Seminole Heights, Tampa, Florida

Infobox City
official_name = Seminole Heights, Tampa, Florida
nickname =




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map_caption = Bungalow in Seminole Heights
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_type3 = City
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Florida
subdivision_name2 = Hillsborough
subdivision_name3 = Tampa
leader_title =
leader_name =
established = Founded
established_date = 1911
area_magnitude =
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population_as_of =2000 census
population_note =
population_total = 24,567
population_metro =
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
region = City of Tampa
website = [http://www.seminoleheights.com www.seminoleheights.com]
footnotes =

Seminole Heights is a neighborhood and district located in central Tampa. As of the 2000 census, the district had a population of 24,567 [http://www.seminoleheights.com/aboutsh_facts.asp] .

Description

Known for its historic background. Seminole Heights is popular for its craftsman style bungalows from the early 20th century. Many buildings in the neighborhood existed in the early 1900's, including the Seminole Heights Methodist Church, Seminole Heights Elementary School, Broward Elementary, Hillsborough High School, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The Seminole Heights Garden Center, a neighborhood park, is used for community events such as art festivals and picnics. Seminole Heights has the longest stretch of Riverfront parkland in the city of Tampa. Rivercrest, Epps, and several pocket parks provide access to the Hillsborough River. In recent years the region has seen rising property values and a decrease in crime. The area is popular among young professionals and their families who are seeking an alternative to master planned communities. The area contains two designated historical districts including Seminole Heights (local and national designation), Hampton Terrace (national designation).

The area is known for its support of private businesses. The Business Guild of Seminole Heights works to increase the viability of local businesses and encourage high quality enterprise. Among these businesses are several small popular restuarants which have sprung up in Seminole Heights. Merino's Deli, Ybor Pizza, Cappy's Pizza, Stephanno's Pizzeria, the Bungalow Bistrow, Nicko's, the Front Porch and Three Coins Diner have become famous among residents and represent the unique growth of mom & pop establishments in Seminole Heights.

An ever evolving neighborhood tradition is the "porch party." Many are sponsored by one of the three active neighborhood organizations and others by individuals. There are also two annual home tours. Old Seminole Heights Home tour has become an April tradition. Southeast Seminole Heights conducts a holiday home tour in December.The region also is known for having a significant gay and lesbian population.

Seminole Heights is known for its civic activism. In most city and county elections, a resident from Seminole Heights is a candidate. Rose Ferlita, neighborhood drug store owner, and former president of Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association was a 2 term Tampa City Council member from 1999 to 2006 until she was elected to the Hillsborough County Commission. April Griffin, Seminole Heights resident, was elected to the Hillsborough County School Board in 2006. Randy Baron, former president of Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, was a candidate in the March 2007 City Council race.

History of Seminole Heights

Seminole Heights was born in 1911. T. Roy Young had 40 acres and a dream to develop Tampa’s first suburb three miles north of downtown. He called it Seminole Heights.

Ten years earlier Tampa’s population had reached 26,000. A trolley line connected Sulphur Springs to downtown making travel to the suburbs possible and inviting. The streetcar made it possible to live in one area of town and work in another.

Young recognized this potential. His Seminole Development Corporation property encompassed a rectangle bordered by Hillsborough Avenue, Central Avenue, Wilder Avenue and Florida Avenue. The houses built here were mostly bungalow, oriented east-to-west and started at $5,000.

Other developments quickly followed. By 1912, the Mutual Development Company owned by Milton and Giddings Mabry and the Dekle Investment Company owned by Lee and James Dekle surveyed and platted land adjacent to Seminole Heights forming the Suwanee Heights subdivision. Bounded by Henry Avenue, Hillsborough Avenue, Central Avenue and Florida Avenue, Suwanee Heights was also a restricted subdivision. Like the original Seminole Heights, houses required the same east/west orientation but started at $1,400.

During the “Florida Bloom” years (roughly 1919-1929) more development came to areas north and east of the original subdivisions. Of course, with this development came the merchants seeing an opportunity to provide welcome goods and services to the residents. Some of those early businesses have faded away. However, many current Seminole Heights businesses have been open for more than 50 years.

eminole Heights Documentary

In 2008 the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association and Cigar City Pictures released a film chronicling the history of Seminole Heights from 1911 to 1950. The film features residents that grew up in Seminole Heights during the time period. "Seminole Heights: An Intimate Look at the Early Years" premiered on 17 April, 2008 at the historic Tampa Theatre and sold out to a crowd of 1,446 people.

Areas within Seminole Heights

Seminole Heights consists of three distinct areas:
*Old Seminole Heights "(pop. 15,062)"
*South Seminole Heights "(pop. 3,160)"
*Southeast Seminole Heights "(pop. 3,384)"

"source for population figures: [http://www.theplanningcommission.org/library/onlinelibrary/datafolder/census/00census/2000%20Population%20by%20Neighborhood.pdf The Planning Commission] "

Education

Schools within Seminole Heights include:

*Hillsborough High School - [http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/~hillsborough.high/ Website]
* [http://broward.mysdhc.org/ Broward Elementary]
* [http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/schools/School_Info.asp Edison Elementary]
* [http://seminole.mysdhc.org/ Seminole Elementary]

ee also

* Hampton Terrace Historic District
* Seminole Heights Residential District

External links

* [http://www.oldseminoleheights.com/ Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association]
* [http://www.hamptonterrace.org/ Hampton Terrace Historic District]
* [http://www.geocities.com/oursshca/index.htm South Seminole Heights]
* [http://www.seshca.com/ Southeast Seminole Heights]
* [http://www.bgosh.org Business Guild of Seminole Heights]
* [http://seminoleheights.blogspot.com Seminole Heights Blog]
* [http://tommyosh.blogspot.com/ Tommy's Old Seminole Heights Blog]