The Neighborhood That Built Tampa
Long before Tampa became the city we know today, Ybor City (pronounced “EE-bore”) was transforming a small Florida settlement into an international city.
In 1886, Spanish cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez-Ybor moved his cigar operation from Key West to Tampa, establishing a factory and a community that would become known around the world. Other cigar makers soon followed, and Ybor City became the heart of an enormous hand-rolled cigar industry. By the turn of the 20th century, Tampa was known as the “Cigar Capital of the World.” More than 200 cigar factories operated across the Tampa area at the industry's height, producing hundreds of millions of cigars each year.
But cigars were only the beginning of Ybor City's story. The neighborhood became a remarkable multicultural community, bringing together immigrants from Cuba, Spain, Italy and other parts of Europe and the Caribbean. They brought their languages, food, music, traditions, social clubs and political ideas with them.
Ybor City became an important center for the Cuban independence movement, and José Martí visited the neighborhood to rally support for Cuba's struggle against Spain. The cigar factories even employed professional readers—lectores—who would read newspapers, literature and political writings aloud to workers as they rolled cigars by hand.
The cigar industry eventually declined. Mechanization, the Great Depression and changing manufacturing practices brought the era of the giant cigar factories to an end. By the middle of the 20th century, Ybor City had fallen into serious decline, and portions of the historic neighborhood were threatened with demolition. Preservation efforts eventually helped save its remaining buildings and character. Today, Ybor City is one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida, with nearly 1,000 historic buildings and structures reflecting its industrial and immigrant heritage.
The Ybor City you'll experience today is a fascinating mixture of old and new. Historic brick cigar factories, wrought-iron balconies, brick streets and century-old social clubs stand alongside restaurants, cigar lounges, bars, music venues, galleries and creative businesses. The City of Tampa describes today's Ybor as a community where historic architecture and multicultural heritage meet a growing arts and creative scene. In other words, Ybor City isn't a museum—it is a neighborhood that has continually reinvented itself while keeping its history visible.
And then there are the chickens. You'll likely see them wandering freely through the streets. They have been part of Ybor City for more than a century and have become one of the neighborhood's most unexpected—and entertaining—symbols.
Ybor is best explored on foot. Start around 7th Avenue, wander the brick sidewalks, look up at the historic buildings, and let the neighborhood unfold from there. The TECO Line Streetcar also connects Ybor City with downtown Tampa and the Channel District, making it particularly easy to visit without worrying about parking.
Located in the historic Ferlita Bakery building, the museum tells the story of the immigrants, cigar workers, businesses and families who created Ybor City. The surrounding garden includes examples of the small houses where many cigar workers once lived. It's probably the best place to start if you want to understand what you're seeing as you walk the neighborhood.
Click for directionsA walking tour is one of the best ways to appreciate Ybor because so much of the history is hidden in the buildings and streets around you. Tours explore the cigar industry, immigration, Cuban independence, organized crime and some of Ybor's more colorful characters.
Click for directionsThis tiny park is one of the most unusual historical sites in Tampa. The property was donated to the Republic of Cuba and commemorates José Martí, the Cuban writer and revolutionary who visited Ybor City while organizing support for Cuban independence.
Click for directionsLocated in the childhood home of Tampa's first Major League Baseball player, Al López, this small museum tells another chapter of Tampa's history from right inside the historic Ybor neighborhood.
Click for directionsTabanero Cigars is a good place to experience the modern version of Ybor's cigar culture, with cigars being hand-rolled locally and a relaxed lounge atmosphere.
Click for directionsKing Corona Cigars Bar And Cafe combines cigars, coffee and the classic Ybor sidewalk experience on 7th Avenue.
Click for directionsFor a more traditional cigar-lounge experience, Long Ash Cigars is another popular stop where visitors can watch the craft of cigar making while enjoying the atmosphere.
Click for directionsFor those who want to go deeper into the history of cigar manufacturing, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. operates in one of Ybor City's historic factories and offers visitors a look at one of America's oldest family-owned premium cigar makers.
Click for directionsColumbia Restaurant is the obvious classic. Established in Ybor City in 1905, it remains a Tampa institution and is famous for its Spanish-Cuban cuisine, historic setting and nightly flamenco performances. Don't leave without trying the famous 1905 Salad or a traditional Cuban sandwich.
Click for directionsFor a taste of Tampa's Cuban-bakery tradition, visit La Segunda Bakery and Cafe. The original Ybor location dates to 1915 and is particularly known for the Cuban bread that has become an essential ingredient in Tampa's version of the Cuban sandwich.
Click for directionsFor something different, Bernini of Ybor occupies a historic building on 7th Avenue and serves Italian food in the heart of the old cigar district.
Click for directionsAnd if you're looking for something casual and distinctly Ybor, Gaspar's Grotto combines food, drinks, live entertainment and an over-the-top pirate theme. It is about as subtle as Ybor City itself.
Click for directionsThe historic 7th Avenue corridor fills with people heading to bars, clubs, restaurants and live music venues. The Ritz Ybor is one of the neighborhood's best-known live music and nightlife venues.
Click for directionsJames Joyce Irish Pub & Eatery offers a more traditional late-night pub atmosphere.
Click for directionsFor something uniquely Ybor, combine dinner with a cigar and a drink, then simply walk 7th Avenue. The neighborhood's greatest attraction at night isn't any single bar or club—it's the energy of the entire historic district.
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