Tarpon Springs is a small and interesting town on Florida's west coast, just north of Clearwater. Back in the day it was a capital for sponge gathering with 180 boats dedicated to that industry; many of its early settlers were Greek sponge divers. You can still see that legacy today in the presence of many Greek names on the streets. At the harbor you can take a ride on a sponge diving boat tour, or better yet, eat at one of the many Greek restaurants there. The 2012 population was just under 24,000 and growing. The city has 2 areas - there is the main downtown with its reclaimed railroad depot and interesting shops and restaurants, and then there is the waterfront area with fishing boats and Greek restaurants. We included Tarpon Springs in our review of "Funky Florida Retirement Towns - Part 2". The city is obviously popular with retirees, since the median resident age is 48 (8 years higher than FL average). |