TAMPA - Ybor City's Seventh Avenue is one of American's best streets based on its cigar-making history, community activism and architecture.

The American Planning Association today picked Seventh Avenue as one of the nation's 10 best streets, along with Washington Street in Boston, Broad Street in Philadelphia and South El Paso Street in El Paso, Texas.

There is no first- through 10th-place ranking of the winners.

"This really is great news for Ybor," said Brenda Thrower, an economic develop specialist at the Ybor Community Development Corp. "We're ecstatic."

Tony LaColla, a planner and president of the Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association, submitted the 30-page contest application about six months ago. The American Planning Association is a trade organization of planners and architects based in Washington.

LaColla said Seventh Avenue was the epicenter of the region's immigrant community and, to some degree, afforded safe haven from the Jim Crow laws elsewhere in the city that barred blacks from white-owned restaurants and shops.

Also, its cigar factories fueled Tampa's economy. "The cigar-making industry really put Tampa on the map," he said.

Robert B. Hunter, executive director of the city-county planning commission and president of the American Planning Association, didn't know LaColla had applied for the designation until three weeks ago when the avenue was listed as a finalist.

"I didn't want anyone to think he had any influence in this," said LaColla, adding that the award can be used to promote economic development and tourism to Tampa.

An award ceremony is set for 2 p.m. Nov. 12 in Ybor. The exact location is to be determined.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633 rshopes@tampatrib.com