Capsule: Bright sun and blue skies make it a great place to live by day, but multicultural Tampa really shines after dark, where it has emerged as the nightlife capital of Florida's West Coast.

Those looking for action can dance the night away at any number of clubs and hotspots in Ybor City, former "cigar capital of the world."

Tampa's unique culture is further enhanced by the month-long mid-winter celebration of Gasparilla Pirate Fest, the city's own version of Mardi Gras with parades, arts, and entertainment.

Tampa also is a mecca for shoppers, featuring such stores as Saks Fifth Avenue, FAO Schwartz, Nordstrom, and Tiffany's.

Waterfront Homes: Culbreath Isles, with massive, traditionally styled homes overlooking Old Tampa Bay or on deep-water canals, is one of Tampa most exclusive neighborhoods.

Elegant waterfront estates also can be found on the Davis Islands, three connected Mediterranean Islands at the mouth of the Hillsborough River. In the Bayshore Boulevard area, on the seawall shore south of Hillsborough Bay, townhouses and high-rise condos stand among some of Tampa's most stately and elegant manors.

Harbour Island, a private, gated community in South Tampa and linked to downtown Tampa by two bridges, features a variety of luxury residences.

Cheval, a gated community just north of Tampa, features luxury homes with incomparable golf course or conservation area views.

Golf and Tennis: The Tampa area is home to an intriguing collection of first-class resort golf courses, semiprivate courses and affordable public access facilities sure to appeal to any skill level.

Avila Golf & Country Club, north of the city, is an elegant home to some of the area's top professional athletes. Luxury hoes at the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club are in great demand.

Northwest of Tampa in the suburb of Lutz, the Tournament Player’s Club of Tampa Bay is home of the Verizon Classic and features wide open fairways that lead to diabolically undulating greens.

Weather: Tampa's weather is a combination of bright sunny days tempered by gentle bay breezes. The average year-round temperature is 72 degrees, dipping to a refreshing 60 degrees in January and rising to a warm average of 82 degrees in August.

Culture: Tampa is host to a variety of galleries and museums such as the Tampa Museum of Art and the University of South Florida's Contemporary Art Museum. Music lovers can hear live music from blues to reggae at local venues throughout the Bay area. Busy seasons of plays, touring Broadway musicals, operas and dance recitals excite thousands of theatergoers in alternative and community theaters, as well as at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Professional sports have a strong place here, with Raymond James Stadium home to the National Football League champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Legends Field the spring training home of the New York Yankees.

For information about luxury real estate in the Tampa area and the Realtors that can help you find the perfect Tampa, Cheval or Avila homes, please click here.