Explore Western Hillsborough County
Welcome to West Hillsborough County!
Start your day in historic Hyde Park Village, where a local coffee shop works hard to brew good and do good.
Buddy Brew is farm-to-table with a twist. It’s named after the owner's dog, Buddy. All of their pastries are made from scratch every day, and their coffee beans are hand roasted. The owner started the shop as a tiny hole in the wall. It’s since grown into a community of craft roasters with locations all over Hillsborough County.
After wandering around Hyde Park, you might feel a little famished. Lee’s Grocery is just a 10-minute drive from Buddy Brew. It’s tucked away in a residential area off North Central Avenue.
Lee’s Grocery has been part of the Tampa Heights community for over 130 years. It was first built to provide groceries to migrant workers. It was then converted to a pizza restaurant.
It’s now known as one of the best stone baked pizza places. Lee’s Grocery made it on the Tampa Bay Time’s Top 50 Lists for Tampa area restaurants, after the first bite you’ll understand why.
Just over a mile south of Lee’s is the historic Tampa Theatre. This Tampa icon was built in 1926 by the famed architect John Eberson and became a historical landmark in 1978.
The theatre hosts Oscar screenings, film festivals, and weddings, but its main focus is still movies. So catch a flick or take a tour, but whatever you do remember that Fink, the resident ghost, will be watching.
Head to Curtis Hixon where they host Yoga in the Park every Sunday. It will help boost your blood flow so you can make the most of your evening.
The waterfront class is open to people of all ages so bring your kids and get your downward dog on. The class is free, but donations are appreciated.
To wrap your day up, take the Riverwalk a mile north to grab dinner at Armature Works.
In 1910, the massive warehouse was originally used to create streetcars. It was redesigned in 2018 as a collective eatery right on the Hillsborough River.
No matter what your family’s in the mood for, there are dozens of options. Such as a lightly fried chicken sandwich, on a soft white bun, topped with fresh arugula and paired with hand cut fries. Pokey bowls filled with salmon, tuna, chicken or vegan options like fried tofu. There's also wood-fired oven pizzas with fresh ingredients like pesto, mozzarella, basil and pancetta.
The four-part Destination Hillsborough series is produced by students of the University of South Florida’s Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications, in partnership with Hillsborough County. See more from the series.