When Dr. Robert Andrews first proposed that a series of historically accurate, educational murals be painted on downtown buildings in Punta Gorda, Florida, some residents opposed the idea, insisting the murals would be nothing more than “graffiti.” Business leaders, on the other hand, loved the idea. They formed the Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society (PGHMS) in 1994 and successfully lobbied the City Council for permission to paint the first one on a large blank wall of a former shopping center located on U.S. 41 Northbound. Once the first mural was completed, others quickly followed, and residents who had initially opposed the idea began taking guests around town, proudly showing off the works of art.

Cattle Drive Down Marion Ave, 1903

Over the next ten years, more than 90 murals were painted at 20 different sites. Then disaster struck. On Friday, August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley roared onshore at Punta Gorda as a category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 145 miles per hour (to get a sense of the destruction, check out this post on the TampaBay.com blog; click on each photo to see the same scene, as it looked immediately following the hurricane). In one short hour, 11,000 of the city’s 16,000 homes were totally destroyed, along with six schools and six fire stations. About 300 businesses were leveled. And half of the mural sites were gone.

FEMA Photo

Five years later, the occasional vacant lot is still visible, but buildings that were damaged beyond repair have been torn down and debris has been carted away. In their place, new facilities have sprouted. Downtown has colorful new shops, luxury hotels, and a new convention center. Schools and fire stations were rebuilt with state-of-the-art facilities. The murals, too, are slowly being recreated. Read the rest of this entry »

The meaning of the term “skyscraper” has changed dramatically over the centuries. Originally a nautical term referring to a tall mast or main sail on a sailing ship, the word was first used to describe buildings when the ten-story steel-framed Home Insurance Building was constructed in Chicago in 1885. Although later demolished, the structure forever marked Chicago as the birthplace of the skyscraper. Chicago today has an unrivaled collection of skyscrapers that makes the city a premiere destination in the world for the study of architecture.

Chicago Model City display in the lobby of the Architecture Foundation documents the history of architecture in the city

Chief among the city’s spectacular skyscrapers is the Chicago Board of Trade Building, which anchors the southern end of the downtown financial district on LaSalle Street and is the world’s oldest futures and options exchange. Built to provide a centralized location where buyers and sellers could meet, negotiate, and enter into contracts to buy and sell commodities produced in the Midwest, farmers flocked to the CBOT with samples of their wheat, corn, and soybean crops. Over time, the function of the exchange evolved into one of buying and selling forward contracts for commodities. Today, more than 50 different options and futures contracts are traded by over 3,600 CBOT members through open outcry and eTrading from the floor of the open exchange.

Art deco designed Chicago Board of Trade Building anchors the south end of the LaSalle Street financial district

Growing up in Chicago, I had always wanted to tour the Board of Trade building and watch the commodity traders in the “pit” but, like most locals who never visit the attractions in their own back yard, I just never got around to it. I moved away and forgot about CBOT until recently, when I returned to the city for a conference scheduled to be held in the Loop. In years past, anyone could visit the Chicago Board of Trade, but since 9/11, security concerns have necessitated limiting access to the facility. Fortunately, tours are still available through the Chicago Architecture Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design. The CBOT is one of 16 “Lunchtime Tours” of historic buildings available through the Foundation. In this instance, the timing was perfect; not only would I learn the history of the skyscraper and see its unique architectural details up close, at the conclusion of the tour I would have an opportunity to witness live commodities trading in the pit from an overhead observation gallery.

I arrived early and strolled around the massive granite tower to kill time. Courtyards on two sides of the building provided seating for harried traders clad in the bright blue, red, or gold jackets of their particular brokerage houses. They rushed in and out of revolving doors for quick breaks, gulping coffee while talking on cell phones and puffing furiously on cigarettes, generating a billowing cloud of smoke. Wading through the billowing smoke, I was reminded that not so long ago I was living the same kind of harried and stressed-out life and I gave silent thanks that this part of my life is over. Read the rest of this entry »

Exquisite lobby of Chicago's Palmer House

The seeds of my love affair with Chicago’s Palmer House were sown back in 1969. An anxious and giddy teenager, I was thrilled that the famous hotel had been chosen for my senior prom. I vividly recall stepping into the opulent lobby, with its Tiffany 24-karat gold chandeliers, majestic “Winged Angels” (the largest bronze statues ever made by Tiffany), and its magnificent domed ceiling painted with Grecian frescoes. I was the ugly duckling, suddenly become a lovely swan. I was Cinderella. My handsome, tux-clad prince offered his arm as we promenaded through the glittering lobby and up the staircase to the ballroom, where we danced the night away.

Although I no longer live in Chicago, I recently attended a conference in the Loop and spent a few extra days in the city. Memories came flooding back one afternoon when I turned a corner and found myself in front of the Palmer House. I stood on the sidewalk, debating whether or not to go inside. Perhaps it would be best to remember it the way it was on that fairy-tale night. But the temptation to revisit my past was too strong; I stepped through the front entrance and mounted the stairs to the lobby. And just like that I was 17 again, rendered speechless by the exquisite surroundings.

Italian Village Restaurant, downtown Chicago

From the moment I began my six hour walking tour of downtown Chicago last Saturday, I had dinner on my mind. I planned to end my day at the Italian Village Restaurant on Monroe Street between State and Dearborn where, in 1927, Alfredo Capitanini, an Italian immigrant who never worked in any restaurant before coming to the United States, began serving up spaghetti and meatballs for 40 cents.

Capitanini’s philosophy was uncomplicated: make good, simple food, serve it in ample portions, and offer it with warm Italian courtesy. A few things have changed over the years. Although the Italian Village is still located in the same place, it now houses three different dining venues: The Village occupies the entire second floor, while La Cantina and Vivere share the ground floor. Vivere boasts the most celebrated wine list in the Midwest and the restaurants have collected numerous awards and accolades over the years. In addition to being included on Wine Spectator’s list of “America’s 10 Best Italian Restaurants,” the restaurant earns the City Search designation of “Most Romantic” and “Best Italian Food” restaurant.

My meal was excellent, the service was impeccable, and the price was reasonable, but none of these were my reasons for choosing to dine at the Italian Village. My reasons were purely sentimental. You see, my father proposed Read the rest of this entry »

Environmentalists constantly charge that development has deprived plants and animals of their natural habitat. While I would normally agree, a few thing have happened over the past few weeks that make me wonder whether this is true, or if plants and animals are adapting just fine to cityscapes.

Last week, I was walking along Main Street in downtown Sarasota. It was early evening, perhaps 7 p.m., and still light. As I passed the building housing the offices of First Baptist Church, I glanced down at the sidewalk. Lying on the concrete, at the junction where the church building butted up against the locksmith shop, was a length of rubber tubing. I took a few more steps before it registered. “What on earth was that?” I wondered aloud. I backed up and bent down for a second look. Just a two-foot length of black rubber hose, sticking out of a hole in the mortar between the buildings. Then it moved. Slowly it backed away from me, sliding back into the circular hole a few inches. Thinking I was imagining things, I inched closer, cautiously. Again the snake retreated, this time until only its head was visible at the entrance of the hole. I blinked and it was gone. I have no idea what type of snake it was; I was so astounded to see it in the midst of an urban environment that I never thought to identify it.

Night Blooming Cereus flowers adorn the scraggly cactus just one night each year. Photo courtesy of http://skiplombardi.org.

Later that same night, I was leaving my favorite coffee shop following a performance by guitarist/vocalist Michael Miller, when his wife, Laura, told me about the Night Blooming Cereus, a cactus flower that only opens after dark, and only blooms for a single night each year. This being the long-awaited night, I drove to the Towles Court neighborhood in search of the elusive flower. As Laura had promised, it was a Read the rest of this entry »

If the old wife’s tale is true – that an apple a day keeps the doctor away – folks in Hendersonville, North Carolina should be the healthiest in the state. North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina. This was news to me. Although I lived in North Carolina for years and had passed through Hendersonville on occasion, I was unaware that apples were such an important part of the economy.

Downtown Hendersonville's cute Main Street

I am here quite by accident. Keeping my NC real estate license on active status requires me to take eight hours of continuing education each year. I chose to attend classes in Hendersonville because it is a day’s drive from Sarasota, Florida.

Giant apple decorates sidewalk in front of Hendersn County Courthouse

The classes were painful – eight hours trapped in a conference room with a hundred other agents who didn’t want to be there either – but once the disagreeable deed was done, I regained my sanity by investigating this lovely town, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area at the southern end of the Smoky Mountains.

Shaking off the drudgery of the classes, I strolled the length of Hendersonville’s historic Main Street, enjoying this charming downtown that wanders up and down gently rolling hills, with views to the not-too-distant mountains. At the Henderson County Courthouse I paused to examine the curious giant hand-painted apple on the sidewalk. Soon I realized that these apple sculptures were scattered throughout downtown. This program of public art on display, appropriately named “A Slice of Hendersonville,” showcases apples decorated with images of bluegrass musicians, mountains, valley orchards, sheet music, maps, and even a scene from “Alice In Wonderland.” The local goldsmith Read the rest of this entry »

Once I made the decision to retire from real estate and leave the Outer Banks of North Carolina, it remained to decide where I would relocate. I made a list of the things that were important to me:

• Warm year-round climate
• Location on or near the ocean
• Access to cultural amenities
• Safe environment, low crime rate
• A thriving downtown with viable housing options
• Access to vegetarian restaurants and organic markets
• Availability of yoga and meditation
• Nearby airport

For two years I traveled the east coast of the U.S. visiting every coastal community south of the Outer Banks, searching for my perfect place. Eventually, I settled on Sarasota. A few other places made my short list, but in the end, it was Sarasota’s downtown that won me over. I love the fact that it is what I call a “local” downtown; it is not focused solely on tourism, as it offers businesses and services that the locals require. I am impressed that Main Street is home to a hardware store, dry cleaner, shoe repair shop, and tailors. I adore the fact that I can walk to two grocery stores (one of them a Whole Foods Market in the center of downtown), performing arts centers, museums, a major library, several theaters, a 20-plex cinema, a dozen or more banks, and art galleries galore. It delights me that Sarasota’s downtown has a tremendous variety of restaurants, many of which offer street-side dining that allows me to enjoy a leisurely meal while I watch the endless stream of pedestrians passing my table. I am enchanted by the funkiness Read the rest of this entry »

On New Years Day, my friends Patti and Tom treated me to a visit to the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. This aquarium, which is the world’s largest, has brought more than six million people downtown since its opening in 2005. Built on what had been a long-empty parcel of land in a neglected end of downtown, the aquarium became a catalyst for economic growth in Atlanta’s city center. Since its opening, the downtown has seen an explosion of development, including high rise condominium towers, new shops and restaurants, and gleaming new office towers. Some 75 additional mixed use projects are slated to be completed in Atlanta’s central business district by 2010 and employers are returning to the downtown every day. It is such an impressive, jaw-dropping facility that I just had to share some photos of it:

After visiting the touch pools, where I touched a shark, we walked through the River Scout Gallery. This area of the aquarium focuses on riverine environments and the exhibit simulates being under a river, looking up. It was a bizarre experience to be surrounded by water, with giant longnose gar fish swimming over my head: Read the rest of this entry »

I smile a lot these days. I wake up each morning with a smile on my face. I can’t wait to discover what the day has in store for me. As I go through the day I smile at everyone I meet and I find it’s infectious – even people who are seemingly having a bad day will smile and nod when I greet them with a big, sappy grin and say hello. I find I am surrounded by happy people and I thought I’d share with you some of the smiles I’ve captured as well as some of the things that made me smile.

Each Saturday morning I hike up to the downtown Farmer’s Market for my fresh organic fruit and veggies, olive oil, nuts, cheeses and fresh bread. I arrived this morning to find not only the Market, but also the entire length of Main Street blocked off for an Art Fair. Here are a few of the things that were making people smile:

Beignets, funnel cakes and French apple pie

Kettle Corn

Music

These giant fiberglass critters had the most amazing effect on people. I stood for about 20 minutes and watched as people came around the corner and were confronted by these behemoths. Every single person got a big grin on their face the moment they saw them:

Giant fiberglass critters were good for a smile

This guy got a big kick out of a giant frog

Last week on one of my walks I happened on a little park, tucked away in a corner of downtown. Bright blue benches, planters filled with blooming plants and more of Sarasota’s ubiquitous clown statues were backed by the most fanciful fountain I have ever seen:

Clowns gaze over the fanciful Pineapple Avenue fountain

Another clown statue, looking toward downtown Sarasota

The backdrop of the fountain

A detail of one of the many enamel insets of the fountain

These enamel inlays weren’t only on the fountain – they were all over the sidewalk as well! I really think they let children design this park – you can’t help but smile when you look at some of the sidewalk blurbs. I have no idea what they mean, I only know that they tickled me.

In the velvet black of night, Farthing slid to his beloved

Guided by a single star, the elegant swimmer entered the Gulf

Though very wise, the Eldersnails were not known for their excess humor...What fun!

And one final photo – every Monday evening I go to the Historic Asolo Theater at the Ringling Museum of Art to see screenings of historic films. This theater was built in 1798 to honor the legendary Catherine Cornaro, who was the bride of James II, the King of Cyprus in the 15th century. It was a popular venue, hosting some of the greatest theatrical performers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, until it was dismantled by the Fascist regime in Italy in the 1930′s. A Venetian collector/dealer, Adolph Loewi, purchased the theater and stored it in his personal collection until, in 1952, the Ringling Museum purchased the theater, brought it to Sarasota, and restored it to its former glory. The theater is exquisite in its design and detail and you can’t help but be awed by it. While not “technically” making people smile, it does indeed inspire:

Historic Asolo Theater at the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art

Hope you enjoyed the smile tour – and that it made you smile, too! Keep reading folks, because I’ve just finalized my round-the-world itinerary and am anxiously awaiting my visas from a few countries. I’ll be spilling the beans about my six month trip in the next couple of days, so be sure to tune in soon. I’m getting excited now!