Ybor City is a neighborhood near downtown Tampa that has historically been the Cuban and Italian district. It's also a significant tourist destination. Founded in 1885 as a cigar-making independent city, it was absorbed into Tampa two years later. By the time of the depression, mechanization of cigar manufacturing combined with decreased demand for high-quality cigars caused Ybor City's economy to plummet. Although redevelopment has been occurring since the 1980s, it's a slow and, based on my quick observations, only moderately successful process. The vacancy rate along the main street of Ybor City, 7th Ave, is quite high.
Ybor City is no longer an Italian or Cuban neighborhood as both of those populations moved outside of the central business district. Unfortunately, they took their supermarkets with them. Ybor City's remaining food markets are pretty minimal. The so-called Ybor Supermarket is nothing more than a convenience store.
As shown by the sign in the window, not much food is sold here. No produce, meats, or deli products are sold at the Ybor Supermarket. However, plenty of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, beer, wine, and soda are sold. That's the essence of a healthy grocery store. The Ybor Supermarket (if you can call it that) is located at 1618 E 7th Ave, Tampa. Here's a look inside thanks to Google Maps, once again...
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