Visiting Ybor - The Cigar City

A stop in Ybor City is a must for all cigar smokers when visiting Tampa, Florida. Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's, Ybor was not just the cigar capital of Florida and the United States, but the entire world. Today, only one cigar factory remains, and its continued existence is in jeopardy pending the outcome of the FDA's decision on how it will regulate cigars. Although Ybor is now more of an entertainment district, cigars are still a big part of Ybor City, as cigar stores and cigar rollers continue the cigar tradition, albeit on a much smaller scale.

I've been to Ybor City on several occasions, and during a recent visit during March 2015, I finally made it up to the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory. The factory is located at North 16th Street and East Columbus Drive, which is about a half-mile or so from Centro Ybor, but on the north side of I-4. The company moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Ybor City in 1954. Originally founded by Julius Caesar Newman in 1895, this family-owned company is now run by his two grandsons, Eric and Bobby Newman, who succeeded their father (Stanford Newman) upon his death in 2006. The J.C. Newman Cigar Factory contains a small museum that is free and open to the public for self-guided tours, from 9am to 4pm on most weekdays.

While visiting Ybor, make sure to walk down East 7th Avenue and check out all the cigar establishments. I also recommend having lunch or dinner at the Columbia Restaurant at the intersection of East 7th Avenue and North 21st Street. To smoke a cigar and/or stand on Cuban soil, check out a small park on East 8th and North 13th dedicated to Jose Marti. This park is actually owned by the Cuban Government.

There are many other attractions to see in Ybor City, so if you only have a few hours, plan on coming back again to see and enjoy them all.