FLORIDA FEATURE ARTICLES : TAMPA

Tampa's Diversity of Shops

Visitors to Tampa Bay can choose from major shopping malls to smaller, specialized stores in unique and distinct neighborhoods, or antique shops, vintage clothing stores, or even weekend markets. Here are some of the major players.

Two of the International Plaza’s high-end anchor tenants, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom made their first foray into the Tampa market along with about 100 specialty shops, including Tiffany & Co., Charles Jourdan Paris, Nicole Miller, Louis Vuitton, J. Crew, Stuart Weitzman, Jessica McClintock and Christian Dior. The Plaza also includes an outdoor entertainment area called Bay Street Plaza and children’s play area for a total of 200 tenants. The $200-million shopping center is located adjacent to Tampa International Airport.




Old Hyde Park Village is nestled in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods is a contemporary collection of shops and quaint restaurants. A multi-screen movie theater is also located at this trendy shopping spot. Tenants include Collective Soles shoes, Anthropologie womens fashions and home furnishings, Thomas Kinkade art gallery, MAC Cosmetics, White House/Black Market women’s clothing, BCBG Max Azaria, Chico’s, Tommy Bahama tropical fashions, Black Hawk Coffee Café, April Cornell, Pottery Barn Design Studio, Pottery Barn Kids, Illuminations, Home Elements, Wine Exchange and Samba Room.

With 135 stores, Prime Outlets at Ellenton is the largest outlet center on Florida’s West Coast. With some of the most impressive brand name stores of any outlet center in the country, Prime Outlets at Ellenton is a must for shoppers seeking top quality at great prices. Some of the top brand outlet stores found at Ellenton are Bose, Ann Taylor, Nine West, Samsonite, DKNY, Black & Decker, Donna Karan, Villeroy & Bach, Nike, Sak’s Off Fifth, Wilson Leather, Polo Ralph Lauren, Versace and Waterford/Wedgewood. Caribbean village-style architecture and tropical landscaping contribute to a great shopping experience.

University Mall is home to more than 150 specialty stores, four major department stores, including Sears, JC Penney, Dillards and Burlington, a food court, 16 screen Regal Cinema and a carousel.

Westfield Shopping Town - Brandon was formerly called Brandon TownCenter. This “shopping town” has 120 specialty shops, 4 major department stores, a food court and two restaurants.

Westfield Shopping Town - Citrus Park is one of Tampa’s newer malls with 120 upscale shops, including four department stores, a 20 screen Regal Cinema, a food court and three restaurants. The mall’s “Main Street USA” theme features storefronts designed as individual buildings with ornate signage and awnings. Other features that lend to the mall’s outdoor ambiance include skylights, wooden benches, old-time street lamps, natural stone floors and life-size bronze sculptures of children at play.

Three minutes from Tampa International Airport, Westshore Plaza features over 100 specialty shops and 4 major department stores. In 1998, WestShore Plaza added a Saks Fifth Avenue to its line-up of better department stores. In 2000, the Plaza completed an expansion that included a 14-screen AMC Theater and 18 new stores. New shops include Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters, New Balance, Camelot Music, Starbuck’s Coffee Company and Jus d’Orange. Restaurants like Maggiano’s Little Italy, PF Chang’s China Bistro and The Palm were also added.





Photo: Visit Florida









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