Florida Trend

January 2011 Issue
 

January 2011
COVER STORY
FEATURE STORIES

Florida Trend Magazine

Downtown Sarasota
Sarasota under a harvest moon 
NOTE: This photo is available as wallpaper for registered users of FloridaTrend.com.[Photo: Steve Schadt / BigShotsArt.com]

The chief factors that define Sarasota’s personality are the median age of its population — 51, making it one of the oldest counties in its size range in the country — and its wealth. In combination, those attributes have produced a community with a trove of quality-of-life resources: One of Florida’s most vibrant downtowns, full of upscale shops and top-end restaurants. A billion-dollar philanthropic scene that employs more than 5,000 people. Good local schools. One of Florida’s most active arts and cultural scenes, encompassing opera and ballet companies, professional theater groups, the world-class Ringling Museum, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, the FSU Center for the Performing Arts complex, Selby Gardens and a host of local art galleries.

Read more at:

http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?aID=54226


Sarasota Cluck

CLUCK's Sarasota-based, chicken-oriented, Christmas-themed humor


I like this blog, although it is for the birds.


http://sarasotacluck.blogspot.com/

Florida High Speed Rail


Florida's 84-mile, high speed (168/mph) rail project connecting Tampa and Orlando should be the first HSR project completed in the nation by 2014, assuming Gov.-elect Rick Scott doesn't follow in his Republican Midwestern counterparts that have rejected $1.2 billion in HSR stimulus funds, of which $342 million was sent to Florida.
Read the rest of the story in Planetizen:


Ruyle Hullinger and Associates


Ruyle Hullinger and Associates is a small city planning and urban redevelopment consulting firm. You can read more about us at:

http://bethruyle.com

http://craighullinger.com

http://cityplanningnews.com

Unemployment Metro North Port, Sarasota, and Bradenton

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for 
North Port fell 0.0 percentage points in September 
2010 to 12.6%. For the same month, the metro
unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points 
higher than the Florida rate. The unemployment 
rate in North Port peaked in March 2010 at 12.3% 
and is now 0.4 percentage points lower. From 
a post peak low of 11.4% in June 2010, the 
unemployment rate has now grown by 0.5 
percentage points.

Unemployment Rate September 2010 Month/Month Year/Year

National              9.6%             0.0        -0.2
Florida              11.9%           +0.1       +0.7
North Port         12.6%             0.0       +0.2

Note: Metro level data is not seasonally 
adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with 
September 2010 data as October metro 
level unemployment data has not yet 
been released.