J’Yah Marshall first saw the downtown high-rise apartment in 2017 while driving into Tampa for a job interview with ReliaQuest. When he got the job, the Jacksonville native remembers thinking, “I know where I want to live.”
Downtown Tampa was a quieter place back then and Water Street was little more than a blueprint. But Marshall, now 29 and a ReliaQuest senior technical product marketing manager, can’t imagine moving out of the tower that stood out in a much emptier skyline as he first drove down Interstate 275.
“I have restaurants where I live. I have restaurants where I work. There are so many opportunities to be social,” Marshall says. It’s a far cry from Jacksonville, where locals joke that “everything is 30 minutes away.”
From the top floor of ReliaQuest’s Water Street headquarters, he can watch giant cargo and cruise ships coming in and out of Port Tampa Bay. His view overlooks Sparkman Wharf, an outdoor restaurant and entertainment center.
A car buff with a customized 2020 Mercedes C Class, Marshall prefers to make his 1-mile daily commute on an electric scooter. There’s a Publix across the street where he can grab a quick bite or pick up groceries. Live music and artists often showcase their work as he walks around town.
All of those features help ReliaQuest with recruiting and team building, Marshall says. He enjoys showing the area off to clients, prospects and new employees. It’s a relatively young staff, and convenience is something that makes life less stressful. “I live in such a diverse, bustling city,” he says. “These types of things broaden your horizons and they’re right there when I walk outside.”