Community Information

Halloween is just around the corner, and hordes of costume-clad kids will be hitting the streets in search of candy. Miami offers an array of Halloween activities for people of all ages — parties, haunted houses, costume contests, and special events. South Florida’s family-friendly neighborhoods also provide safe and festive spaces for trick-or-treating. Coral Gables and Palmetto Bay, in particular, are top trick-or-treating spots. Here’s why: Coral Gables From a kids point of view, Coral Gables is perfect for Trick-or-Treating. There are few oversized lots, which means more homes per block and therefore more candy. What’s more, certain areas are well known for handing out the best candy (don’t worry, I won’t spill the secret here. You’ll have to contact me). […]

It’s a fact: home renovations can be pricey. But, if you plan to spend seven or more years in your home, it is certainly worth the investment to ensure you get the wind mitigation discount on your insurance. It also can be worth it to summerify your home to both keep your ac from working on overdrive and keep your electric bills way down. But what about those of us that are not sure how long we’ll be in our home? Should we just soldier through higher insurance rates and bills from FP&L? Until recently, that’s what most people did. But then the Ygrene loan program came along. Distributed through the privately funded YgreneWorks program, this loan covers just about […]

If you’ve been around long enough, you probably call it Cutler Ridge or even just Perrine. And if you’ve been around for that long, you also probably remember that what is now Cutler Bay was one of the places that Hurricane Andrew hit the hardest. Because of this, Cutler Bay’s homes are some of the newest in Miami-Dade County. This means that they’re built to the latest codes and are best prepared to handle anything South Florida weather can throw at them. The city was officially established in 2005 with borders running from SW 184th Street (Eureka Dr.) east of U.S. 1 to the coast, and north of Black Point Marina. It’s one of the county’s most family-friendly cities with […]

I can’t speak for you, but this summer has felt like a scorcher to me. It just begs for an excuse to get out of the city, escape the heat, and head into the mountains. At the same time, I realize that doing so is a luxury that many never have the opportunity to do. This is exactly why I’m so proud to be so deeply invested (along with my family) in Big City Mountaineers. For more than 25 years, we have been involved with BCM, helping kids that have never had a chance to spend time in the wilderness, often that have never left the city where they were born, learn some important life skills and experience life outside […]

The summer is heating up, and the days are long and sticky. What can you do to escape the high temps and have some fun? Luckily, there are lots of great options in our area for July once the fireworks are gone. Coral Gables Miami Spa Month is actually two full months of self-love, starting July 1 and continuing through August 31. Treat yourself or a loved one to some deluxe downtime with signature spa services. Take advantage of special rates at luxurious Coral Gables spas and let your wallet benefit from some pampering, too. Two spas in Coral Gables are participating, The Biltmore Spa and Elemis Spa at Merrick Park. On July 22, experience Food Truck Invasion on Fourth […]

…. and where will you be celebrating America’s 240th Birthday? Join in the fun~ family~festivities around the Coral Gables & Palmetto Bay/Cutler Bay areas at any of these free events.   The Biltmore Hotel: Center Terrace The Biltmore Hotel Fireworks Spectacular is one of the most popular places to be this Independence day with over 10,000 guests expected to attend. Bring a blanket or folding chairs, a picnic basket and grab a front row seat on the beautiful lush, sprawling 18 hole Golf course and enjoy the show.  Refreshments are available for purchase.  All will remember this fireworks display to celebrate “America the beautiful”. The grounds are located at 1200 Anastasia Avenue Coral Gables, Florida If you’re looking to secure […]

You can always tell the first week after school lets out because it takes twenty minutes less to get anywhere. All kidding aside, just because the weather is heating up doesn’t mean that you can’t get out and enjoy everything that living in South Florida has to offer. And the best part is you don’t have to drive across the county to enjoy some of the best Miami has to offer. There are dozens of events this month in Palmetto Bay that are worth checking out. First, you can kick off the summer with a splash at the End of School Summer Splash at Coral Reef Park on June 9th. There will be water slides, games, music, water balloons and […]

June 1st marked the official start to Hurricane season. And, as we haven’t had a storm make landfall in Miami since 2005, I thought it was a good idea to give you a friendly reminder on how to prepare just in case 2016 is the year. Hurricane Preparedness Checklist: Before the Storm: Check Your Insurance There are two ways your home can get damaged when a storm hits: wind and water. Set a meeting with your insurance agent to go over the details of your policy. It’s a good idea to meet them as soon as possible: Flood Insurance policies normally have a 30-day waiting period to go into effect, so if you want to secure coverage for July, you […]