A few miles west of downtown Miami, the affluent Coral Gables has been dubbed The City Beautiful. I’m not about to disagree, as this is one of the most gorgeous cities in America. For this you can thank the real estate developer George E. Merrick (1886-1942). In the 1920s he designed Coral Gables from scratch. …
Next to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, Pinellas Park is a city with a mix of residential and industrial areas. Automobiles are a big part of the city’s identity. As well as numerous exclusive car dealerships here, there’s a high-profile automobile museum, and a short-track oval for stock car racing. You can also do some of …
Part of Florida’s Space Coast, Titusville packs a one-two punch of space heritage and natural splendor. The city is minutes from the Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s primary launch center of human spaceflight. This is still one of the launchpads for expendable launch vehicles, which you may see lifting off. I don’t need to tell you …
The place to go for outdoor adventure in Central Florida, Apopka is a city by the headwater of the Wekiva River. The transparent waters at Wekiwa Springs State Park and Kelly Park are mild throughout the year, and pure bliss on hot summer days. People flock to the springs to swim, go tubing or take …
A northern suburb of Orlando, Altamonte Springs is a mostly residential community anchored by a lakefront central business district. Cranes Roost Park here is the city’s outdoor hangout on the shores of the lake. Residents come together at this picture-perfect setting for events like the 4th of July. Altamonte Springs is only a matter of …
Between Fort Myers and Naples, the city of Bonita Springs has some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in Southwest Florida. On the gulf is a chain of barrier islands, each trimmed with sumptuous beaches. Between these and the mainland is the back bay, with mangroves and sheltered waters that could have been designed for …
Near the southern end of the Miami metropolitan area, Cutler Bay was incorporated in 2005. Thirteen years earlier, the area had been completely devastated by Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall here. The population has more than doubled since then, and in 2011 the city opened a stellar performing arts center, a cultural touchstone for South …
On the edge of the Miami Metropolitan Area, Royal Palm Beach is a village with lots of great things just minutes away. Here the cityscape meets the great expanse of the Everglades. Still, if you want the beach, you can get to the Atlantic in under 20 minutes. Even closer are prime rural attractions like …
A community defined by agriculture and the railroads, Plant City is named for the railroad developer Henry B. Plant (1899-1899). That was an act of thanks. Plant’s South Florida Railroad came through in the mid-1880s, giving a big lift to local commerce. Some 140 years later, downtown Plant City is still at the junction of …
In 2019 the residents of Lake Worth voted to change the name of their city to Lake Worth Beach. Whatever it calls itself, this is a place I can’t help but love. Lake Worth Beach has a thrilling downtown that has bounced back from some lean years in the late 20th century. Now there’s global …