Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County

Pinellas County, Florida

Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 and a suburb of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

. The population of Gulfport was 12,527 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 12,740. Gulfport is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, the 21st largest MSA in the country.

The town was originally named Disston City in 1884 when Hamilton Disston

Hamilton Disston

Hamilton Disston , was an industrialist and real-estate developer who purchased four million acres of Florida land in 1881, an area larger than the state of Connecticut, and reportedly the most land ever purchased by a single person in world history...

 purchased land here. The United States Postal Service

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 would not recognize the name as it conflicted with a town in Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County, Florida

As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...

. Instead, it was named Bonifacio. In 1890, the town name was changed to Veteran City. Finally, in 1910, the name officially changed to Gulfport.

Gulfport is distinguished by its high concentration of artisans inspired by the intense light and tropical scenery. A celebration the first Friday and third Saturday of each month called "Art Walk" attracts locals and tourists. Many street performers, artists and craftspeople show up to create a relaxed cultured atmosphere in the warm balmy evening breezes coming off the beach at the end of the street.

"Old Florida" is a phrase often evoked in describing Gulfport's waterfront district, with its mix of small-scale cottages and small independent shops, restaurants and other businesses, situated among mature oak trees and brick-paved streets. Gulfport's recognition as a primary dining destination in Tampa Bay is exemplified by the proximity of over a dozen restaurants within walking distance along a few blocks on or near Beach Blvd.

Tuesdays are Fresh Market days in the Gulfport Waterfront district from 9AM to 3PM, on Beach Blvd. The Fresh Market showcases fresh produce, cheese, seafood, honey, nuts, baked goods, plants, art and crafts, and local entertainment. The Fresh Market is a year-round event.

Annual festivals include Get Rescued In Gulfport on the fourth Saturday of February, a charitable street festival featuring pet rescue organizations from throughout the region, vendors of pet products and demonstrations. SpringFest occurs on the fourth Saturday of March and involves a day devoted to local artists, crafters, live music and more. The July 4th Celebration includes a parade, vendors, live music and a fireworks production staged at Williams Pier on the waterfront. Gecko Fest happens on Saturday of each Labor Day weekend and is the largest street festival of the year, including street performers, live music on multiple stages, and food, art and craft vendors.

The Catherine A. Hickman Theater of Gulfport is located on Beach Blvd. at 26th Ave. South and is a venue for live theatrical performances. The nearby Gulfport Senior Center offers activities throughout the week for residents within and outside of the City.

The Gulfport Casino Ballroom, located on the waterfront, is one of the main event venues in the city. The Casino hosts dance events of Swing, Salsa, Argentine Tango, and Ballroom 5 days a week with a large turnout from all across the Tampa area. The venue also is available for rent to the public and popular for weddings, company parties and functions, and holiday parties. The ballroom features a 5000 square feet (464.5 m²) authentic 1930's style dance floor.

Adjacent to the Casino, Gulfport Beach offers an attractive swath of sand on Boca Ciega Bay for swimming, sunbathing and family gatherings. Beach pavilions, a bocce ball course, a playground, and jogging circle near the Recreation Center offer amenities for all ages. Teams assemble nearby for beach volleyball, while others enjoy picnics with tots on park swings.

Stetson University Law School

Stetson University Law School

Stetson University College of Law, founded in 1900, is Florida's first law school. Located in Gulfport, FL , it also has a campus in Tampa, FL. The law school occupies a historic 1920s resort hotel, the Rolyat...

, founded in 1900, is located in Gulfport (having moved there in 1954 from its original location in DeLand).

In 2011 Gulfport was named a finalist by Rand McNally

Rand McNally

Rand McNally is an American publisher of maps, atlases, textbooks, and globes for travel, reference, commercial, and educational uses. It also provides online consumer street maps and directions, as well as commercial transportation routing software and mileage data...

 for best food town in the U.S.^{http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/general/gulfport-is-rand-mcnally-finalist-for-one-of-americas-best-food-towns/1173879}

Geography

Gulfport is located at 27°45′2"N 82°42′31"W (27.750605, -82.708618).

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²). 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (26.30%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 12,527 people, 6,246 households, and 3,154 families residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 4,422.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,709.1/km²). There were 7,306 housing units at an average density of 2,579.1 per square mile (996.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.40% White, 7.06% African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander

Pacific Islander

Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...

, 0.78% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.47% of the population.

There were 6,246 households out of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.5% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.63.

In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,809, and the median income for a family was $37,016. Males had a median income of $25,756 versus $23,347 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $22,801. About 9.5% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Cable TV channel

GTV615 is the local Government-access television (GATV) cable TV channel for the City of Gulfport. The signal was moved to channel 615 on December 11, 2007 on Bright House Networks

Bright House Networks

Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...

. Residents however then had to rent an official cable box to watch the channel, which cost an extra dollar a month.

The channel includes city information, information relating to the city's trolley, a historical video of the city, city meetings, and Gulfport Little League games as well as additional programming.

Education

Public education is provided by Pinellas County Schools

Pinellas County Schools

Pinellas County Schools is a school district serving Pinellas County, Florida, USA and based in Largo.-Organization:Pinellas County Schools has about 102,000 students and more than 13,000 employees. Dixie M. Hollins was the county's first superintendent of schools...

. Gulfport has two public schools, Boca Ciega High School

Boca Ciega High School

Boca Ciega High School is an American four-year public high school in Gulfport, Florida, south of the St. Petersburg city line, and is part of the Pinellas County Schools district...

 and Gulfport Elementary School. The closest middle school to Gulfport is Thurgood Marshall Middle School, located in St. Petersburg. Gulfport Elementary School was the first Montessori

Montessori method

Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. Montessori education is practiced in an estimated 20,000 schools worldwide, serving children from birth to eighteen years old.-Overview:...

 school in Pinellas County.

Stetson University School of Law is also located in Gulfport.

Entertainment and arts

A trolley that had connected Gulfport to St. Pete Beach ended on September 30, 2011 when a PSTA/FDOT grant ran out of funds. The city is still a sleepy beach town but is gaining interest for its culinary and arts scene, and colorful ambience.

External links

• City of Gulfport official site
• Gulfport! Magazine informational site including online version.
• LocalShops1.com directory of local, independent businesses.
• Gulfport Police Department official site
• GulfportFlorida.us informational site
• Gulfport Merchants Association Official site with business and event listings and information for event vendors
• Tuesday Fresh Market informational site including information for vendors
• Art Walk informational site including information for vendors
• Get Rescued In Gulfport informational site about annual pet rescue festival
• Gulfport Chamber of Commerce official site
• Gulfport365 Daily photo story about the people and events of Gulfport
• Domain Home Accessories in Gulfport informational site for local gallery and gift shop
• THE GABBER, local weekly newspaper informational site including online version