South Beach Entertainment

Port St Lucie Day Trip to South Beach

As the melting pot of many cultures that have called Florida home, the immigrants from Cuba and Caribbean have created what is known as the Florida cuisine over the years. From this group, the Cuban community has had the most influence in Florida cuisine, followed by other Caribbean’s immigrants from Nassau and Jamaica. Dining in one of these ethnic restaurants is a must when you visit our bountiful state.

From the climate to local fruits and vegetables, stone crabs and lobsters in Florida and specifically South Florida offer all ingredients necessary to create mouthwatering dishes that set them apart from other tourist destinations. Small mom and pop and landmark Cuban restaurants in Calle Ocho (Eight Street) in Miami or the one and only Joe’s Stone Crab offer gastronomical experiences that could not be matched anywhere in the world. Joe’s Stone Crab was established over eighty years ago in Miami Beach and today by far is the most landmark restaurant in Florida if not the nation.

For Cuban food, you can find a restaurant in almost any neighborhood but while in South Beach, the Puerto Sagua is perhaps the best choice but if you are trying to impress someone or love busy places then Lario’s on the Beach is a place for you. Latin Superstar Gloria Stephan and her Emmy Award winner husband Emilio own the Cardozo Hotel that houses the restaurant.

For casual dining and especially breakfast do not miss News Cafe South Beach, the home of beautiful people. News Cafe was established in the late 80’s primarily to serve the models, their admirers, and the camera crew, which eventually became a great place to relax and watch people from your sidewalk table for locals and visitors alike.

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Miami Road Trip

by Hamid Hakimi | Explore Florida

Miami Road Trip

Miami in One Day!

Miami is what an ideal tourist destination vacation should look like, a gateway to South America, South Beach or SOBE next door and the Everglades or the Florida Keys a stone throw away. One can spend days to visit Miami and the surrounding area attractions. Extend your vacation and take a vacation from your vacation. Hop on a cruise to many destinations right from the Port Of Miami.

A list of places to see in a day is vast and diversified as the landscape of ethnic groups and nationalities that have called “The Magic City” home. That said, we have decided to let you pick from our menu of fabulous destinations in Miami and set your itinerary based on your time available and preferences.

Before Miami became the home to the world-renowned Miami Heat Basketball Team was known for its Little Havana and Cuban food, and that is something you can’t afford to miss, we recommend Versailles Restaurant or Bayside Marketplace in downtown Miami for a great time shopping, dining, and entertainment. If you are into nature or theme parks how about checking out one of these

Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne, (305) 361-5705

Jungle Island in Miami (305) 400-700

Gator Park, Miami (305) 559-2255

Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, Miami (305) 751-9840

As expected in a multicultural city, the Museums in Miami are also said to be different as well and the list below is a sample of that:

Miami Museum of Science – (305) 646-4200

Vizcaya Museum and Garden, Miami- (305) 250-9133

Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami Beach-(305) 672-5044

World Erotica Art Museum, Miami- (305) 532-9336

History Miami, Miami-Dade Cultural Center– (305) 375-1492

Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach- (305) 673-7530

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Florida Best Campgrounds and RV Parks

by Hamid Hakimi | Explore Florida

Florida Best Campgrounds and RV Parks

Florida’s Best Campgrounds, RV Parks, Beach Camping, and Tent Camping

With 160 state parks that cover 700,000 acres, Florida is the only state to win the Gold Medal twice honoring its state park system. From swamplands of the Everglades to white sandy beaches of Gulf Island National Seashores in Fort Pickens the variety of landscapes available for RV and camping enthusiasts, makes competing with Florida rather difficult for other states known for their campgrounds.

The task of arranging a list of the top ten best campgrounds in Florida is proven to be as enormous as the parks themselves. The types of the campgrounds vary from full-service natural preserves to beachfront parks to primitive or in other words tent-camping. The parks are all complemented by the long list of the activities that would please any discriminating taste. Florida State Parks offer the most affordable camping experience showcasing outdoor activities such as Swimming, paddling, diving, fishing, hiking, biking, bird watching, and ranger-guided tours make the parks superior compared to amenities that are available in other states.

The following list is the result of our attempts to compile a list of the campground and parks that no one should want to miss visiting them while in Florida. This list is an arbitrary combination of our picks as Florida natives but by no means a complete list:

1) Everglades National Park, Miami- FL

2) Bahia Honda, Big Pine Key- The Florida Keys

3) Jupiter Springs, Silver Springs- FL

4) Navarre Beach Campground, Navarre Beach- FL

5) Fort Desoto State Park, Tampa- FL

6) Walt Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, Lake Buena Vista- FL

7) Cayo Costa State Park, North Fort Meyers, FL

8) Anastasia State park, St. Augustine- FL

9) T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, St. Joe- FL

10) John Pennekamp Coral reef State Park, Key Largo- FL

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Deerfield Beach Florida Beaches

by Hamid Hakimi | Explore Florida

Deerfield Beach Florida Beaches

Deerfield Beach Florida

Deerfield Beach Florida is a unique South Florida beach offers a mile long walkway along the beach. A great stroll to exercise along the beach or a fun family outing taking in the beautiful scenery. The Beach has a fishing pier, restaurant, and large rocks on the beach off from Hillsboro Blvd. Small town community atmosphere with all the amenities close-by including shopping, restaurants, hotels, and fishing. Small town resort with plenty of things to do including shopping in Town Center Boca or the Galleria in Fort Lauderdale. Pompano Beach has deep sea fishing and boat rentals for spectacular fishing trips

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Day Trip to Broward County FL

by Hamid Hakimi | Explore Florida

Day Trip to Broward County FL

Broward County Florida Road Trips

Discover Broward County one of the best Florida Road Trips! Broward County is one of three counties that comprise the South Florida metropolitan area. South Florida is comprised of three counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach which are populated in the same order. The 2008 estimate puts Broward at a population of 1,766,476 and number sixteen in the US as far as the number of population is concerned.

Broward County Points of Interest

There are 31 municipalities in Broward County that each host a variety of points of interest and attractions such as:

The museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale
The International Swimming Hall of Fame near the Atlantic Ocean in Fort Lauderdale
The Hall of Fame for Sport-Fishing in Dania Beach
Flamingo Gardens wildlife Sanctuary in Davie
Butterfly World in Coconut Creek
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise
Florida Panthers Hockey team in Sunrise
Water Taxi

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Water Taxi Fort Lauderdale

by Hamid Hakimi | Explore Florida

Water Taxi Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi Day Trip

Looking for a day trip from Port St Lucie? Discover Fort Lauderdale from a different view on a Water Taxi, an exciting way to experience the Fort Lauderdale waterways or as is nicknamed, “The Venice of Americas”. A one day pass affords you to board the Water Taxi as often as you wish in any one of the stops in Fort Lauderdale or the newly added Hollywood Beach area. You can plan a whole day of shopping in world renowned shops at Las Olas Riverfront, visit the museums or go to the beach and end it with a romantic dinner at one of the many great restaurants along the river, all in one day with water Taxi.

The Stops:

1A. Il Lugano Hotel

1. Shooter’s/Taverna Opa/Charley’s Crab

2. Gallery ONE Doubletree Guest Suites

3. Seville Street (Beach)

4. Beach Place (Beach)

5. Bahia Mar/Bahia Cabana (Beach)

6. Hyatt Regency Pier 66

7. Convention Center

8. 15th Street Fisheries

9. SE 9th Avenue

10. Downtowner Saloon

11. Las Olas Riverfront/Briny Pub

12. Pirate Republic Bar

13. Esplanade Park

We suggest the following attractions along these stops:

Stop 2:

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
(Segway Rentals) M. Cruz Rentals
Bonnet House

Stop 4:

Beach Place
Fort Lauderdale

Stop 5 (Bahia Mar):

Aloha Watersports
Fort Lauderdale parasail
International Swimming Hall of Fame
Jungle Queen Riverboat
Sea Experience
Best Boat Club & rentals

Stop 7 (Convention Center):

Broward County Convention Center
Port Everglades
Discovery Cruises

Stop 9:

Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater
Las Olas Boulevard
Stranahan House
Carrie B, Cruises

[snazzy-archive]

Stop 11 (Las Olas Riverfront)

Las Olas Riverfront
Fort Lauderdale Riverfront Museum
Museum of Discovery and Science
AutoNation IMAX Theater
Riverfront Cruises
Riverwalk/Esplanade Park
Broward Center for the Performing Arts

For your shopping pleasure in Broward County visit Pompano Beach

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Fort Lauderdale Day Trip

by Hamid Hakimi | Explore Florida

Galleria Mall Fort Lauderdale

Boating in Fort Lauderdale

A visit to Broward’s favorite mall is a must when you are in Fort Lauderdale or any of 30 or so other cities in the county. For decades, Galleria Mall has gone through a slew of economic turmoil and fashion revolutions but has always been the ultimate in shopping for Broward residents and visitors alike.

A pure elegance in appearance, shops and services have made shopping an entertainment instead of a chore. You could enjoy an exquisite dinner in one of the Galleria’s restaurants such as Capital Grill, PF Chang’s or spend a day of shopping at Neiman Marcus, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zales and many other top of the line retailers in North America.

What makes Galleria Mall a favorite of the residents and visitors to Broward is simply the accommodations that mall offers. This starts with fine appointment and collection of amenities from a very effective valet park service to banking and from Fort Lauderdale Children Theater to an impressive list of restaurants, Galleria Mall offers an unparalleled experience in comfort and satisfaction.

The location of Galleria Mall is another reason for the popularity of this mall for visitors to Broward County, adjacent to Intracoastal and Fort Lauderdale Waterways and in near proximity to the Fort Lauderdale Beach and hotels like Harbor Beach Marriot Resort or ever so incredible Lago Mar Resort and Club as well as Las Olas Riverfront and many other iconic locations are among some of a long list of historical point of interests in Broward County.

The following is a sample list of some of the other stores that make Galleria Mall a success story:

Home and Gifts
- Bath & Body Works
- Artefacto
- Brookstone
- Pottery Barn
- Swarovski
- Tommy’s Island
- William Sonoma
- Art of Leather
Health & Beauty
- Gap
- Arden
- Victoria Secret
- L’Occitane
- Red Door Spa
- Sephora
Jewelry
- Kay Jewelers
- Mayor’s
- Zales
- Pandora

Apparel
- Banana Republic
- Cole Hann
- Guess
- Jos A, Bank

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Monitoring HOA and Condo Management

by Hamid Hakimi | Condominium Ownership

Monitoring HOA and Condo Management

Monitor Your HOA Records

Have you checked your Condo Records lately? Living in a condo and letting a Property Management Company or Board of Directors manage your condo is beneficial for those who don’t want to maintain the day-to-day details. However, as a property owner you should do a wellness check from time-to-time to make sure your Condo records are in order. Some Condo or HOA’s have found out months or years later their money was not properly allocated to managing the property or at times missing. By performing a condo wellness check, you help prevent the mismanagement of your HOA dues. So the question would be what should I look for?

Florida Statues has a list of records which must be kept for all Condo’s Associations. As an owner, you would want to check to make sure your Condo Association is keeping these records for each homeowner’s inspection to make sure your condo is compliant with the correct operation of a condominium. Your rights to these records are according to statute: 718.111(12)
- A copy of the condo plans, permits and warranties
- A copy of the recorded Declaration of Condominium and a recording of each amendment if there have been any amendments to the original records
- A copy of the By-laws and any amendments
- A copy of the meeting minutes which need to be stored for 7 years. These meeting minutes are extremely important for information that has occurred in the past and the decisions made recorded properly. If there is any problems in the future these recordings are extremely important as to whom made the decisions, board votes, community votes etc…
- A copy of the current Association rules and regulations
- A certified copy of the Articles of Incorporation generally turned over by the Developer
- A current roster of unit owners including electronic email addresses
- A file for the Management Agreement, Lease or other contracts the association may have signed and have an obligation for payment
- If an Association owns property there must be a file for Bills of Sale or Transfers for Association owned property
- Current HOA Insurance Policies please read your documents to make sure what insurance your Association is supposed to have to cover your units. One Association we know have had been purchasing flood insurance for years when it was not in a flood zone and the condominium documents state that the flood insurance should only be purchased if the Condo’s were designated by FEMA to be in a flood zone.
- Accounting records for an association must be maintained for 7 years.
  - A detailed record of all expenditures and receipts for purchases or services
  - An ongoing statement of account including unit owner information and payment records along with balance due
  - Yearly accountant audits and reviews for the condominium
  - Contracts and Bids for work to be performed or considered on behalf of the Association.
  - Yearly Ballots and Sign-In sheets including voting proxies each election year.
  - Rental records if the Association is acting as agent for renting units.
  - Question and Answer Sheet maintained by the Association as described in statute 718.504
  - Any other records of the association such as wind mitigation and appraisals which are necessary to the operation of the property.
  - A copy of the inspection report

By checking the records and looking at the financials compared with the budget you will be able to see where your money is being spent and whether proper bids were obtained. Comparing contracts to expenses will also ensure that these files are being maintained. You may want to review the contracts to ensure you are being protected. For example, how many years is the contract? Does the Management contract have exactly the services that it will provide? Is the Management company performing those services? If you have an Exterminator is this company performing the tasks according to contract? Sometimes we see where Condo Boards change members or Management Companies and there is a disconnect as to the contracts the Association has or the tasks Contractors are to perform. With more community members checking records, contracts and financials it makes for a more informed and properly run Association. Lastly, make sure your Association is obtaining proper bids and maintaining the book so that your budget is in order.

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How To Reduce HOA Fees in Florida

by Hamid Hakimi | Condominium Ownership

How To Reduce HOA Fees in Florida

Reducing Port St Lucie HOA Fees

There are many ways an HOA can reduce their monthly HOA fees. First, the budget committee would need to look at the previous years budget and analyze where savings can be realized. Below are some areas to consider when looking at the financials.

Get your own bids for work to be performed. Read your contracts very carefully and if you have questions or something does not seem right such as an automatic renewal, a one-way indemnity clause or the services are not written in detail ask your attorney for advice. This will save you money in the long run. You may always counter the contract as well.
Check your Annual Budget and ensure the maintenance of your property is being properly budgeted. For example, what are the reserves for your building? Did they include plumbing, roof, pool, club house etc… Has your Board of Directors obtained regular bids for rising costs? Ask other Association Directors what they are paying for services and who they are utilizing for different services. In other words, share information. Usually, there is a current property appraisal to compare these costs as well. Roads are a large expense, is this in the budget as a reserve item if the HOA has to maintain the roads? Think of any areas that may not be in the reserves that could be a large expense other than those listed.
If your HOA and Condo Associations pays water bills they should be analyzed on a regular basis to monitor whether bills are fluctuating more than normal. For example, you may have a pool leak. If this is on a separate meter you will notice the bill suddenly go up due to the pool leak.
Each unit should check for leaks. Silent toilet and faucet leaks can definitely have an impact on the water bill.
If your community has many Northerners for the winter that leave during the summer you can reduce the size of your dumpsters. Be aware of change out fees and decide accordingly. Also, consider when you sign contracts such as Comcast and you have a majority of seasonal homeowners. They may not need cable/phone/internet year round.
Make sure all the timers for the lights are operating properly and shut off during daytime hours
Very important to get up-to-date bids on your maintenance services and ensure no one is adding on a finder fee. It would be a good idea to have anyone obtaining bids on behalf of the Association sign a non-kickback agreement that they are not receiving any compensation whatsoever including gifts. This would include hired vendors as well signing the anti kick back policy form.
Get an FPL survey for energy savings on the Condo Property. If your pool has a heater make sure it is shut off for the Summer Months
From time to time call different insurance companies for new quotes. This is not to say every year but if you notice a substantial increase it may be time to get another insurance quote. Insurance policies should be according to your Condominium Documents and you can check the Statutes for any insurance updates that are mandatory for Condo’s to carry on behalf of the unit owners.
Make sure the services are outlined in each contract and ensure that the Vendors are fulfilling those services. For example, if your Property Management is supposed to walk the property and look for necessary repairs or violations that this is being documented properly and reported to the Board Members. If the lawn service provider is supposed to perform a sprinkler or fertilization check, find out is this being done in a timely manner. There needs to be constant communication with the vendors to ensure that the services are being performed according to contract. If no one is checking it is possible you are not getting the services you are paying for to maintain your community.
When comparing bids be sure to compare apples to apples. For example on painting bids, you may contact one of the large paint companies such as UCI Paints or Sherwin Williams and a Representative will write painting specs for your condo building. The Painting Company rep will provide your condo board several local painting contractors to bid on your painting project. There is generally a warranty and for very little money you may be able to increase the number of years for the warranty. Or perhaps the painting contractor will throw in extras such as painting the utility doors, trash room or other community shared area.
If you have a large-scale project for the building make sure someone is qualified to manage the project and stay within budget. Someone needs to be on top of each process such as permitting, certificates of insurance, sub-contractors and make sure the services contracted are according to the contract signed by the Board of Directors.

Lastly, if your Board of Directors is monitoring the daily account payables and analyzing the increases or areas that are over budget then they can follow-up to see how they can improve this line item on the General Ledger. By obtaining proper bids and ensuring the contracts are being fulfilled by the vendors, then you should be on your way to an efficiently run property. As a community member and staying involved in the financials and community projects you will ensure your condominium is being properly operated.