City of Tampa — Local services in Tampa

Gasparilla Parade 2024 was huge disappointment for me. I don't know who to blame so I'm gonna shout out to everyone. My wife and I paid $80 each for "bleacher seats" on the waterside thinking that because we paid almost $200 it would mean something. We were very wrong. The crowd control this year was abysmal bordering on dangerous.

We walked from downtown to get to Carolina and Bayshore. We had almost 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there so we didn't sweat it. Until we got to Platt Street bridge. I guess some poor planning took place and the bridge was open to pedestrians but only the north sidewalk! Maybe 8 feet wide at best with thousands of people squeezing through. Honestly I was seriously afraid of crowd surge. If a fight had broken out or a firearm discharged I guarantee whoever made the decision to block off that road would be under investigation right now.

Once we made it around to Bayshore we figured it would be easy since we purchased tickets. We broke left and tried to get to the waterside sidewalk hoping to walk all the way down. Nope. ALL BLOCKED OFF FOR THE RICH COMPANIES. We walked for a short distance and was stop by some rude security for a private tent. I guess the bought sidewalk access. So we went around through the main crowd. We walked until we saw another cross over. Almost every crossover was blocked for private tents. At one point near Gunby street there was finally a public access so we tried it. We walked maybe three blocks until we reached a fence and a cop and event security and were told we weren't allowed past the next fence we had tickets and hand stamps but nope wouldn't do it. We had to walk all the way back again. Meanwhile the parade is starting. By the time we got to our gate, there weren't even bleacher but folding chairs, which of course, no one was using. The people who purchased seats behind us basically were taking up the entire fence. The way back after the event was poor too, again at Platt street the had the bridge closed for the buses to get out basically blocking all the pedestrians, (who's safety clearly doesn't matter since they didn't pay) which again caused a dangerous situation with the crowd.

The city of tampa and event planning really showed how useless and negligent they were throughout this event. What a waste of money we gave to the city buying those tickes. Also the lack of signage describing how to access sidewalks and closing pedestrian throughputs in favor of the high paying customers just shows how Tampa will never be a cosmopolitan city like Chicago as long as they favor the rich over the majority of their citizens. Disgusting honestly and as a 50 year resident Angry and disappointed with city planners. And to whoever designed the fence planning and pedestrian traffic for Gasparilla Parade 2024 a big f@#k you for taking my $$ and...

Why is the city of Tampa NEGLECTING wellswood park? 85 students from Mendenhall attend the after school program there, ALL the neighborhood children utilize that park... there are NO handicap parking spaces, they make the children stay in portables instead of fixing the church they bought that they were going to convert to a civic center and after school building. There are no lights to light the park up at night. The church is an eye sore and our neighborhood children are suffering. Ray park has RATS eating the food there and running around the children.... this is how you treat our communities children???? You put all this money into river walk and Curtis Hixson yet you neglect these two parks?...

This review is for the best Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor. Her service to the City as a police officer, District Commander, Chief of Police and now Mayor has resulted in extraordinary progress and improvements to our great City. Sulphur Springs needs services not Scofflaw Standalone Sidewalk Stoops that lead to no where & not connected to any other sidewalk. Some members of Tampa City Council could benefit from Mayor Jane Castor's example of leadership, common sense and doing what's right for Tampa Bay. Thank you Mayor Castor for your extraordinary service to our City now and over your tenure ofpublic service to...