Tarpon Springs is home to over 100 unique shops, festivals throughout the year, authentic Greek cuisine, night life, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, fishing spots, and many Bayous, of which host the annual Epiphany Celebration.
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs is a city on the gulf coast of Florida. It is located 32 miles from the city of Tampa, and 291 miles from Miami. Tarpon Springs is noted for having the largest percentage of Greek-Americans in the United States. According to the 2000 census, Tarpon was populated with 21,003 citizens. This region was a popular spot for winter homes and first attracted attention in 1876. The new visitors of the city began to notice the tarpon fish jumping in and out of the waters, thus naming the city Tarpon Springs. Greek immigrants first came to the city in the 1880s and were hired as sponge divers. Sponge harvesting was a booming industry, raking in millions of dollars each year. After the red tide algae bloom that occurred in the year 1947, sponge divers switched to fishing and shrimping for a living. The city converted sponge-related buildings such as warehouses, into tourist attractions. All these tourist attractions later formed a series of shops and restaurants called The Sponge Docks.
Tarpon Springs is home to over 100 unique shops, festivals throughout the year, authentic Greek cuisine, night life, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, fishing spots, and many Bayous, of which host the annual Epiphany Celebration.
Tarpon Springs is home to over 100 unique shops, festivals throughout the year, authentic Greek cuisine, night life, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, fishing spots, and many Bayous, of which host the annual Epiphany Celebration.
