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Posted on 02/08/2004 3:19:01 PM PST by martin_fierro

Tourism offers healthy future for 'cigar capital'

Tampa's forgotten Ybor city enjoys a renaissance

PETER WILSON CanWest News Service

Saturday, February 07, 2004

Sitting beneath the shade of an oversize palm tree in a Tampa neighbourhood café, it wasn't difficult to figure out why Canadians top this gulf coast city's foreign visitor statistics. Last year we represented more than 30 per cent of passport-carrying tourists who included Tampa and its environs in their vacation itineraries.

The top activities/attractions that seem to influence us to holiday in Tampa Bay are the nearby Busch Gardens and the area's famous beaches. Then of course, the region has the Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo, the Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, Adventure Island water park and, my particular favourite, the historical Tampa neighbourhood of Ybor City.

Back in the late 1800s, when Tampa was a small village and hogs and chickens ran in the dirt streets, Ybor City had brick streets, electric lights, a sewer system and, more importantly, about 200 cigar factories. It was the cigar capital of the world. By the 1920s, more than 700 million cigars were being produced every year in its bustling factories.

It all began in 1885, when Don Vincente Martinez Ybor - a Cuban cigar manufacturer - fled to Florida from his native country. He established cigar factories around Tampa which quickly prospered, attracting a lot of Cuban, Spanish, Italian, German and Jewish immigrants looking for work.

So powerful and influential was the Cuban expatriate, the community became known as "Mr. Ybor's City," a moniker that over the years became Ybor City. The sudden prosperity was short-lived. Increasing competition from northern manufacturers, the growing popularity of cigarettes and the Great Depression combined to bring about a gradual decline in the district's cigar production, from which it never recovered.

However, thanks to Ybor City being declared a national Historic Landmark District in 1991, the forgotten "Cigar Capital" has gone through a renaissance of sorts. Evolving into Tampa's lively Latin Quarter, the district now attracts thousands of tourists every year who want to experience its history, distinctive architecture and lively nightlife.

Reflecting a character not unlike New Orleans' French Quarter, Ybor City's wrought-iron balconies, brick streets, globe street lights, boutiques and coffee shops offer a flavour unavailable on Florida's beach scene.

The Ybor City Museum State Park tells the story of the rich immigrant life and cigar history of the district. The museum complex covers half of a city block and includes ornamental gardens and three restored cigar workers' houses called casitas, which means little houses.

The main museum is located in an old Cuban bakery on the site, where visitors can watch a professional cigar maker demonstrating his craft. Guided walking tours of the district are conducted from the museum.

Across from the old bakery, Centennial Park is home to Ybor City's Fresh Market, where every Saturday morning you can find an array of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as shop for arts and crafts.

There's no shortage of excellent dining spots and a visit here should definitely include a leisurely stop at the Columbia Restaurant, a hot spot of Spanish and Cuban cuisine. It serves the best paella and sangria in town.

For more information on Ybor City, visit www.ybor.org

For more information on Tampa area attractions, visit www.VisitTampaBay.com or call 1-(800)-44-Tampa.

Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Photo: "Ybor City has evolved into Tampa's lively Latin Quarter."

	FReeper Cigar Aficionado
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