Channel District, better known as Channelside, is an area of downtown Tampa. Channelside is a great place for entertainment, shopping, dining, and much more.

Channelside's Bay Plaza is an outdoor plaza, offering several different dining options for great eating throughout the day. Restaurants include Hooters, Bennigan's, Gallagher's Steak House, Oishi Sushi and Hibachi Grill, Margarita Mama's, Stump's Supper Club, and Coldstone Creamery. If entertainment is the plan for the evening, some nights offer live bands in the courtyard of Bay Plaza, just outside Splitsville Lanes. Splitsville Lanes is a great place for bowlers of all ages, especially since gourmet food is served and after 8:00 pm, turns into an adult only location. If a rainy night falls upon visitors, there is always Channelside Cinemas 10, which includes an IMAX theater, a great place to see a film.

 Also located in the Channel District is the Florida Aquarium, which has an amazing variety of marine life for guests to enjoy. There are also an opportunity to dive and feed the sharks, a dolphin encounter, a penguin experience and even an outdoor family water park.

If sports fans are visiting during hockey season, visitors must take in a Tampa Bay Lightning game at the nearby St. Pete Times Forum. The venue offers a great atmosphere and also hosts great concerts and shows for all different genres of fans. To find out more about the St. Pete Times Forum and the amenities it offers, click here.

Visitors have a variety of different hotels to choose from while staying in the downtown Tampa area. Embassy Suites, Marriott Waterside and the Hyatt just to name a few.

If you have enjoyed this article and would enjoy reading another, please click here.