Who’s YOUR City? Blog

Significant media attention has been given to the expected $2.5 billion cost of the Tampa-Orlando portion of the proposed Florida High Speed Rail system. When it comes to the cost to the user of the system however, the public discussion has been limited. User cost comparisons between highway and high speed rail (HSR) have been nonexistent or anecdotal at best. The following analysis seeks to encourage further discussion about the user cost-benefit of bot h highway and high speed rail commuting, between Orlando and Tampa in this particular case. Cost-benefit was analyzed based on two primary factors: cost (in dollars) and time (in minutes).

More at:
http://bobomalley.newsvine.com/_news/2010/08/25/4966757-highway-vs-high-speed-rail-

Sent by Bob from Orlando

The Academy of Payne is a non-profit art studio in Daytona Beach, FL. Our program is targeted to help young adults who have aged from foster care, lower income families, or Juvenile Justice Centers.

At the Academy we enhance their already existing artistic abilities and teach them the financial literacy to start their own successful business and become a prodominent member of the community.We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and are producing a reality show August of 2010 to document the rebirth of Daytona’s economy with our art program. For more information, please go to: www.castingforacademy.com and www.academyofpayne.org. 

Sent by Constance from Daytona Beach

Easy city. Water on 3 sides. Who cares what you make? What you drive? What you wear? Nobody here. Unpretentious. Great neighborhoods with personality. Grassroots spirit. Easy to meet people. Sunshine every day.

Sent by Wendy from St. Petersburg, FL

Except for a couple of neighborhoods bordering downtown and three or four blocks near the beach (20 miles out from downtown), everything in Jacksonville is drab, ugly office-park suburban sprawl. Distances are such that more people drive more miles than even in other Sun Belt cities, let alone the rest of the world. Almost everyplace looks the same. Crime is not the worst in the United States, but not great either. The closest thing to a research university here is the University of North Florida, which is basically a local school. People are not at all well educated; generally very working-class and politically to the Right of Attilla the Hun (unless they are black). The only positives: 1) a few beautiful old neighborhoods near the St. Johns River near downtown2) cheap real estate (though not by Rust Belt standards- you can get a house in a decent inner-suburban area for under 0K, but just barely)- and of course the weather is a positive for some.

I live here because my work is very specialized and so its not easy to switch jobs.

Sent by Settling from Jacksonville, FL

In Orlando, a mini-controversy over a bridge feature provides an opportunity to answer the question, “Why is public art important?”

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpmyword-faux-bridge-art-09200092009sep20,0,2569576.story

Do investments in public art help define who a city is?

Sent by Bob from Orlando

Staffers from the Orlando economic development commission caught me leaving a meeting and asked to film me. They asked the question, “Why does Orlando work for you” and wanted me to share why I choose to live in Orlando. They posted the video on YouTube, along with other interviews.

Sent by Bob from Orlando, Florida

Orlando Works for Me

Lakeland, Florida – I have been here only 4 years (December, 2005) and amazed at what is here, proximity to everything florida, bursting with culture and history and the town is virtually unknown. It is 20 minutes outside of Tampa, 45 minutes outside of Orlando, 66,000 people pass through it every day on I4, and there are almost 9 million people within 100 miles. No other southern town can boast that. Historic Sites: The Polk Theatre, built in 1928, On the National Register of Historic Places, one of last atmospheric theatres left in the state and smack in downtown (absolutely beautiful www.polktheatre.org) lakeland. Florida Southern College has the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the World! built over 20 years! Historic Terrace Hotel also on the national register, too many historic districts to list, even the Swan population (Lakeland has over 500 lakes) was given and are direct descendents from the queen of England! Publix Supermarkets, GEICO, MOSAIC are all headquartered here. It is an incredible place, weather is great the people (though clueless and naive) are wonderful, its a college town and they just don’t realize what is here.

Sent by Meri from Lakeland, Florida

Coral Gables, The City Beautiful, stands out as a rare pearl in South Florida, a cohesive community built on a grand scale that blends color, detail, and the Mediterranean Revival architectural style to create a timeless grace and grandeur perfectly in harmony with the environment. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a long-time resident, Coral Gables is a great place to live, work, and expl ore. Discover Coral Gables, and the many amenities The City Beautiful has to offer.
Even as City Founder George Merrick was in the beginning stages of creating Coral Gables, he dreamed of it as an international city, inspired by the great Mediterranean cities and serving as a gateway to the Americas. Today, Merrick’s dream has come true. Not only is the City Beautiful a thriving, multi-cultural community, it also serves as a cultural and economic gateway to the Latin America region.
Aix-en-Provence, France
Cartagena, Colombia
Granada, Spain
La Antigua, Guatemala
Province of Pisa, Italy
Quito, Ecuador
sister citys to coral gables, fl

Sent by Nevada from Coral Gables , FL