About us

Hyde Park Tampa Historic District

Our Story

Historic Hyde Park

Hyde Park is adjacent to the University of Tampa and Downtown. Roughly, the boundaries of the neighborhood are the Hillsborough Bay to the east, Kennedy Blvd to the north, Bayshore Boulevard to the east and south, and Armenia Avenue to the west. Major thoroughfares within the historical district include Kennedy Boulevard, Bayshore Boulevard, Lee Roy Selmon Expressway (SR 618), Howard Avenue, and Swann Avenue. Entrepreneurs have started small companies using NEVs to shuttle pedestrians from the area to other core districts such as Downtown and Ybor City, as an attempt to facilitate connection between Tampa’s core neighborhoods.

Our goal

Community and Culture

Hyde Park Village

Upscale shopping district located among several city and residential blocks. The approximate center is at the intersection of Swann and Rome Avenues just a few blocks east of the adjacent South Howard Avenue residential and retail district known as SoHo. High-end boutiques, restaurants and cafes are some offerings of the area.

SoHo

Multi-faceted entertainment district in the middle of the neighborhood. Many of the region’s top-rated bars, nightclubs, boutiques and restaurants are in this district. It begins at Howard Avenue south of Kennedy Boulevard and terminates at Bayshore. Its name is derived factually since the district centers around South Howard Avenue

Bayshore Boulevard

Bayshore marks the eastern boundary of the neighborhood. The street is known for its scenic, gently curving greenway and views of the water and skyline. It holds the record as the world’s longest sidewalk.

HISTORY

National Historic District

The Hyde Park neighborhood was established in the 1880s when railroad financier Henry B. Plant built the first bridge across the Hillsborough River at Lafayette Street (now Kennedy Boulevard). The first house in the neighborhood was built by James Watrous in 1882 at 1307 Morrison Avenue.
Growth occurred rapidly and a street car line was put in on Swann Ave and Rome Ave. This is the reason for the wideness of the two streets, while most in the neighborhood are much narrower. The area where Old Hyde Park Village is today was originally called Cork Avenue. Dakota Avenue, Cork Avenue, and Inman Avenue all intersected near where the infamous British phone booth stood. The only extant part of Cork Avenue is called Snow Avenue.

The district was added to the National Register on March 4, 1985.
The district is situated in South Tampa, generally bounded by the Hillsborough River/Bay, Howard Avenue, and Kennedy Boulevard.

It is recognized for its extensive collection of early 20th-century residential architecture, including bungalows and mansions built during Tampa’s expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.