Another pretty space in downtown Tampa near City Hall, this pedestrian plaza is a nice spot with…read moreplenty of shade from trees and taller buildings. It is named after Tampa's mayor from 1974 to 1979 who passed away in 2014. There's a marker here which reads: William F. Poe Plaza is named in honor of William F. Poe, Sr. in recognition of the many significant improvements he initiated in downtown Tampa during his five years of service as Mayor of Tampa from October 1974 to October 1979. For many years, the Poe family's generosity assisted educational and charitable projects with an emphasis on ethics. Bill Poe's successes in business positively affected the image and reputation of the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County. In recognition of these many contributions to our community, William F. Poe Plaza is dedicated to the ideals embodied by Bill Poe and the Poe family. Bill Poe loved being Mayor of Tampa. Dedication Ceremony May 17, 2005

Lakeland's Lake Mirror Promenade, now known as the Frances Langford Promenade, was built as a part…read moreof the City Beautiful movement that swept the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Running from from Lake Mirror Drive to Lemon Street, the promenade was the brainchild of Lakeland business leader Thomas J. Appleyard. The promenade was designed by Charles Wellford Leavitt, a student of the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Central Park and San Francisco's Golden State Park. The two-phase project was completed in 1928. The promenade has a beautiful balustrade with streetlamps around the half-mile perimeter of the small, oval-shaped Lake Mirror. On the west side, a large platform steps down to the water's edge and is guarded by two monumental Corinthian columns. A loggia with five arches, aligning with the end of East Main Street, is the central feature of a 540-foot-long retaining wall that is set against the tall lake bank. The promenade was a feat of engineering, as it was built into the lake. New banks were dug around the shore to create space from which water could be pumped and a wooden superstructure erected to support the concrete walkway. The original plans for the promenade included a tennis court, a new city hall, an auditorium, shuffle board, lawn bowling, and carpet golf, although many of these no longer exist. The design also included a large garden; but due to Florida's 1926 economic crash the plans had to be limited and it wasn't until 2000 when the long planned for garden of Lake Mirror, Hollis Garden was finally constructed. The garden was donated by Mark Hollis, a former president of Publix and his wife who donated one million dollars to the City of Lakeland for the garden. On January 27, 1983, the promenade was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The promenade was dedicated to Lakeland native France's Langford (1913-2005) in 1946. Frances Langford was a popular singer, radio performer, and actress in the 1930's through the 1950's. She was also a boater and fisherwoman. Langford's first singing performance was staged in Lakeland. The classically-trained opera singer had a tonsillectomy in her teens, and she retrained her vocal style to the big band type of music that was popular at the time. Langford was discovered by Rudy Vallee while performing on a Tampa radio station. She worked on the radio with Vallee, Dick Powell, and Bob Hope. Her first film was Every Night at Eight (1935) which featured her singing I'm in the Mood for Love. Her other films included Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Glenn Miller Story. In 1955 she moved to Jensen Beach with her second husband. During WWII Frances Langford worked with the USO and traveled through North Africa and the South Pacific to visit injured GI's. She became known as the GI Nightingale. Her weekly newspaper column, "Purple Heart Diary," told of those visits and urged public support for injured soldiers. Of her time visiting the troops Langford said ""The greatest thing in my life was entertaining the troops." Langford's war-related papers can be found at the Institute on World War II at Florida State University. Today the Frances Langford Promenade offers stunning views of Lake Mirror, the surrounding parklands, and downtown Lakeland as you stroll along the walkway. I love the classic architecture juxtaposed against the modern city. The promenade is home to a number of picturesque gardens, fountains, and statues, including the iconic historic band shell that hosts various events throughout the year. The promenade is especially enchanting at sunrise and sunset, when the soft light reflects off the water and creates a peaceful ambiance. The Frances Langford Promenade is the ideal spot for anyone seeking natural beauty, history, and relaxation.

Is it pronounced promenAID or promenODD?…read more ANSWER: PromenAID.. unless you're a non-pizza crust eating boogee snob. Lake Mirror (I think it should be called Mirror Lake), is the lovely aquatic heart of Downtown Lakeland and the promenade offers and architectural centerpiece to view it from on high or at lakelevel. It's the meeting of human ordered architecture (arches, columns, and stone carved into geometric order) and once natural water feature. There are birds. A fountain. A view. Reflections. Gardens. A view of the Amtrak train station, fire station and former brew pub. All lovely. Historic. There are steps right down into the water. You can walk right in.. Or across the lake if you're Jesus. Dogs chasing birds. Quacking. A nice walk. Birdwatching. Thoughts about life and travel. What's for lunch? This is a great spot for pondering the meaning of it all.

This is a beautiful old department store that sits empty. There was once retail in Tampa. Now not…read moreso much. I blame Mayor Bob Buckhorn. He's all for big business.

I love calling Tampa home! There's so much to enjoy--from the beautiful Riverwalk and waterfront…read moresunsets to great restaurants, outdoor activities, sporting events, and growing neighborhoods. I especially love being able to walk along the water and enjoy the energy of the city. Tampa continues to grow, but it still has that warm, welcoming Florida feel. Dinah Speck, REALTOR® LPT Realty, LLC Tampa Bay, Florida 727-741-1990 dinah@fittolivewell.com DinahSellsTampaBay.com Helping You Find More Than a Home--Helping You Live Your Best Life.

Didn't realize I could review this incredible city. Champa…read moreBay- the Rays, the Bucs, the Bolts, the Rowdies. Big enough without being too, babe. Lots of water, perfect for boat parades! Lots of amazing food and even roosters run free here! Great restaurants, outstanding law enforcement and super airport TPA. Proud to be living in the Tampa Bay area!

Along the Lemon Street Promenade you can find the 24th annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture…read moreCompetition. Out of 60 sculptures submitted for review, 11 were chosen for display by a committee of community members and Polk Museum of Art staff. The Lemon Street Sculpture project is a part of the Parks & Recreation budget. Each artist chosen receives a $1,500 honorarium which they use to get their pieces to Lakeland and for the installation costs. A crane is made available through Lakeland Electric for installing larger pieces. The app Otocast will give you mor information on the art as each artist describes their piece. All of the art pieces will be on display until the end of 2024. Lakeland residents are able to vote on a People's Choice Award and this year the winner selected was Live Large by local Lakeland resident Keith Williams. The sculpture is based on a smaller piece the artist made in 2017. Keith welds and fabricates his art pieces out of recycled metal. His art studio is called 4th Dimension Art & Fab which offers public art and custom fabrication and welding services for the public. As soon as I saw this delightful piece I had no trouble understanding why it won because it was my favorite sculpture too. The piece features a hiker with his faithful dog at his side. The dog has so much personality I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Live Large will be on display in Lemon Street Promenade until the end of this year. Hopefully Lakeland finds a permanent home for him nearby.

The Harbour Island Lighthouse in Tampa sits inside a gated residential section of Harbour Island,…read morewhich means there is no public access unless you live in that community. No public paths lead to the lighthouse itself. The good news is that it is fully visible from Channel Drive, where you can park easily and admire it from across the water. As a visual accent on the shoreline, the lighthouse works well. From Garrison Channel or from the public walkways near the Harbour Island Bridge, you can see it rising above the waterfront homes. It adds a bit of charm to the island's profile, especially at sunset when the light softens and the water reflects the color. Up close, it's clear that this is not a traditional lighthouse and was never meant to function as one. Instead, it is an architectural flourish for the neighborhood rather than a navigational aid. It was built as a decorative landmark in the late 1980s or early 1990s, during the period when the island was being redeveloped into residential homes. [Review 28 of 2026 - 2219 in Florida - 25219 overall]

As a historian, this location called me to go visit and take in the significance of this place. The…read morebuilding is located in a quiet businesss area. It currently is closed off with a fence and you can see its falling apart. We arrived and parked next to it. You can walk up and see the homestead with no obstacles. I enjoyed it yet the reason I gave it 3 stars was not much to do once you arrive and take pictures History nerds and their kids will enjoy the ten minute stop others might not. Sad, that it can't be restored.

This is a beautiful historic residential building that was adapted as a boarding house for African…read moreAmerican travelers during the era of segregation. It is located near downtown Tampa by Union Station (about a block and a half away). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Tampa code enforcement officers have stymied efforts to save and restore the building, so it's not expected to be around for long. Better get there soon! The Old Union Depot Hotel by the station (featured in the Punisher movie) was lost in 2011. The city's strategy seems to be to let these old historic buildings deteriorate until they can be demolished. Then it will likely become a parking lot like most of the surrounding lots. Update: some private funding to stabilize the building will help keep it standing.. at least for a while. http://wfla.com/2015/07/30/historic-tampa-boarding-house-renovations-set-to-begin/

Where else but Gulfport would you find a skateboarding gecko sculpture! This place is unique and…read morehost of Gecko Fest as well as numerous funky houses, businesses and people. Everyone I've met here is in a good mood and welcoming! Gecko life is good in Gulfport!