Category: Florida Life

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Florida Life Things To Do

On The Road Again….

Not only a Willy Nelson song, but for someone who lives in South Florida it is a bit of a mantra.  There are always places to go and people to see.  If the “people” aren’t family or friends visiting your home in Miami, “people” are family or friends visiting somewhere in Florida close enough to justify a road trip.  In this case, it is my brother and his family coming to the west coast of Florida to visit his in-laws and escape an oncoming winter storm in the northeast.

Being in real estate and a spur-of-the-moment person, any excuse for a road trip is usually good enough for me.  All the stars aligned and I didn’t have showings for two whole days so late Friday I threw a bathing suit, pjs, running shoes, and a change of clothes into an overnight bag and headed for the west coast…of Florida that is.  Four and a half hours later I was driving over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge into Saint Petersburg, Florida.

 

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Florida Life

Beautiful Florida Keys

I had to drive down to Key West to show a property and took my cousin for a tour of the beautiful Florida Keys.  We think we might have spotted Santa enjoying his vacation.

Even Santa Vacations in the Florida Keys

 

Breathtaking Sunset - Rooftop Porch on Cudjoe Key

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Florida Life

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Frog

 

Too hot for snow men.  It is 78 degrees today in Miami!

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Florida Life Pinecrest Resources

Assistance For Aging Relatives

Like most friends and co-workers I know, I have been dealing with many older relatives and neighbors in the last couple of years.  Many of them are living independently, still driving, and have increasing health issues.  An article in Tuesday’s Miami Herald, Assessing an aging relative, made me think of how difficult it is to tell whether or not an older person is truly okay living on their own or whether or not they may need assistance.  The labyrinth of social and medical programs that are out there to help people age in their homes are confusing and hard to navigate.  Luckily, Nancy Stein, an adjunct professor at UM, found the same issues facing her in caring for her parents so she brought the information together on a website called Seniority Matters.

The Village of Pinecrest has made a concerted effort to provide programming for seniors at the parks and community center, has a quarterly Pinecrest Pioneers luncheon for residents over 80 years old, and, in recognition of how much history our seniors provide, has been recording their oral histories.  All of these local services and resources help our seniors remain involved in the community, live independently, and give all of us caregivers peace of mind and assistance when needed.

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Florida Life

Home.Com’s 10 Top Holiday Cities Only Include One City In Florida: Orlando

Home.com released their 10 Best Cities to spend the holidays and, not too surprising, only Orlando made the list for Florida and it came in at number 6.  The top city was New York, which I found ironic since so many New Yorkers are in Miami for the holidays!  Number 2 was Chicago, 3 San Antonio, 4 Washington DC, 5 Las Vegas, 7 Denver, 8 Baltimore, 9 New Orleans, and 10 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  The reason for the picks were because they were the most cheerful and festive.  Obviously it was not because of the weather.

Many Floridians love to leave Miami for the holidays since we don’t have a winter and it is hard to get into the “holiday spirit” when it is over 80 degrees and humid.  We are eagerly awaiting our cold front, expected to arrive on Saturday and drop temperatures from today’s 81 degrees down to a brisk 70, so we can whip out our jackets and boots.  On the other hand, many of the residents from the chilly cities on Home.com’s list want to spend their holidays in Miami.  It is so much easier to shovel sand than snow!

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Florida Life

Home.Com's 10 Top Holiday Cities Only Include One City In Florida: Orlando

Home.com released their 10 Best Cities to spend the holidays and, not too surprising, only Orlando made the list for Florida and it came in at number 6.  The top city was New York, which I found ironic since so many New Yorkers are in Miami for the holidays!  Number 2 was Chicago, 3 San Antonio, 4 Washington DC, 5 Las Vegas, 7 Denver, 8 Baltimore, 9 New Orleans, and 10 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  The reason for the picks were because they were the most cheerful and festive.  Obviously it was not because of the weather.

Many Floridians love to leave Miami for the holidays since we don’t have a winter and it is hard to get into the “holiday spirit” when it is over 80 degrees and humid.  We are eagerly awaiting our cold front, expected to arrive on Saturday and drop temperatures from today’s 81 degrees down to a brisk 70, so we can whip out our jackets and boots.  On the other hand, many of the residents from the chilly cities on Home.com’s list want to spend their holidays in Miami.  It is so much easier to shovel sand than snow!

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Things To Do

The 2012 Borscht Film Festival Starts Tomorrow

Art Week and Art Basel ended on Sunday so hopefully you have had enough time to rest and are ready for the Borscht Film Festival, which starts tomorrow.  This series of short movies, all filmed in Miami, will run through December 16 and are another example of the growing Miami cultural arts scene.

An article in this Sunday’s Miami Herald describes in detail the growing importance of the Borscht Film Festival in promoting Miami to filmmakers.

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Miami Beach Things To Do

Visiting Miami For Art Week? Check Out The James Royal Palm Hotel

Photo Courtesy of The James Royal Palm Hotel

The James Royal Palm Hotel is the perfect place to kick off  Miami Art Week 2012 before the opening with Art Miami on December 4.  The James Royal Palm not only features  “An Ocean Apart,” a carefully-curated art collection curated by Lauren Rottet, it also supports an Artist in Residence program for local emerging artists, and has a rich history.

Art@TheJames includes Alex Prager, Carrie Sieh, Gavin Perry, Gerry Stecca, Portia Munson, Stephanie Jaffe Werner and Troy Stanley.

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Florida Life Things To Do

Art Miami Starts In One Week, Kicking Off Art Week And Art Basel

Art Miami - Kicks Off Art Week

Art Miami, the original and longest running contemporary  art fair that kicks off art week and culminates with Art Basel Miami, starts in one week on December 4th.  This year Christie’s International Real Estate and a group of Christie’s global affiliates, including EWM are Art Miami 2012’s Exclusive Real Estate Sponsor.

Art Miami, located in trendy Midtown Miami, hosts 170 artists and galleries.


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Coconut Grove Coral Gables Florida Life Miami Beach Pinecrest Restaurants Things To Do

Best Sunday Brunch Spots In Miami

Biltmore Brunch

There are a lot of great breakfast spots in Miami, from Wagon’s West in Pinecrest;  Greenstreet and Peacock Garden Cafe in Coconut Grove,  and one of my favorites, The Big Pink on South of Fifth.  But for Sunday Brunch, I want something a little more extravagant.  Here are some of my top brunch spots from Coral Gables to Miami Beach:

  1. Biltmore Champagne Brunch Coral Gables – Whether you enter through the grandiose lobby or by their gorgeous pool, the setting for the Biltmore’s Sunday Brunch reminds me of the Great Gatsby era and I love the history of the place.
  2. Gibraltar at Grove Isle Coconut Grove – This restaurant has one of the most gorgeous views in Miami.
  3. The National Hotel Miami Beach – Though not as decadent on the food end as the others on this list, the fact that it is so reasonably priced and comes with complimentary access to the hotel’s beach and pool
  4. Terrazza at the Shore Club Miami Beach – the outside open porch over looking the pool is so relaxing.
  5. Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Setai Miami Beach – It is the Setai, need I say more?
  6. The Forge Miami Beach – Fresh, seasonal ingredients make for a varied menu and great food.

The SouthFloridaGourmet.com has a much more extensive list of  locales serving brunch in Miami