{photo source} There's a Greek proverb that says, "A city grows great when men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit." The idea, of course, is that for future generations to thrive present generations must be proactive. If done right, change in cities...
We received this email the other day from Art & Frame of Sarasota and thought we'd pass it along— Art in My Schools (AIMS) is a program committed to supporting young artists. To help our youth grow and pursue art, we need to keep the quickly diminishing art...
photo source Instead of blabbing on about The HuB, "a warehouse space on Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota that has become a combination new-media incubator and gathering spot for hip people," we thought we'd excerpt a recent Herald-Tribune article detailing the young...
(photo source) Where were you on Halloween weekend? We certainly hope that Laurel Park residents made the short stroll to Burns Square to check out the incredible chalk art created by artists from all over the world. The renowned 3D chalk artist Edgar Mueller even...
photo source Have you visited your friendly local liberal arts college lately? New College of Florida, located just off Tamiami Trail near Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, and within an easy bike, bus, or car ride from Laurel Park, hosts a large variety of events open to...
Today is Cittaslow Sunday, the First International Day of Good Slow Living. How are you planning to celebrate?
Cittaslow, or Slow City, is an organization that celebrates and promotes a human-speed, human-scale alternative to unchecked speed and limitless growth. A couple decades ago some folks in Italy decided they didn’t want fast food chains in their towns, so they created the Slow Food movement to celebrate the culture, tradition, and joy of growing, harvesting, cooking, and sharing local food. Slow Food spread to Slow City, and Cittaslow International now counts more than 130 towns worldwide as part of its network. Sonoma, California, became the first Slow City in the United States in 2009.
So, what is a Slow City? and why should I care?
There are all sorts of debates about architecture. Should houses in a neighborhood all look similar to give the area a sense of cohesion? Is a diversity of styles more desirable? Is the architecture of the past best? Should architecture be more concerned with the future instead? Is architecture about art? Functionality? A building’s relationship to its surrounding environment? Its climate? All of the above?
Sarasota residents love to engage in hearty debates about our fair town/city, and issues surrounding architecture and development are always hot button. Our own neighborhood, Laurel Park, has seen sweeping changes over the past several decades, and is constantly working to find the right balance of development and preservation, of urbanism and village life, of past and future.
Summer is the slow season here in Southwest Florida. The heat and humidity can make napping on the hammock seem like a full day’s work. But for those not lulled into a heat coma until the snowbirds return Selby Library and its sister branches have plenty of activities lined up. On today’s schedule:
You don’t have to be a meteorologist to know that summer has arrived here in Southwest Florida. Just because the heat is back, however, doesn’t mean the city’s going to sleep until the snowbirds return! There’s much going on in Sarasota. Here are a few things that might be of interest:
Sure, Laurel Park is a historic neighborhood known for its restored Arts & Crafts and Florida Cracker cottages and its proximity to Main Street and downtown Sarasota—not to mention Burns Square and the Sarasota Bayfront. And sure, as the epicenter of Florida’s cultural coast Sarasota is well known for its fine arts. But did you know that Laurel Park also boasts one of the best comics and gaming shops you’ll ever find? The Dark Side, located at 408 S. Washington Boulevard (in a small plaza alongside a yoga studio and barber shop, among several others) is both a comic book shop and the home of Sarasota’s biggest gaming community.
