Best Beach Towns / Florida Before Mickey / Happiest Cities

Published: Sat, 03/23/19

1. Two Florida beach towns made this year’s Southern Living list of The South’s Best Beach Towns. Destin came in at #2 on the list and Panama City Beach came in at #3. – Southern Living

2. In a few previous issues we’ve been talking about the bill passing through the Florida legislature to legalize smokeable marijuana. Well since our last update, that bill has fully passed and been signed into law by the governor, and this week a dispensary in Tallahassee became the first to sell smokeable medical marijuana in Florida. – Tallahassee Democrat

3. One thing that turns some prospective buyers off about Florida communities governed by an HOA is that most of them will not allow you to have a vegetable garden on your property. A new bill going up for vote soon in the Florida Senate would prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. What’s not clear to me is whether or not this measure would extend beyond local governments to Homeowners Associations. – Florida Realtors

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4. It might be hard for some Disney fans to believe, but theme parks were a big deal in Florida long before Mickey came to town. The Tampa Bay Times takes a look back at some now shuttered theme parks from Florida’s past. – Tampa Bay Times

5. According to a new study by WalletHub, Pembroke Pines (located in South Florida) is one of the happiest cities in the country. A number of other Florida cities also made the list. – Sun-Sentinel

6. Climate change and what effects that might have on our coastal communities is a hot topic these days, and a new institute at the University of Florida called The Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER) aims to help communities not only in Florida but across the world respond to environmental challenges by improving the way they plan, design and build the physical environment. – University of Florida

Freedom at San Salito is a 55+ neighborhood, located in St. Augustine, Florida that offers a low stress, low maintenance lifestyle. Located off State Road 16, residents will have easy access to a variety of public amenities. The community features include a gated entrance, private amenity center clubhouse and outdoor pool. Freedom at San Salito also has a part time Lifestyle Director who cultivates the ideal selection of clubs and events for homeowners.

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7. Key Biscayne recently topped a new list of Florida’s safest cities. The city of Port Orange where I grew up came in at #2. – SafeWise

8. Speaking of Key Biscayne, longtime readers may have seen me mention my love of tennis. If you happen to be a fan too you’re likely watching the Miami Open on TV this week, which, for the first time in its history is not taking place on Key Biscayne but at Hard Rock Stadium where the Miami Dolphins play. – Sun-Sentinel

9. It’s still a little chilly out but me predicts that warmer weather will be upon us soon. This week I came across a slideshow from Coastal Living with what they call the 10 Best Snorkeling Spots in the Florida Keys. I’m ready. – Coastal Living

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