Hyde Park and SoHo

Hyde Park Village is a multibuilding open-air mall that’s somewhat at odds with the quirky vibe of this established neighborhood, offering urbane fare like Anthropologie, Tommy Bahama, Restoration Hardware, and Williams-Sonoma.

A stroll through the more localized shops of the nearby SoHo (S. Howard Ave.) area is likely to be far more rewarding, with stores like The Other Side Antiques (308 S. Howard Ave., 813/254-8799, www.othersideantiques.com, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat., noon–4 p.m. Sun.), the wittily named local craft gallery Artsiphartsi (2717 W. Kennedy Blvd., 813/348-4838, www.artsiphartsi.com, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat.), or the homey independent-minded Inkwood Books (216 S. Armenia Ave., 813/253-2638, www.inkwoodbooks.com, usually 10 a.m.–7 p.m.).

Make sure to stop into La Casa Dolce Italian Dessert Cafe (406 S. Howard Ave., 813/259-0002, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 7:30 a.m.–1 a.m. Fri., 9 a.m.–1 a.m. Sat., 9 a.m.–11 p.m. Sun.) to fuel your shopping excursion.

Ybor City

Most shopping in Ybor City is in and around Centro Ybor (1600 E. 8th Ave., www.centroybor.com), and most of the shops there are of the chain variety, including Victoria’s Secret and Urban Outfitters. Nearby stores like the vintage-hipster Revolve Clothing Exchange (1600 E. 7th Ave., 813/242-5970, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Tues.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat., noon–7 p.m. Sun.) provide relief from the everyday.

The Columbia Restaurant Gift Store (2117 E. 7th Ave., 813/248-4961, www.columbiarestaurant.com, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat., noon–9 p.m. Sun.) is a must-stop for souvenir shoppers and cigar lovers.

If you’re looking for fresh food to take on a boating or beach excursion, the outdoor Ybor City Saturday Market (Centennial Park, 8th Ave. at 19th St., http://yborfreshmarket.ypguides.net, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Sat. Sept.–Apr., 9 a.m.–1 p.m. May–Aug.) has locally and regionally grown produce as well as gourmet snacks and arts and crafts from local vendors.

West Shore Boulevard

International Plaza (2223 West Shore Blvd., 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–6 p.m. Sun.) is Tampa’s more upscale mall, home to Apple, Burberry, Betsey Johnson, Louis Vuitton, and Movado stores along with luxe departments stores like Nordstrom and Neiman-Marcus.

Only five minutes away, Westshore Plaza (250 West Shore Blvd., 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–6 p.m. Sun.) is anchored by Sears, JCPenney, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

© Jason Ferguson from Moon Florida, 1st Edition