This park at Howard Ave. and Cherry Street is named for Peregrino Rey, Spanish immigrant who rose from cigar factory worker, to owner, to West Tampa city councilman, to mayor of West Tampa by 1909.  This park was dedicated to him in 1916.

Read about Peregrino Rey

Peregrino Rey in 1900

The mural below is in Rey Park; it depicts many of the buildings in West Tampa

In 1925 this building at Beech St. and Howard Ave. was the Cuesta Apartments, later known as "El Borden," a boarding house.  In the 1960s it was the Golden Nugget bar.  This photo, taken in 2004 shows when it was vacant. 

According to Cynthia Garcia Tamargo, in the 1950s it was the home of The Atlantic Restaurant run by her great uncle and aunt, Manuel & Ramona Garcia. Manuel's brother Emilio and his wife Catalina ran the dry cleaners next to the restaurant until their death.

This is now Baker's General Store, owned by Barbara Baker, a wonderful and energetic lady who is passionate about old West Tampa. A must see in West Tampa. It is a gift shop, with LOTS of different rooms of antiques, new and old nostalgia items, unique gifts and memorabilia. There is an old soda fountain and Victorian Room. They also have a small event hall, a doll hospital, and upstairs a little tea room, a beautiful secret garden and office space which they lease. Here is the link. If you go, make sure you allow plenty of time to see everything!

Same building in Jan. 2011