Tampa Neighborhoods With Easy Access to TECO Streetcar Service

Tampa is widely applauded for its diverse collection of neighborhoods that are friendly and welcoming to all. The city has so many unique subsections that it is tempting to explore all of them – and no matter where you make your home in Tampa, you can. With the TECO Streetcar system, the most desirable areas of Tampa are connected with an easy transit service that makes traversing through this beautiful city simple and quick. Check out these five stellar neighborhoods as you take a ride on the TECO. 

Channel District 

The Channel District is a residential neighborhood in Tampa that invites in many a visitor due to its plethora of tourist attractions. Many families come to the area to enjoy the Florida Aquarium, where sharks and stingrays swim around in their tanks, and take the wild dolphin cruises offered outside. Right beside the aquarium, you’ll also find the American Victory Ship – a warship repurposed as an educational maritime museum. Sports fans get their kicks in the Channel District, too. Fans of ice hockey often file into Amalie Arena to cheer on the Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of the 2021 Stanley Cup. When the team is away, you might also find big-name concerts filling up the seats of the arena and bringing in visitors from around the state and beyond. To meet the demands of tourists and locals alike, the Channel District has plenty of casual restaurants, sports bars, and coffee shops. Conveniently, the TECO Streetcar line goes directly to Amalie Arena at Beneficial Drive and Channelside Drive (Stop #8). Most of the properties available in the Channel District are condos, which start around $450K and go up. 

Ybor City 

Once known as the “cigar capital of the world,” Ybor City is a vibrant Tampa neighborhood that offers exciting nightlife and delicious food. It is well-known for the boutiques and vintage shops that line its 7th Avenue stretch, where you will also find renowned Cuban and Latin American eateries. Head into the Central Ybor Mall, and you will be greeted with a vast selection of indie fast food, bars, and a movie theater. There is also a thriving arts and cultural scene epitomized by the expansive Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. And the cherry on top of it all? Ybor City is a chicken refuge… seriously! Chickens are allowed to roam freely through Ybor City due to an ordinance protecting them as a living memorial to the founding and history of the city. The entire area is a bird sanctuary that is focused on protecting these two-legged friends. In general, history is important to Ybor City, where many of the building facades remain in their original forms from back in the cigar factory days. While most of the cigar factories have long since left, this tradition remains an important part of Ybor City’s atmosphere. Need to get from Ybor to somewhere else in the Tampa area? Hop on the TECO Streetcar at the Centro Ybor Station at 16th Street and 8th Avenue. If you are looking to buy property in Ybor City, the median listing price for a single-family home is about $320,000. 

Downtown Tampa 

Part of Tampa’s business district, the downtown area is known for its arts and cultural offerings as well as its combination of classical Floridian architecture and modern marvels of engineering. Museums here include the Tampa Museum of Art, the Glazer Children’s Museum, and more. If you are looking to take in a show, head over to the Straz Center, where you will find contemporary plays and musicals as well as classical opera performances happening almost daily. When you need a bite to eat, you won’t be disappointed by the offerings Downtown. With American restaurants and global cuisine options alike, there is something for every palate. At night, find a bar of your choice and enjoy a drink on one of the many patios that allow you to soak up the warm breezes coming off the water. If you need to travel between Tampa destinations, consider hopping on the TECO Streetcar, which conveniently offers a stop right in the midst of Tampa’s Downtown area. For those looking to own property in downtown Tampa, most of the offerings are condos, often in high-rise buildings. These have a median listing price of over $1M, although some very expensive listings sitting in the $5M to $10M range raise the average overall.

Harbour Island 

A Florida residential community, Harbour Island is a little slice of paradise within the Downtown Tampa district. There are three primary sectors within the island: the North Neighborhood, the South Neighborhood, and the Piazza. The Piazza is strictly zoned for commercial use, while the North and South neighborhoods are largely residential. On the northern side of the island, you will find everything you need to live, work, and play in mixed use buildings that make it easy to walk, bike, or run to everything you could possibly need. This neighborhood is also just steps from Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a conveniently located stop on the TECO Streetcar system. On the southern side of the island, you will find a private, gated, master-planned community that is secluded and separate from the rest of the island, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of city life among lush vegetation highlighting the best of Florida’s tropical climate. The median listing price for homes in Harbour Island, Tampa, is currently around $585,000. 

South Nebraska 

A small neighborhood within the city limits of Tampa, South Nebraska is known for its walkability and beautiful scenery. It is a historic space in the story of Black history in America and was once home to the Central Avenue Black Business District, which was a hub for Black-owned stores and restaurants such as the Cotton Club, which hosted performers like Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. These days, this tiny quarter-mile neighborhood is a quiet enclave amidst the city of Tampa that is bounded by Palm Avenue to the north, Florida Avenue to the west, Downtown Tampa to the south, and Ybor City to the east. Homes in the South Nebraska community usually range from the high $700,000s to the high $800,000s.