by Jenn Heller

A lighthouse tower is meant to serve as a location beacon for those navigating the waterways. Given that we live among a multitude of waterways in Northeast Florida, we are gifted with many lighthouses to serve our maritime pilots as well as provide historic background to tourists and locals alike.

As a former New Yorker from Long Island I had visited Montauk Point with my family more times than I can count on both hands and was always fascinated by the Montauk Point lighthouse. In fact, the day after prom in 1986 (yes, I'm dating myself) I chose to drive out to Montauk from my Brentwood, Long Island home to visit the one place that brought me such peace and perspective in life. No, I wasn't much of the "party animal" on prom weekend…

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By Lyn Gabrielsen

I first tasted a Bees Knees on Thursday, March 12, 2020, the sad day we canceled THE PLAYERS Championship. My husband, Jimmy, and I left TPC and headed to Valley Smoke for dinner.  I love gin, and I love honey, so when the drink arrived with one of those big, fat ice cubes with a fancy lemon twist, I was in heaven. But, as we all know, I was not to taste a Bee’s Knees for many months, and boring red wine became my choice of beverage as my waist will testify.

restaurant medure

Fast forward a year….back at the bar at Valley Smoke.  “A Bee’s Knees, please.” It was just as I remembered.  Perfect. 

Because I’m a nerd and have lots of free time, I decided to research my resurrected, favorite cocktail. 

The Bee’s Knees was a Prohibition…

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By Gwinn Volen

We are six months into 2021. Unless you just don't pay attention to the news, the real estate market in Northeast Florida and across the US is on fire. Buyers and buying agents are exhausted, and here is why.

Inventory remains impossibly low in all beach areas. If we look at the last six months compared to 2020, housing supply is down 44-77% depending on which beach community you analyze.  Nocatee has the lowest inventory levels and is down a whopping 77% from last year, while Neptune Beach is down 44%.

Economics 101 Applies to Real Estate

With that decreasing supply and continued high demand equals, we have, you guessed it, increasing competition and rising prices.  

In looking at the median home sale price over the last six…

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by Jenn Heller

June 5 is National Trail Day, a day of service and advocacy for hometown trails! Did you know that there are many "hidden gem" trails in our area? Nature seekers love the thrill, peace and beauty of a hike with scenic views along the waterways and marshes offered in the Ponte Vedra Beach, Intracoastal and Marsh areas that provide the majestic landscape of our area. But incredible hiking areas extend out to the western parts of Jacksonville too, so many are willing to hop in the car and explore all that the surrounding area has to offer. Whether it's your first or one-hundredth hike, there's undoubtedly something new to see along the trails of Jacksonville and the coast. Lace up your favorite hiking shoes and plan to explore the trails of…

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The Cultural Corridor in Atlantic Beach

Have you been to The Cultural Corridor in Atlantic Beach? If you are in Ponte Vedra Beach there’s a good chance you haven’t ventured out to Atlantic Beach and seen this fantastic corridor dedicated to building a space for both culinary arts and creativity on A1A. What’s it all about? The Cultural Corridor is the intersection between community and creativity where individuals, groups and families can connect through local events, entrepreneurship and sustainability. Specifically The Cultural Corridor operates as a 501(c)3 driven to be the catalyst between community and creativity both in Atlantic Beach and Northeast Florida. Every Saturday from 11AM – 3PM you will find a diverse and eclectic selection of local…

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by Ashton Monk,

The Jacksonville area has its fair share of wonderful golf culture and courses. With THE PLAYERS Championship held every year in Ponte Vedra Beach and the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, the area is a hub for golf enthusiasts from all around the world. However, the prices to play the courses in TPC Sawgrass or World Golf Village can be quite steep. For many younger golfers who cannot afford to shell out triple digits on a weekend round, it can be hard to experience the great golf in the area. However, I have mastered the art of finding golf rounds for an affordable price for these golfers. 

golf course

Finding the Right Course

The first and most important step to getting a round that your wallet will thank you for is finding…

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by Gwinn Volen

So, you are moving to Ponte Vedra Beach or Nocatee and can't find the right house to purchase? Or maybe you want to get a feel for the area before committing to purchase? The schools, the taxes, the weather....all of these things are drawing you to the area. A rental will be a quick and easy solution right? Hmmmm.....

We are fielding several calls each week from people relocating and looking for rentals, both short-term and long-term, while they figure out about what they'd like to purchase. Keep in mind, there is a great deal of competition in the rental market, just as in the traditional real estate market. If you find something that you like or even half way decent, snap it up! We also recommend calling the main rental agencies…

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By Anna Grace Keller

Service over self. This is a phrase I honestly never heard much before this school year, where I started exploring the possibility of furthering my academics through ROTC in college, which is a program that places service in high regard. Being native Ponte Vedrans and parishioners at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, my family has always emphasized the importance of community service from both a religious sense and as just a way to give back to the community that we have grown up in. One thing I always admired about my parents is that they would just randomly sign us up to do acts of service around the Jacksonville area as a family, whether it be making and serving dinner at the St. Francis House or beautifying the yard of…

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by Jenn Heller

In a world full of playgrounds for kids to let off steam, it's fun to see more options of playgrounds for dogs popping up all over town where dog mom's and dad's can now bring their four legged kids to escape the couch, unleash some energy and have the "ultimutt" fun.  Each one offers something paw-sitively unique to the other so whatever you're looking for in your dog park experience, there's one out there for you.  Has your dog been going through a rough pooch lately? Why not raise the woof to these awesome dog parks around town and find out what's in store.  Get ready to have a howling good time you will never fur-get and have a fur-bulous day (or night) out on the town at one of these options!

brewhound dog park

BrewHound Dog Park + Bar

…

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By Karen Tyrrell

We've covered a lot in this journey so far, including preparing to bid the job, hiring a designer and landscape design.  Now it has been approximately 6 months since framing started on our home and boy are we in the thick of it.  My head is still spinning with choices and there seems to be no end to this adventure, yet I know in reality there will be (hopefully the end is June 1).  And while there have been several huge decisions made, sometimes it’s the little things that creep up on us and make us the most stressed out in this whole “custom home building” process.  Let's dive into those little things, shall we? (I won’t belabor any of these topics too much because I could go on for days about every one of them and how nuts they all…

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