I am very pleased to announce the opening of our new storefront – www.propertiesandparadise.com – same domain, very different website. I have spent the past few months working diligently to create a user experience that will make the site not only helpful, but relevant. I want to be your source for not only Real Estate here in Miami Beach and surrounding areas, but what’s going on with the economy, the cultural activities, and all the other facets of this diverse area that prompted me to move here a decade ago, and loving life every day.

There are many great things to be said about Miami Beach – the Art Deco architecture, perfect weather, world-class beaches – but the honest truth why I moved to the area is pretty much because of the weather and fact it is such a global city, full of the urban characteristics that make a place such a lively place to be. I love that I can get some beach time early in the morning after a jog along the Beachwalk in South Beach; take in an afternoon Miami Heat game at AAA (American Airlines Arena) or Miami Dolphins game or Florida Marlins game at their new retractable roof stadium, go to dinner afterwards at one of the many amazing restaurants in South Beach or the Midtown area, and have drinks with friends at an outdoor bar somewhere in the Brickell Financial District.

I love that on any given day I must hear 5 different languages spoken and will no doubt meet someone from half way across the world. I love that I can pick up and drive 2 hours away and enjoy a weekend getaway in Naples or Marco Island Florida, or 4 hours to the South and change pace and enjoy a weekend retreat in Key West, or 4 hours to the North and hit up some theme parks in Orlando. Captiva and Sanibel Islands, Siesta Key, St. Augustine, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Everglades National Park, the Canaveral National Seashore are all within a half day car trip. Or maybe I grab my passport and hop on a boat and am in the Bahamas in a few hours.

And I can go scuba diving or snorkeling, boating whether it be by sail or by motor, fishing, insert any other water sport here. Or maybe take in a show at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Downtown, or a show at the New World Symphony in South Beach, or go shopping at Bal Harbour Shops, or see the Red Bull Flugtag in Bayside when it is there. I know this may sound like a commercial, but I swear to you…it’s not! It is the real reason I love this city and what it is I do. As a transplant from the Northeast United States, I can relate to those that have yearned to call somewhere exciting and unique home. Moving here is one thing, but still leaving my home in sandals and shorts on a day in early February with book in hand, sunglasses on and heading to the pool…I still get a smirk on my face and it has not once ‘gotten old’.

I could go on, but I think you get my point, and please understand this is just the introduction blog, a way to tell you a little bit about why I love it down here and setting the framework for posts that will cover various topics related to the area, relevant topics, interesting topics with both facts and my insight. I am looking forward to this particular method of interaction with the world…