RECENT STUDY SHOWS WALKABILITY ADDS VALUE TO A PROPERTY

Ceo’S FOR Cities, a national consortium of civic and business leaders, did a 2009 study and found that homes where you can walk to the supermarket and other stores, schools and parks will be valued at $4,000 to $34,000 more than those with less walkability where you have to drive to get to amenities.  The bigger, more urban the city, such as Miami, the higher value walkability adds.  Nearby public transportation also boosts value.

The study covered 94,000 real estate sales of comparable homes in 15 major markets. 

You can use Walkscore to rate the walkability of your home or a home you are considering purchasing. 

HAVE A GREAT TIME IN DELRAY BEACH

A PEEK AT DELRAY BEACH

Delray Beach is the type of coastal town that has it all: unobstructed beaches, shops, the restaurants and definitely, the entertainment.  A little bit for everyone to enjoy.  Delray does a great job with its festivals and fairs.  They close a main street and fill it to capacity with vendors, musicians and artists in a blink of an eye.  When is all over done with, it comes down just as fast as it went up. 

Come on downtown on Thursday, January 27^th for Art & Jazz On The Avenue.  Once a month, during the season, and on a Thursday from 6-10 pm, live musical entertainment is presented, On the Avenue.  Open house specials, and gallery exhibitions are will be browsed at the very least.  Even though it is On the Avenue, it will also extend to the SW 5th Avenue Plaza. 

Highlights will include:

• Florida Panthers’ Partymobile --- interactive games and the launch of the team’s new video game --- at the Delray Beach Magazine booth in the 300 block of East Atlantic Avenue.
• Palm Beach Makos and Cheerleaders in the 400 block of East Atlantic Avenue.
• Exhilarating skateboard course designed and constructed by Stoner Skateboards in the 600 block of East Atlantic Avenue;
• Sports clinics led by Atlantic High School sports leaders on the Great Lawn by Old School Square.
• City of Delray Beach Parks & Recreation sponsored dance and fitness demonstrations and performances led by the Delray Divas, Diamonds and Pearls and Delray Rocks and Cheerleaders Dance, also on the Great Lawn by Old School Square.
• Yankee great Roy White, the Roger Dean Stadium inflatable hitting bay and the Allianz golf hitting bay – all in Worthing Park.
• Representatives of the International Tennis Championships and the US Tennis Association in the 200 and 400 blocks of East Atlantic Avenue.
• Cycling on Your Mark in the 300 block of East Atlantic Avenue.
• Miss Geico 50-foot racing boat with jet turbine engine will be on display in the 500 block of East Atlantic Avenue and sports car along NE 1^st Avenue.
• Roaming Drew Tucker Stomp Band
• The Heavy Pets, a production of 102 Degrees, will be performing on the Old School Square Entertainment Pavilion with Stampede as the opening act. The concert will benefit Delray Beach’s Caring Kitchen through donations collected by volunteers. An after-party hosted by the new Pineapple Groove will start just after the concert.  
• Jim Kolvacik Trio in the 100 block of East Atlantic Avenue
• Groove Merchant and Atlantic High School Jazz Band on SE 4^th Avenue.
• Jazz Stream in the 400 block of East Atlantic Avenue.
• Al Johnson in the 500 block of East Atlantic Avenue.
• Visitors to the Vista BMW tent will be invited to register for a chance to win a new BMW 135i. Details will be available on site.
• Representatives of the Boca Artists Guild in the 100 East Atlantic block.
• Avalon Gallery at 425 E Atlantic Ave.
• Blue Coast Art Exhibit at 110 E Atlantic Ave.
• Blue Gallery at 600 E Atlantic Ave.
• Cacace Fine Art Studio & Gallery at 135 E Atlantic Ave.
• DeBilzan Gallery at 38 E Atlantic Ave.
• Delray Art & Framing at 321 E Atlantic Ave.
• Ford Fine Art at 235 NE 4^th Ave. #101
• Forms Gallery at 415 E Atlantic Ave.
• Kevro’s Gallery, Media Studio & Art Bar at 166 SE 2^nd Ave.
• Ora Sorensen Gallery at 445 E Atlantic Ave.

 Art & Jazz will extend to the SW 5^th Ave Plaza with entertainment from:

• Beacon Center first- and second-grade classes, creative dance team and Village Academy praise dancers.
• Creative dance team, Step Club and Drum Line of the Family Resource Center.

FREE ADMISSION!

THE GOOD NEWS: FALLING REAL ESTATE PRICES MAY ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO MOVE TO PALM BEACH COUNTY

 Palm Beach is 40^th on the list of top 55 cities of cheapest places to run a corporate headquarters.  The average age of Boca Raton residents is 42, and in Delray Beach is 44.

They were ranked by Boyd Company, Princeton, NJ, comparing the cost of running a hypothetical 75,000 sq ft office with 300 employees.  The first 3 on the list were New York, San Francisco and San Jose.  Orlando was #55.  

Boyd  Company helps many of America’s best-known companies plan real estate expansions and does surveys in many industries.

UNIQUE HISTORIC LUFF HOUSE IN BOCA TO BE DEMOLISHED?

LUFF HOUSE IN THE 1920'S

 LUFF HOUSE TODAY

 

Foreclosed on last January 2010, the Luff House at 390 East Palmetto Park Road is one of the city’s earliest bungalow-style homes, one of Boca Raton’s 10 oldest surviving structures.  Not wanting to maintain the house, the current owners want it off the property by the end of the year or demolished.

 

The house was built in the early 1920’s using coral rock, unique to South Florida.  The exterior appearance has changed over the years as you can see in the two pictures above. With no historic designation for the house, the owners can demolish the house if they wish, but the Boca Raton Historical Society feels it is important enough to be relocated and used.

 

Suggestions for a new location include Sugar Sand or Spanish River Park, if the historical society or someone else could have it moved.  Cost is estimated for the move at $175,000.  Eligible for state and federal grants, such as from the Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation, those funds have dwindled as the economy has.  

 

Perhaps a group within the area will agree that this property is steeped in historical value and worth saving and reusing, and find funding to get this gem moved and used as an educational facility or for their own personal use.  It has been occupied by several businesses – antiques, watches, jewelers, and was the home of community agencies such as the Junior Service League and first home of the Boca Raton Historical Society.  

 

Anyone interested in helping can contact the Boca Raton Historical Society at (561) 395-6766, extension 106.