Tampa not walkable, you say? You must not have been to Ybor
Many of us living and working in Ybor found the news a little disconcerting. True, Tampa does seem to deserve a place near the bottom of the list of "Walkable Urban Places in the Top 30 U.S. Metropolitan Areas". The survey, which was published by the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution, also describes Tampa as completely lacking of "walkable communities". For us Yborites, the thought is insulting.
Walkability is the staple of Ybor. From its beginning, pre-dating the automobile era, Ybor was designed as a pedestrian-friendly community. In its golden days of cigar production, it was self-contained. People lived, worked, shopped and hardly had the need to leave it. The typical cigar worker would work at the factory down the road from his home, then visit one of the clubs for entertainment. If he was to visit a theater, grand ballroom, medical clinic, cantina, gym, or library then he would go to the club as well. Shops and services lined 7th Ave. Everything was within walking distance.
Even though that was the past, Ybor has retained its walkability. In fact, one of the top reasons for moving to Ybor is that its easy to walk to entertainment and services. You may need to leave the neighborhood for groceries and dry-cleaning, but that hardly makes it inhabitable.
