Spotlight on DeBary, Florida

The City of DeBary is known for its warm and friendly hometown atmosphere.   DeBary has thousands of oak trees, is a bird sanctuary, and has an extensive park system.

DeBary, Florida is located in Central Florida…not far from Orlando and just moments from the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors will find many parks, great restaurants, and charming shops in DeBary. Lakes, rivers, and wildlife abound in the area. Daytona Beach, famous for its sandy beaches and fun-filled ocean waves, is only about ½ hour away.

DeBary offers a diversity of lifestyles, which include upscale country clubs and championship golf courses, rural acreage with horses, and riverside homes.

Golfers across Central Florida were delighted when DeBary Golf & Country Club opened its doors in 1999. Legendary golf course architect, Lloyd Clifton, designed the beautiful 18-hole golf course. He created the 6,776 yard course to challenge expert golfers, while still allowing even beginner golfers the opportunity to play and enjoy the experience. In addition, Clifton designed the golf course at DeBary to model those courses in the Carolinas – a real thrill for area golfers.

Events held each year in the City include art festivals, holiday lighting festivals, a Christmas Lighting Display contest for residences, talent contests, patriotic celebrations, Halloween Haunted Hike, Christmas Parade, and performances by the Gateway Orchestra.

Ten parks are located in the City of DeBary.  The parks vary from neighborhood playgrounds and baseball parks to a large 108-acre park, which remains in its natural state.

DeBary is a community that emphasizes quality of life and quality of services.

DeBary stands out in terms of distinctive character, charm, and resources.  It is the ultimate in small-town living with friendly citizens, sunny climate, and an open-door City Council; a town that is progressive yet has retained its unique southern charm.  DeBary’s distinctive qualities motivate people and businesses to VISIT DeBary, to WORK in DeBary, and to LIVE in DeBary.

Spotlight on St. Pete Beach, Florida

St. Pete Beach is home of pristine white sand beaches, clear gulf waters, warm sunshine, and plenty of hospitality.

St. Pete Beach is located in Pinellas County on the west coast of Florida between the Gulf of Mexico on the west and Tampa Bay on the east.

The City of St. Pete Beach is a barrier island community located just off the Pinellas County mainland with a permanent population of about 10,032. The city is also a popular winter residence for many people living in other parts of the United States, Canada and Europe.

About 28 percent of the total residential dwelling units in the city are owned by people claiming the primary residence elsewhere.

The city was incorporated in 1957 with the consolidation of the Towns of Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated Pinellas County to become the City of St. Petersburg Beach. In 1994, the citizens voted to shorten the name to St. Pete Beach to lessen the confusion with the City of St. Petersburg, located on the mainland to the east.

St. Pete Beach is a significant tourist destination, having over 3,000 accommodation units, including major hotel and motel operations as well as many smaller, more intimate lodging facilities.

St. Pete Beach is a relaxing resort destination not far from major attractions.

For more information on real estate in the St. Petersburg area, please visit http://www.pinellashomesforsale.net/

Spotlight on the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival 2010

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious juried outdoor art festivals, consistently rated among the top shows by

Sunshine Artist and American Style magazines. Each year more than 350,000 visitors enjoy the show. This year about 1,200 artists from around the world applied for entry and an independent panel of judges selected 225 national and international artists to attend the show. The National Endowment for the Arts, The White House, Congress and many others have lauded the Festival for promoting art and art education in Central Florida. An all volunteer board of directors runs the annual Festival, now celebrating its 51st year.

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival was started by a handful of enthusiasts as a community project to benefit local artists and art lovers. The first festival was held on Park Avenue in March 1960. The festival featured original works of art and, after being advertised for just three weeks before the opening, drew 90 exhibiting artists. Over the next decade, the festival grew to over 600 artists and was spread out over Park Avenue from Fairbanks Avenue to Canton Avenue and on all cross streets. For the past 30 years or so, the festival has been contained solely in the park area and currently features 225 artists and 3 emerging artists. A loving art community has created and nurtured a successful festival that looks forward to another 50 years in Central Park.

ART CATEGORIES

There is a wide variety of outstanding artwork.  Categories include: Clay, Digital Art, Drawing and Graphics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, Metal, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Watercolor and Wood.

AWARDS

The artists compete for 62 awards totaling $67,500. Best of Show is $10,000. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Committee purchases the Best of Show art and donates it to the City of Winter Park. (All previous Best of Show winners are on permanent display at the Winter Park Public Library.) There are also 10 Awards of Excellence; each is $2,000. There are 20 Awards of Distinction; each is $1,000 and there are 30 Awards of Merit; each is $500. In addition, a $2,500 Award for a Distinguished Work of Art is presented through the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

The 51st Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival will feature entertainment on the Florida Family Insurance Stage and will include performances by jazz artist/original songwriter Peter White (Friday), soul-jazz flutist Althea Rene (Saturday), and smooth jazz guitarist Tim Bowman (Sunday). Entertainment presented by Florida Family Insurance, WFTV Channel 9, Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, and Smooth 103.1 WLOQ. All performances are on the Florida Family Insurance Stage, located in north Central Park.

WHERE

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival takes place in Central Park, along Park Avenue, in Winter Park, Florida.

WHEN

March 19, 20 & 21, 2010 Festival Hours: 9am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday.

Spotlight on Winter Park, Florida

Winter Park, Florida is a charming city, located five miles from Orlando. The city has strived to become the “Southeast’s Premier Urban Village,” and has been highly successful. This beautiful, temperate, affordable city is a wonderful place to work, play, and raise a family.

Wealthy New England industrialists founded Winter Park as a resort destination before the turn of the 20th century. It is recognized as the first centrally planned community in Florida.

Winter Park is celebrated for a sense of place and history, uncommon to many parts of Central Florida. Many structures are more than 100 years old. The scenic Olde Winter Park area is punctuated by small, winding brick streets, and a canopy of old Southern Live Oak and Camphor trees, draped with Spanish Moss.

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious juried outdoor art festivals, consistently rated among the top shows by Sunshine Artist and American Style magazines.

There are recreation activities for every interest. Lake Island Park is a 28-acre park with walking paths, sports programs, two soccer fields, and a playground. Winter Park Croquet Club is a very popular pastime. The Cady Way bike trail is a 3.7-mile path stretching between Winter Park and Orlando; this path is used for biking, walking, jogging, and skating. Mead Garden’s winding trails are a favorite with the locals. The trails wind through a tropical forest-like atmosphere filled with birds and plants from around the world.

The opportunities for dining and shopping are endless. For the freshest fruits and vegetables all year, the Winter Park Farmers’ Market can’t be beat. Downtown there are plenty of shopping opportunities; specialty boutiques sell everything from cards, to clothes and jewelry.

Winter Park is a charming community, and a wonderful place to raise a family. The city is able to maintain a small-town atmosphere, while having all the privileges of a big city at its fingertips. Although the city is growing, it remains affordable to most families. The American Dream is alive and well in Winter Park.

Spotlight on Bradenton, Florida

Bradenton is located on US 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The area is surrounded by waterways, both fresh and saltwater. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over 20 miles of Florida beaches – many which are shaded by Australian pines. Bordered on the north by the Manatee River, Bradenton is located on the mainland and is separated from the outer barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key by the Intracoastal Waterway.

Anna Maria Bayfront Park located on the north end of Anna Maria island is a park overlooking Tampa Bay. The business district and community of Bradenton Beach on the southern end of Anna Maria island is oriented toward vacationers who come to enjoy the surrounding beaches. Longboat Key, the next barrier island south, is popular with shell hunters along its beaches.

Downtown Bradenton is located on the west side of the city. Home to many of Bradenton’s offices and government buildings, it is a lively place with new buildings currently under construction. The tallest is the Bradenton Financial Center, 12 stories high, with its trademark blue-green windows.

The Eastern side of Bradenton is growing at a rapid rate. Initially starting as the popular subdivision Lakewood Ranch, it is now becoming a heavily populated part of town. Most of the communities are newer than in West Bradenton.

There’s plenty to do in Bradenton, making it a great spot to take a break from the beach. Visitors will find a vibrant downtown with restaurants, galleries and boutiques along with the South Florida Museum (home to Snooty, quite possibly the world’s most famous manatee) as well as a planetarium, science and natural history exhibits.

Spotlight on Tarpon Springs, Florida

The name of the city was inspired by the tarpon, a fish that inhabits the nearby waters. Although the details of how the name came to be are uncertain, several accounts attribute it to early settlers who arrived in the area in the 1860s and 1870s.

Sponges were discovered in the Florida Keys during the 1820s. A commercial sponging operation was founded there around 1849. Spongers came to the area to work the beds and some relocated to Tarpon Springs. By 1900 the City was considered the largest sponge port in the United States.

The internationally renowned Sponge Docks of Tarpon Springs is a traditional Greek sponge-fishing enclave that has grown into a tourist mecca.

Tarpon Springs is a historic small city of 23,000 with an unusual mix of Greek culture, and Victorian and Floridian architecture. Incorporated in 1887, it is the oldest city in Pinellas County, Florida. Located on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida, Tarpon Springs is north and west of the Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area.

The city is full of parks, bayous and brick streets, and boasts two distinct downtowns. The National Register of Historic Places lists downtown, which is a mix of antique shops, boutiques, galleries, and museums.

Called the Venice of the South, Tarpon Springs has been an arts destination since the early 1900s, when George Inness, the father of American landscape painting, made his home here; other artists, performers and arts enthusiasts soon followed.

Tarpon Springs is perhaps most famous for its 100-year-old annual Epiphany celebration, involving Greek Orthodox young men diving for a cross that’s thrown into Spring Bayou. Today the population is rapidly expanding; more and more businesses, families and retirees are discovering the magic of Tarpon Springs.

Spotlight on Ormond Beach, Florida

Ormond Beach is clearly one of the finest coastal communities in the State of Florida. Whether you are considering coming for a visit or relocating your company to our “sparkling city by the sea”, Ormond Beach is an excellent choice.

Families with children, young professionals, and retirees all find life in Ormond Beach very pleasant and rewarding. Ormond Beach was recently rated one of the top 100 cities to relocate by National Strategy Group.

Ormond Beach claims the highest standard of living in Volusia County, Florida. Originally established as a tourist haven for the rich and famous at the turn of the century, Ormond Beach continues to mature in a systematic manner consistent with its residential beauty.

Today, we find Ormond Beach as an attractive bedroom community with a clean light-industrial base and an effective education system producing award-winning results with the areas youth.

With three major medical centers in this area health care is second to none.

Quality of life in Ormond Beach also means a recreational paradise. With the near-perfect climate in Ormond Beach many residents and visitors take the opportunity to enjoy an assortment of outdoor activities. The Atlantic Ocean, the many rivers, state and local park system, a world class soccer complex, and golf courses galore, make recreational opportunities abundant. Ormond Beach also maintains a senior center complex to offer our senior population a special assortment of programs and activities designed specifically for our elder residents.