I have no trouble making waves now and again. That’s our right and privilege. But it always amazes me how people respond and what they respond to.

I recently developed a marketing piece aimed at people who live in Miami. It was short, but not sweet. It referenced all the problems everyone recognizes…the traffic congestion, crime rates, inadequate schools and unplanned urban sprawl. In short, it told the truth. It’s why this long-time Miami resident finally moved up and became a Jupiter Realtor/resident. Why so many people are moving north of the Broward County line. To the small-town ease and big city amenities of the Jupiter/Palm Beach Gardens area.

One response I got was particularly interesting. The woman called me four times. I think she had to work up the courage of her indignation. A self-appointed spokesperson for the Miami area, she was determined to let me know I had no right to malign her fair city. She didn’t deny what I said about it. But her anger was off the charts.

Now I ask you, is my opinion of Miami worth all that fuss.

Maybe, just maybe, if she’d come with me to the Green Market in downtown Abacoa on Saturday morning, she’d get it. That’s when a number of local organic farmers truck in the fruits of their labor. And if you haven’t been, you need to go.

Talk about fostering a real sense of community in the old-fashioned go-to-market kind of way! Everyone turns out for healthier produce, a chance to chat and mingle, to support local growers and enjoy fresh picked tastes no grocery store can offer.

There’s an info-byte for you. Emotional, physical and economic health all one tasty bit of green grocering. Who knew?

Anyone who knows Jupiter knows it’s a wonderful place to raise kids. Pretty much anywhere you go you see happy, active kids fully involved in and enjoying life… biking, skating, playing baseball, swimming, skate-boarding. So much so, I thought I’d seen it all. Then I ran across the Veggie Kids on my Saturday morning pilgrimage to the Abacoa Green Market!

 

The three oldest kids in the remarkable Shirley family— Renee 12, Josiah 10, and Katie 6 — grow and sell their own homegrown, remarkably oversized produce under the guidance of their father, Steve, an agronomist. The 7,000-square-foot garden they tend is on the family’s Jupiter Farms property. Not only do the kids produce seasonal produce (October till June)… tomatoes, eggplant, beans, squash, radishes, carrots, onions, potatoes, corn, broccoli, cauliflower and GIGANTIC cabbages… fresher and more luscious than any this blogger has yet seen. But they now also have fresh eggs year-round from 22 free-range chickens and a website filled with all sorts of smart saleables. These kids are single-handedly reviving the concept of cottage industry!

Clearly, at their house, kids rule. But don’t take my word for it. Visit their website at www.veggiekidsfarm.com and discover one more reason why buying a Jupiter home is ideal for any family who really wants to put down roots!

   

Tuscany is all about family

Picture it…a long table heaped with food, bottles of wine and la familia. That’s Under the Tuscan Sun. Under the Florida sun the picture is a bit different, but the net effect is the same.

Emphasis on family. A fneighborhood filled with Mediterranean-style homes, built safe and soundproof by DiVosta. Ranging in price from $275,000 or thereabouts (depending on today’s market) to about $650,000 … from townhouses to 5-bedroom single family in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Fresh wide streets lined with trees, front porches, bike lanes, friendly neighbors. Dads throwing baseballs, kids playing catch, mom’s walking dogs. Families headed toward the park, the clubhouse, the pool, the ice cream parlor in downtown Abacoa.

Now if all that sounds a bit more Pollyanna than Anna Maria, so be it. But the prevailing, overarching, unmistakable theme is still the same. When you talk about Tuscany, you talk about family. No better place to raise one than Tuscany at Abacoa in Jupiter, FL.

I’m a New Jersey girl. My sole experience with fish before I moved to Florida was ordering it Sunday morning at the local deli. But, when I moved to Miami and married an honest-to-Pete Floridian, I got a crash course in everything with gills.

Five years ago, we escaped to Jupiter. Two fugitives from congestion, urban sprawl, high crime rates. Moved into a townhouse on a lake, just across from where we were building our dream house.  We were home in Valencia at Abacoa.

Now, in those days, we still commuted daily to work down south. And they were long days we put in. So every night that first summer, when we got back home, we went out to the lake to unwind, kick back, fish for bass.

I learned to cast and I learned to jig. But most of all I learned to appreciate the consummate skill of my husband, the bass master. As this picture will attest, the lakes in Abacoa aren’t mere decoration.  They constitute an eco-system that makes fish stories like ours possible.

So how big was he? He was THAAAAAT big!

Some believe in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I believe in the rainbow itself. Particularly when it’s perched outside my window, overlooking palm trees and pool. It’s one of the perks of a Florida summer…the calm after the tropical storm. I believe a view like this is pure gold…and could make anyone a Florida convert. Complain about the humid summers all you like. But I’ll take all the sun-drenched rainbows and balmy Jupiter nights I can get! That’s my view. But then, I’m partial.

So there I am, standing in my flip-flops watering the lawn. And my cell phone rings. A convenience we’ve all come to take for granted. And who, pray tell, is on the other end but a prospective client in search of a house in my neighborhood…Valencia at Abacoa. Ordinarily, just another day at the office, another client call.

But this particular call was placed from my website to my phone with one mouse click. This particular client had Googled® me. Visited my site. Found the click phone conveniently placed throughout. And decided to try it out. A moment later we were connecting…on a range of topics from her home requirements to her arrival date in the States.

I’m not quite sure which of us was more shocked. The client at just how well that little gismo works. Or me, at what a convenient tool I’d installed.

Yup. You just gotta love technology.

It’s not just because it’s a glorious sunspot for boating, fishing, golfing or hitting the beach. It’s because it now offers a remarkable combination —a laid-back place to live, and a booming place to invest in Florida properties!

From Boca to Stuart and beyond, you’ll be seeing home prices start to rebound dramatically. The reason is simple. Northern Palm Beach County is beginning to enjoy the benefits of a growing biotechnology cluster focused on Scripps Florida… right here in Jupiter!

That’s right folks, if you own a Jupiter home, you’re at the very heart of what’s happening. There’s a significant amount of job-creation activity already. And the biotech corridor is going to continue to grow and create a real foundation of high-wage jobs north into St. Lucie County that is bound to enhance the long-term value of residential properties in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens.

So, if you need more incentive than this buyer’s market to invest… you have it. But you better get moving. The market is shifting all the time and you want to be in on the low end rather than upside down on a loan because you waited too long.

For the past two nights, the Maltz Theatre’s Conservatory for the Performing Arts (COPA) in Jupiter has performed J.M. Barrie’s classic children’s tale, Peter Pan. Ironically, this was a children’s tale performed by children to appeal to the child in all of us. This two-day production featured 82 kids who had attended a 3-week acting camp sponsored by COPA. And the play was their season’s denouement.The children were, of course, adorable. But what was so remarkable was the level of quality of the production, in view of the prep time and age levels involved. Naturally, the sets were utterly professional and completely delightful, as was the music. But so, too, were the casting, acting, choreography and direction.

Christina Reagan, a would-be thespian since the age of 5, played Peter with confidence, stage presence and a rather remarkable singing voice for an 11-year-old. She hit every note with skill few adults could match. Her archenemy, Captain Hook, played by Spencer Ballantyne, showcased his burgeoning talent with several singing numbers of his own. And Sydney Carbo, as Wendy, was a remarkably skilled young actress with a surprisingly mature singing voice. And the rest of the cast, ages 10-12, followed suite. Read the rest of this entry

There’s always something fun going on in Abacoa! Visit www.BristolManagement.com right now and see for yourself. And while you’re at it, sign up for The Battle of the Neighborhoods scheduled this weekend.  There’s a pep rally and baseball game at Roger Dean Stadium on May 31…followed by neighborhood competitions in golf, tennis and a 5K run on June 1, along with live entertainment. Now how’s that for community involvement! Isn’t this the kind of neighborhood spirit you’d enjoy. So if you live in Abacoa…don’t miss out. If you don’t…check it out. Jupiter is a great place to live. And Abacoa is one huge reason why.

In many parts of Florida, busy season ends with the flight of tourists and snowbirds. But Jupiter is a  ‘year-round town for most of its residents. And with summer comes a whole raft of new things to do. Why, the Jupiter Community Center Newsletter alone has a jam-packed schedule. You’ll find everything from sports for adults and camps for kids, to bridge games, shopping excursions, weekend getaways and casino night at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. There’s live theater, movies galore, outdoor dining, AAA baseball, bass fishing, surfboarding…the list goes on and on. In fact, you’ll find locations for all that and more right on my website. And while you’re there, check out what’s going on with Jupiter housing this summer. Whether it’s a gated community, condo, horse acre or a home in Abacoa…this summer is a great time to make your move. So come explore Life in Jupiter…where busy happens all year round!