Parque Amigos de Jose Marti, 1303 E 8th Avenue, Ybor City Historic Neighborhood, City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA

THIS TINY PARK IN TAMPA, Florida is about as close as you can get to Cuba without leaving the U.S. When you cross through the archway to enter Parque Amigos de Jose Marti (Friends of Jose Marti Park), you’re crossing into Cuban property.

This small bit of American land was donated to the Estado Cubano (Republic of Cuba) in 1956, three years before the communist revolution. The Batista administration officially accepted the property, and the American consul in Havana certified the transaction.

Predictably, the communist revolution and the rise of Fidel Castro complicated the situation. Nevertheless, despite high political tensions, the land remains property of the Republic Cuba. The land title to the park is owned by the Cuban government, and the park contains soil from each of Cuba’s provinces. You’ll also find memorial statutes to two heroes of the Cuban independence: the park’s namesake, Jose Julian Marti Perez, and Jose Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales.

Early on, the City of Tampa decided to maintain the park but leave management of the park in the hands of the Tampa Cuban-American community. In the early 1960s the area was a hub for clashes between pro-Castro and anti-Castro Cubans. In 1990, former Mayor Sandy Freedman entrusted the park management to an anti-Castro activist group called the Cuban Historical and Cultural Center which still maintains the grounds.

The park was donated to the communist island by Paulina Pedroso, a prominent female leader of the Cuban revolution and close companion of Marti. It’s located at the site of Pedroso’s boarding house, where Marti stayed during his various visits to Tampa and where Pedroso helped Marti recover from an assassination attempt in 1892.

The park is only open Monday to Friday from 8:00am-1:30pm, but due to the small size of the park, all of the park can be seen from behind the gates.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
bestneighborhoodsintampafl.com/about-tampa-florida/parks/...
www.atlasobscura.com/places/parque-amigos-de-jose-marti

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Taken in: United States / Florida / Seiver (show map)

Taken on: June 14, 2023

Tags:

Parque Amigos de Jose Marti

1303 E 8th Avenue

Florida

USA

Sunshine State

Tampa Bay

central Florida

park

urban

statue

urban zone

commercial property

downtown

historic landmark

old Florida

old Tampa

Ybor City historic district

Ybor City

Cuban history

Cuban patrioate

small park

Friends of Jose Marti Park

Cuban property

donated to the Estado Cubano (Republic of Cuba) in 1956

park contains soil from each of Cuba

two heroes of the Cuban independence

Jose Julian Marti Perez

Jose Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales

Cuban Historical and Cultural Center

Cuban Americans

donated to the communist island by Paulina Pedroso

Marti stayed here during his various visits to Tampa

Pedroso helped Marti recover from an assassination attempt in 1892

real estate

street photography

National Register of Historic Places

west central Florida

city

cityscape

Jose Marti Park

archway

Parque Jose Marti

Cuban Flag « less

Sets appears in: • Urban Florida V • Ybor City historic neighborhood, City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, USA more » • Greater Tampa, Florida, USA, Metropolitan Area • Florida's Beautiful Parks, Beaches, Lakes & Gardens « less

Groups appears in: • Cuba - todo a lo Cubano • Florida more » • Tampa Bay • Cuban Culture • Central Florida • Historical places • URBAN • Sculptures, statues and ....Gnomes... • Sculptures, Statues, and Public Art • Statues and Sculptures. • Historical/Mysterious Places • Flickr USA • Statues Memorials & Monuments • ! * Urban LIFE in Metropolis //// • Your photo goes here! no 30/60 • Florida, USA • National Register of Historic Places • Central Florida Flickrs • Old Florida • Statue • Statues All Over The World • Central Florida Photographers • Dramatic URBAN Vistas! (Urban Landscape Photography) • Historic Towns • MY FLORIDA • I bring my camera everywhere (no 30/60 limit) • Statues & Monuments • Historic Districts USA • [Noctography] • Historic Florida • " MASTER CLASS PHOTOGRAPHY " • The Florida Photographer • "Unlimited Photos: No Rules" • Photography in Florida • I am flickr! - No 30/60 Limit • City Urban Style • Cityscape and urban scenery • Historical and architectural gems • Historical Markers, Monuments, and Statues Project (Geotagged) • Tampa Bay, Florida-all things Tampa Bay area & region • TAMPA, Florida USA • Florida - HDR • Sólo arquitectura y arte. Only architecture and art • Engineering as Art • Urban Photography • Statues, Gargoyles, and Sculptures. • Florida Explorers • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • Turismo por todo el mundo • Statues and Public Art of North America • Tampa Expats • The Real Florida • archiCentral - Architecture & Urban Design • Tampa Bay Photography Club • Around Central Florida • Monuments old and new • North American URBANity (Post 1, Comment 1) • Geotagged: Florida • Statue and sculpture • FLICKERIANS • Florida Travels • Hipstamatic - Florida • *****WORLDARCHITECTURE!***** • Beauty of the USA • Light Creations • Only urban photos • Urban Color • Urban Views • Tampa Bay Photography/Photographers • Real Estate In Florida • FloridaPast • Tampa at night • Florida Photo Adventures • Florida - The Sunshine State • FLORIDA • My Florida Page • Pictures of Monuments and Historic places • Florida Landscapes • Our cities, our photos Urban • brilliant flickr • My time behind the lens No 30/60 limits • TOURISM magazine • Photo's passion of the world • Florida Architecture • City architecture, historic monuments, bridges, metropolis, famo • Florida Days & Nights • Architecture of Beautiful Towns and Cities • World Street Photography! Full Color and Monochrome. • Group for all users of FLICKR - No 30/60 Groups Limit • Florida's Cityscapes & Rural Areas • City, Urban & Engineering Images • !*All Around The World*! • All great photos - No 30/60 • Free our Flickr - No 30/60 • !* THE NEW SOUTH ✧ Please, ONLY QUALITY IMAGES!✧ • USA - United States (No 30/60 limit) • FLICKR INTERNATIONAL - No 30/60 Groups Limit • USA - Pictures (No 30/60 limit) • Beautiful Day or Night No 30/60 - No SL • No limit - No 30/60 • Buildings are beautiful - no 30/60 limit • TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY (no 30/60 rule) • Statues, Sculptures and Urban Art • Flickr (No 30/60 Group Limit) • No 30/60 Flickr - no SL • A PAST RECORD • Todos los momentos no 30/60 • NO 30/60 Family safe only • Urban travellers • Nice Places to Visit - No 30/60 Limit - Photos & Videos Welcome. • Post Anything You Like. No 30/60 • Pon color a tu vida (no blanco y negro) • Noche en la ciudad • All Your Photos and Mine (No 30/60 limit - Photos from anywhere) • A group for all type of photos but no porn (No 30 • ! ΙΙ TOURISM magazine ! • Fans of Flickr « less

Stats: 2,543 views / 2 comments