Great Deals In Florida’s Boca Grande

BOCA GRANDE – This town on Gasparilla Island, partly in Charlotte and partly in Lee County, is a happy little place devoid of the new money mansions that litter many once great Florida resort towns. Nevertheless, it isn’t backward, or frozen in time. The old Gasparilla Inn still rules the town.

There is nothing completely showy here, real estate wise; you will have to head up to Casey Key in Sarasota for that. Instead, there are some nice condos, great houses and lots of Northeastern bluebloods on golf carts.

Fun Real Estate in Hobe Sound

HOBE SOUND – What’s more fun than looking at a few $1 million plus houses in Hobe Sound and Jupiter, Florida? Below, a little Trulia Slideshow of the top listings in the area, which is in Martin County north of Palm Beach.

JW Marriott Miami Set for Boulud’s db Bistro

MIAMI, Feb. 25 – The JW Marriott Marquis Miami, set for mid-2010 opening, will be home to Florida’s first db Bistro Moderne. The concept French-American restaurant by Chef Daniel Boulud will be modeled after the New York City version.

“I am excited to announce the addition of db Bistro Moderne to our first-class hotel,” said Florencia Tabeni, General Manager of JW Marriott Marquis Miami, in a PR Newswire press release. Read more

Great Time For Sarasota Real Estate

This is a great time to look at Sarasota Real Estate under $200K. Some good stuff still out there.

Save the Kissimmee Kast Shuffleboard Courts

KISSIMMEE – In an unwise decision, civic leaders in this town are planning to demolish the town’s shuffleboard courts. They date from 1941 and are the Kast Shuffleboard Courts.

That news according to The Daily City blog. The blog has photos and a whole story on the issue. Read more

Save Silver Spring Movement Grows

OCALA – Citizens of this Florida town, home to Silver Springs, are banding together to help support the historic attraction.

The park is deteriorating, and locals feel that the management is letting it run down. Monkeys. Glass-bottom boats. Ross Allen milking rattlesnakes. Great old memories.

Sign up for their Facebook page at Save Silver Springs Now. The Facebook group talks about the issues, and what you can do.

Incredible Mr. Limpet at Weeki Wachee in 1964

Here, a fascinating video of the premiere of The Incredible Mr. Limpet, a part-animated movie about Weeki Wachee. It’s mermaids galore. The world’s first underwater premiere.

An Alternate Opinion on SeaWorld Death

ORLANDO – So today, we have a trainer who died at the hands of killer whale of stage-name Shamu, whose actual name is Tilikum aka Tilly.

There’s a reason why they call the breed a killer whale. Its because, well, they’ve got a bit of a streak in ‘em. They get that streak from being in the ocean, where they kind of rule the joint.

Apparently, Tilly was “was thrashing her around pretty good” and killed the trainer just before the start of a small-group public performance, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper said.

The Sentinel reported that SeaWorld President Dan Brown made a statement on the issue, saying that he had “initiated an investigation to determine, to the extent possible, what occurred.”

There will, of course, be an investigation. But looking back at the last time we were at the show, it was quite far from the quiet, respectful shows of old. The music was loud, deafening, almost angry. It was very tribal, with heavy bass. Creepy, in fact.

Believe, they said! They give the kid a necklace. Loud music. Screams. Bring the animal out! So loud music, a small, contained area, a large killer whale and age, and you have the recipe for a mess.

Frankly, we didn’t like it. And we can see while Tilly, who is getting old and crotchety, would not like it either. Sad to say that the trainer died.

Animals get bored. The animals get old. And these whales are wild. But the Shamu show, we think, had to play a part in it.

Love for some other thoughts on the issue.

Florida Classic: The Fountain in Orlando

ORLANDO – In our periodic search for classics of Florida design and excitement, the Fountain in Lake Eola is among the best loved. While it is out of commission, Disney and the city of Orlando are going to bring it back, reports Orlando’s TV 6.

“Fixing the fountain has proven to be a little more complicated than we thought,” Mayor Dyer said to TV 6 this week.

Jane Jacobs, the greatest writer of America’s cities, extolled the virtues of the fountain in the 1973 book The Exploding Metropolis. She cited in an essay in the book that is an example of how cities can use fountains to make their downtowns more people friendly. Writes Jacobs:

Even more spectacular is the fountain at Orlando.The idea for it occurred to several local business leaders who went to Washington, D.C. convention. They were staying at the Shoreham Hotel and were much impressed by the Shoreham’s fifty-foot illuminated spouts of water. Why not have one for Orlando. Read more

American Standards at The Colony’s Royal Room Cabaret

PALM BEACH – It’s one of the few places in the nation completely devoted to popular standards, namely The Royal Room at The Colony.

From January to April, the shows bring old school American popular standards singers to Palm Beach, in what has come to be a winter companion to Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency in New York. With a hip edge, it harkens back to the Sinatra era, but is much more satisfying than any slavish and trite tribute show because it is a totally modern and fresh interpretation of the genre. It’s also intimate, giving fans the opportunity to hear these vocalists in a setting where they do best. Read more

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