South Tampa vs. North Tampa

Nicole Browne, Junior Staff Writer|February 18, 2016

Credit: Lauren Calka/ used with permission

“Come at me, South Tampa”- Lindsay Calka (wearing her Carrollwood t-shirt)

The greatest disconnect between students at the Academy revolves around the great debate-“North Tampa vs. South Tampa: Which is better?” South Tampa is an older, more established area that begins approximately south of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. North Tampa beings from that point and then north towards Bearrs. South Tampa can be categorized as a more concentrated area, with all the shops, restaurants, and homes closer together. North Tampa is more suburban and spread out, with its go-to places sometimes thirty minutes away!  So let’s solve this once and for all, shall we?

Restaurants 

South Tampa’s claim to fame in this category lies in restaurants such as Daily Eats, Oxford Exchange, Dats, Bern’s, Ulele, and a many others. North Tampa’s only notable counters in this category are Ichicoro, a new ramen restaurant off Florida Avenue, and Burger 21.

Juniors Teresa Toranzo and Sophia Barr go to Bern's steakhouse and capture this candid moment.
Credit: Sophia Barr/ @sophia_barr Juniors Teresa Toranzo and Sophia Barr go to Bern’s steakhouse and capture this candid moment. Bern’s is a staple of the South Tampa area- attracting people from all over.
Tess Jakubiec and Lizzie Dolan try Ichicoro for the first time and love it.
Credit: Nicole Browne/ Achona Online
Tess Jakubiec and Lizzie Dolan try Ichicoro for the first time and love it. Tess comments “We had to put our name in and wait for two hours, but it was worth it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specialty Places (smoothies, dessert, coffee) 

If it wasn’t for the Bern’s dessert room, North Tampa and South Tampa would be evenly matched in this category.

Screen Shot 2016-02-17 at 9.27.50 AM

Gillian Garcia takes this artsy pic at The Grind Coffee Bar and Cafe in Westchase.
Credit: Gillian Garcia/ @gillieebeann Gillian Garcia takes this artsy pic at The Grind Coffee Bar and Cafe in Westchase. Gillian says “The Grind is always pretty busy but the atmosphere is exciting. It’s the perfect mix of a chill place to study and a bustling work place.”
Credit: Carmelle Kuizon/ @carmellekuizon Academy Alumnus Carmelle takes a picture of South Tampa specialty coffee shop products when home from college.
Credit: Carmelle Kuizon/ @carmellekuizon
Credit: Carmelle Kuizon/ @carmellekuizon
Academy Alumna Carmelle takes a picture of South Tampa specialty coffee shop products that she misses so much when away from home.

Perks

Junior Tess Jakubiec, a resident of the Carrollwood area, comments, “North Tampa has more lane space when driving, is often less expensive especially when buying real estate, and most importantly it doesn’t flood like South Tampa does! Also LESS TRAFFIC.”

To further back up Tess’s claims about the perks of living in North Tampa Junior Lindsay Calka says “First, you can exist for an hour without seeing 18 people you know. Second, you form instant bonds with people who also live in North Tampa because they understand the struggle of having to qualify the area to ST people. Third, the area is beautiful with lots of lakes and parks. And finally, it’s nice just being removed from the South Tampa world.”

Senior Mimi Kamm, a ST denizen comments “I think its great how convenient everything is. There is always a restaurant nearby! And I like the city parks and different events and festivals. There are always fireworks too and that’s really fun.”

Similarly, Freshman Delany Lambert, another South Tampa resident, adds, “Bayshore is perfect for biking and jogging, we are close to the airport and the most beaches, and South Tampa is great for shopping! Plus we are close to AHN.”

^North Tampa is home of both Busch Gardens and the Lowry Park Zoo, two places that are perfect day trips when you’re in the mood for some adventure and fun.

Curtis Hixon in South Tampa hosts a weekly yoga session which is open to everyone.
Credit: Kaylee Kearns/ @kaylee_kearns Curtis Hixon in South Tampa hosts a weekly yoga session which is open to everyone. In addition, Curtis Hixon hosts many events throughout the years including the Macaroni and Cheese Festival and live music on Gasparilla.

 

REPRESENT! Schools & Sports

University of Tampa vs. University of South Florida. No competition. North Tampa wins with USF in it’s corner. Furthermore, North Tampa is the home of the Bucs’ stadium, but the Lightning’s rink hails from its prime spot in South Tampa.
https://twitter.com/TBLightning/status/699001112209260546

Things To Look At

South Tampa is known for those perfect sunsets over the water but did you know that in North Tampa every once in a while hot air balloons can be seen in the sky. Furthermore, ST is truly lacking in that you can only sometimes see the stars because in North Tampa the stars can be seen almost every night.

The Proof:

The Final Tally

Screen Shot 2016-02-16 at 3.33.04 PM

Look at that! Turns out that both locations are evenly matched. While South Tampa may be a great place to live, let’s not forget the the cons of the chaos and traffic that comes with it. North Tampa may not have the same caliber of restaurants or sports teams, but they excel in the little things that make living there fantastic such as the views and the privacy. All in all, both locations obviously offer wonderful pros and little cons. Whether from the North or the South, Tampa rocks and we’re all excited that we’re residents of one of the best places in the country!