away from The University of Tampa campus. In the Bay Area, students can visit the Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Aquarium.

Five major shopping malls and dozens of restaurants are nearby. A local favorite place to shop and relax is Hyde Park Village , just five minutes from campus. This outdoor retail center features a multi-screen cinema and exclusive brand-name shops. Restaurants, an ice cream parlor and a coffeehouse offer outdoor seating for enjoying the sun, the cool night air and people watching. Nearby Channelside, near the port of Tampa, also offers a variety of restaurants and shops.

Local Media

The Tampa Bay community is one of the largest media markets in the country, with a population of more than two million people. Tampa is also the site for many national corporate headquarters and state and federal agencies. The print media consist of five large metropolitan daily newspapers, and several independent weeklies. The electronic media is well represented, with affiliates of Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC and cable systems, as well as several independent stations. A host of national radio station chains, along with other media outlets, make the Tampa Bay area a lively place to live, work or pursue a professional career in the media.

Sports

Tampa is the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team and Raymond James Stadium. The Bay area's baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays, play at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field. The New York Yankees hold spring training at Tampa's George Steinbrenner Field. Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning ice hockey team, is also minutes from the UT campus.

For more information, see Visit Tampa Bay .