Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District because it is the core of Tampa‘s Latino community. Vicente Martinez Ybor, a cigar magnate, was responsible for founding the city. In the middle of the 1880s, he moved to Key West after workers at his company showed symptoms of wanting to organize a union.
The Ybor cigar factory was the largest of its kind in the world, employing over 4,000 workers at its peak and turning out over 900,000 cigars every month. Most of the businesses closed down and were demolished after the Great Depression and the invention of machine rollers put an end to the booming industry.
Numerous shops, galleries, restaurants, and cafes have opened in the area as a result of its recent redevelopment. A number of Ybor City’s most historically noteworthy buildings may be found along Seventh Avenue (or “La Septima” in Spanish), and the avenue itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Located in historic Ybor City, the Columbia Restaurant is Florida’s oldest and most well-known Spanish eatery. Casimiro Hernández, Sr., a Cuban immigrant, opened this landmark business in 1905. Columbia’s supper entertainment, genuine Spanish fare, and quaint old-world architecture are famous across the city. Flamenco and jazz performances are regularly featured at the café.
Much of what makes Tampa Bay unique as a cultural and historical destination may be found in Ybor City. Many of the buildings’ façade were inspired by the historic brickwork of cigar factories that were later repurposed as part of a nod to the area’s past glory as the Cigar Capital of the World. Still, cigar rollers like myself are keeping the tradition alive, and that’s just one of many things happening now and in the future in this dynamic place. Brick sidewalks and iron balconies make the 7th Avenue area a popular party destination day and night.
The historically significant Ybor City is within a mile from the downtown area and is easily accessible on the free TECO Line Streetcar. Browse the freshly opened museum and cigar stores like Tabanero Cigars, Sweetheart Cigars, and J.C. Newman Cigar Co. to find the perfect partner for your evening stroll around these ancient neighborhoods. Perfecting your day with a shot from The Snap House.
Columbia Restaurant
Tampa Turf and Artificial Grass
