Accessibility Grade: A
Winding its way along the iconic Hillsborough River, the Tampa Riverwalk ushers visitors through a number of scenic parks, museums, restaurants, and art installations that are located around Downtown Tampa. To say that there's a lot to see is a massive understatement! During our time, we only had the chance to go through a portion of the waterfront path's expansive 2.6 mile length. Come with us as we journey along some of the most picturesque parts of the Downtown Tampa area, accessible to us because of the Tampa Riverwalk.
As we usually do, let's start things off by talking a little about the parking situation. Since Riverwalk covers such a wide area, there are a few places that you can park; however, accessible parking isn't always the easiest to find in Downtown Tampa. This rings especially true if you are on the hunt for parking that's both free and accessible. While it's possible to secure a free spot at Armature Works, which is a location that I'll mention further along in this Review, there's no guarantee that you'll find accessible parking in their lot. Having multiple options will give you the best chance to find accessible parking. On this trip, we ended up finding free, accessible parking at the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.When we arrived, we noticed that there were a decent amount of spaces. Even though this is the case, during events, they tend to fill up quickly. If you're attending a festival, celebration, etc. at the park, I'd recommend showing up earlier in the day. This location seemed to be pretty central to a lot of the restaurants, parks, etc. Since this was the case, this parking lot ended up being the perfect place to begin our excursion through the Downtown Tampa area.
The Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park has a number of beautiful, art installations, such as the one pictured above. It greeted us as as we exited our vehicle, which set the tone for the rest of our trip. Moving further into the park, I noticed that the paths were all very smooth. The sidewalks were very wide, which is always great for manual and power chair users, as well as other people who use mobility devices like walkers or canes. This area felt really easy to get around, also making it great for caregivers, family, and friends, who push and/or assist people who use dependent mobility devices. As I mentioned above, we went to the Riverfront Park during a time that wasn't crowded. If you find yourself there at a peak time, such as during a busy event or on the weekend, please know that accessible parking spaces may appear more limited than during the time of our visit. This detail may be important, especially for individuals who experience high amounts of social anxiety, or those who have high sensory sensitivity.
While the Riverfront Park's lot can be a good place to park during the day, if you are planning to visit Riverwalk during the evening, make sure to find a different location. The public park is open from sunrise until 10:00 P.M., which also means that you'll only be able to leave your vehicle in this lot during those hours.
Within Riverfront Park, as well as along Riverwalk, there are a number of "accessible route" signs. These were really helpful, and pointed out the most accessible paths for visitors to take. These routes also featured wide sidewalks that were relatively smooth. While they aren't always wide enough to allow two wheelchair users to roll side-by-side, they are definitely wide enough to accommodate most types of mobility devices.
In front of the Tampa River Center, which is also shown in the first picture of this Accessibility Review, is a nice area that overlooks the Hillsborough River. There are a number of benches for people who aren't wheelchair users. In front of these benches is a fence, which may be too tall for some manual wheelchair users to see over. Luckily, though it's kind of tough to tell in this picture, it's easy to see through this fence because it's made of thinly-dispersed cable. In this area, there is also a boat ramp and two docks, both of which can be accessed by two, large ramps.
As you make your way through the park, you'll notice a bunch of plaques, much like the one in the picture shown on the left. Each of these gives park goers a little information, telling a bit about some historical events that took place either in the city of Tampa, or in the Tampa Bay area. Once you venture outside of the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, you'll pass a few more of these historical plaques, some of which also feature statues of the individuals that they are describing. As we make our way further down Riverwalk, I'll show a few of them a bit later in the article.
As we made our way through the park, we ended up coming across a couple of accessible, unisex bathrooms. From my own experience, finding accessible restrooms can be both nerve wracking and difficult. Needless to say, I was pretty relieved to find them. Though they were pretty roomy inside, these restrooms didn't have automatic doors. If you have difficulty getting in and out of doors (especially since these were kind of heavy), you may need assistance to enter and exit these bathrooms.
Next to the Tampa River Center, an art installation decorates a concrete path that extends over the Hillsborough River. The piece is titled 'Form of Wander,' and was created by Marc Fornes and the art studio THEVERYMANY, who are based in New York.
This space offers a great view of some buildings located on the opposite side of the river. From here, it's easy to see some other landmarks, such as the renowned performing arts venue, the Straz Center. Of course, by turning around, you can also catch a great view of the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.
Continuing onward, we crossed a bridge that allowed us to access more of the park, which extends to the opposite side of the river. Crossing the bridge takes you along a path made of grated metal. My power wheelchair didn't have much trouble navigating it, though it was definitely a much bumpier ride than I expected. I imagine that the experience would be similar for somebody using a manual wheelchair, and that the bumpy surface may make it more difficult to propel yourself over. For those using other mobility devices, such as canes or walkers, this surface may make it tough for you to walk over. The bumpy ride may be difficult for wheelchair users who have difficulty with their posture, including sitting up, or holding their head in an upright position.
Taking the bridge, you'll swing through another section of the park, featuring a number of sculptures and other art pieces. Even though these sidewalks weren't as wide, they led down to a path that ran right along the water's edge. Here, it was much easier to get around. Getting that close to the water was also a really nice experience, especially since I try to be careful with my wheelchair whenever I'm near any body of water.
Even though this path was much wider, I'd like to mention that we saw a number of joggers and cyclists along the way. Because of that, while you're on this path, I'd recommend staying to the right. That way, people travelling at high speeds can pass you safely.
If you're looking to cool off a bit, crossing beneath some of the bridges can be a great place to get out of the sun and catch the breeze. Much like the picture on the left, there are a number of fantastic art pieces that are feature through out all of Riverwalk. This one, located under the Fortune Taylor Street Bridge, is named 'Woven Waves' and was a collaboration between Re:Site and Metalab. Depending on where you view the piece, it can have a different appearance. Looking at it, from the other side, will also show a different design than the one shown in this picture.
The end of our journey, along the Tampa Riverwalk, brought us to Armature Works. Whether you're looking to grab a coffee, get some food, or scratch your shopping itch, Tampa's Armature works is a great collection of local restaurants, bars, and stores. It also hosts different kinds of events and other forms of entertainment, featuring regular musicians and holiday celebrations.
If you've been searching for an interesting place to spend the afternoon, Tampa Riverwalk meanders through some great parks and even leads to some of the great food and beverage spots that Downtown Tampa has to offer. Whether you're looking to exercise, relax, grab dinner, or even attend a festival, Riverwalk is a fun and interesting way to pass the time.
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