“The value of an idea, lies in the using of it.” -Thomas Edison.
Your Guide To The Delray Beach Boca Raton Lifestyle
“The value of an idea, lies in the using of it.” -Thomas Edison.
We lost a local legend last week and in this time of pandemic, I fear that these losses will pass without the notice they deserve.
Things We Loved In February
We know the month is not quite over, but close enough.
Attending the Delray Beach Open.
Nothing like watching world class tennis under the stars on a beautiful February night.
Kudos to Match Point for producing a great event.
The addition of hometown fave Coco Gauff was a master stroke. Coco played an exhibition under the lights against the NCAA champion. Great stuff.
Congratulations to the Bryan Brothers on their record sixth Delray Beach title. The brothers—arguably the best doubles duo ever—come to Delray every year and have been great supporters of the event and the city. They will be retiring so it was great to see them go out with a win.
Also congratulations to Reilly Opelka who battled weather and determined opponents to claim the singles title. He may be someone to watch. He is hard to miss at 6’11” with a serve in the 140 mph range. He has a big future and the Delray event is becoming known as the place that launches stars: i.e. Frances Tiafoe, Kei Nishikori.
Seeing Doris Kearns Goodwin at FAU. She packed them in like a rock star and we could have listened to her for hours and hours. Just a wonderful storyteller.
Having the great and vastly underrated Steve Forbert play The Arts Garage.
A great performer and wonderful songwriter, Forbert is a joy to watch and listen too. Although we were forced to give our seats away, we were told he was great and drew a big crowd. I’ve seen him several times and won’t miss him again if he comes back this way.
Art on the Square—in a word: terrific.
The new Whole Foods on Linton looks great. A most welcome addition.
Another whopper of a real estate deal: Menin Development’s $7.3 million acquisition of Johnnie Brown’s.
That’s not a typo.
February weather. We are reminded why we live here. Crisp mornings, gorgeous days and cool nights. And don’t forget the Florida sunsets.
Black History Month is a good time to learn about some of our local African American icons.
Visit the S.D. Spady Museum for a great primer and see if you can find C. Spencer Pompey’s book “Many Rivers to Cross.”
We wish Pedro Andrade well with his new restaurant Valentina’s Pizza and Pasta on Congress Avenue in Lake Worth Beach.
Pedro did an amazing job serving the community for years at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza never turning down a good cause. We plan to visit his new place ASAP.
We had some monumental birthdays in February.
Zack Straghn, a long time civil rights leader, celebrated his 92nd birthday and Bob Levinson, an author, business leader and philanthropist turned 95.
Lots of wisdom and accomplishments between those two gentlemen.
We wish them many more years of making a difference.
We tried Cena on 7th Avenue and it was wonderful.
A great place to spend Valentine’s Day.
I had the pollo parmigiano and it was spectacular. It’s also huge– so we made two meals out of it.
Don’t miss the buttered noodles and the tartufo.
Heartfelt condolences to the Dubin and Evert families on the loss of Jeanne Evert Dubin.
Jeanne was a really nice person and was a terrific tennis player herself during a brief pro career rising to number 28 in the world and top ten in the United States.
She was an owner of Dubin & Associates which manages the Delray Golf Club and Delray Tennis Center.
On a personal note, Jeanne was just a super nice person. She loved tennis, preferring to be on the court teaching or leading tennis leagues. She had a quiet influence.
She will be deeply missed.
We also offer sincere condolences to the pioneering Love family on the loss of Marsha and Barbara Love.
Until next month…..
I saw the future of women’s tennis Saturday night and her name is Coco.
At age 15, Coco Gauff has become a global sensation. But she’s also a native of Delray Beach and seeing her on the stadium court in her hometown was something special.
In its 23 year history, the Delray Open never featured a woman’s match. So history was made when Coco took on NCAA singles champ Estela Perez-Somarriba of the University of Miami Saturday night before a packed house.
It was a spirited match. Coco won in straight sets and the crowd was loud, large and thrilled to be seeing a local prodigy.
We saw many of our neighbors and friends. Delray came out to support their hometown hero and it was a moment of civic pride in a city sorely needing one at the moment.
I’ve been watching tennis since I was 8 or 9 years old and every year we used to go to the U.S. Open. So I’ve seen them all from Billie Jean and Chrissie to Steffi and the Williams sisters.
Coco has the chops.
She moved beautifully, has a powerful serve, a deft drop shot, is not afraid to to rush the net and has crisp and powerful ground strokes. She’s the real deal.
But what distinguishes her is her competitive spirit. You can see it, you can feel it, she’s not afraid of the spotlight. She knows she belongs.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her family for years and they are lovely people. Based on her interviews, Coco seems grounded, humble and gracious. She reminds me of her grandmother Yvonne Odom, who is also a local historical figure. Mrs. Odom was the first African American to attend Atlantic High School and has been a civic leader for decades.
In her post match comments, Coco praised her opponent, talked glowingly about her hometown and was self deprecating— noting she lost a first round junior match a few years back at the Delray Tennis Center. She shows abundant signs of maturity, far, far, beyond her 15 years. That’s going to be important as she progresses in her career.
While Coco is the latest great tennis story in Delray, she’s not the first.
Delray has a rich tennis history.
In addition to the Delray Open and Coco, the city once hosted the event that became the Miami Open, is home to many touring pro’s and saw prodigies such as the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick cut their teeth on local courts.
Visionary Ian Laver created the Laver’s Resort off of Linton Boulevard, a project built around tennis. We once were home to the Sunshine and Continental Cups, hosted Fed and Davis Cup ties, senior events, national junior championships and more.
Center court at the stadium has seen the likes of Chris Evert (who hosts her Pro-Celebrity Classic there every year) Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas, Kei Nishikori, Juan Martin Del Potro, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Lindsay Davenport, the Bryan Brothers, James Blake as well as locals Vince Spadea, Aaron Krickstein and Kevin Anderson who liked the town so much he bought a place here.
And the list goes on.
We should celebrate our tennis heritage. It’s special.
And it brings excitement, publicity and dollars to Delray.
The Tennis Channel is airing the tournament all week, junior events bring “heads in beds” during off peak months and the branding opportunities are endless and global. It is worth our investment and it’s worth it for us to nurture the sport too by giving some thought to how it fits into the bigger picture.
Coco is the latest and may yet end up the greatest of Delray tennis stories.
She’s part of a rich legacy. And a source of hometown pride.
To paraphrase Dr. Seuss: oh the places she will go. And oh the places tennis can take us.
Things we Loved in January
We lost former city commissioner Armand Mouw a few weeks back.
He was a nice man and a good elected official too. Why? Because he wasn’t political. He called it like he saw it. He brought a lot of common sense, civility (there’s that word again) and business acumen to the dais in the early 90s when he served.
I was a young reporter back then and Mr. Mouw was always kind and always accessible.
He brought a lot of knowledge as a construction executive to the city at a time when the Decade of Excellence was getting under way. He will be deeply missed, a true gentleman.
Kobe Bryant was once asked how he dealt with the everyday criticism and hatred of others, by a fan who added the hashtag “#QuestionforGOAT.”
His answer?
“I don’t.”
You have to love that answer.
It speaks to a champion’s heart.
“Haters are a good problem to have,” Kobe once said. ” Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”
Isn’t that the truth. Sad as it may be.
The tragic death of Kobe Bryant and eight others in a helicopter crash yesterday prompted a worldwide outpouring of shock and sadness.
Bryant, only 41, was soaring in his post basketball career, an inspiration not only to sports fans but also to mid and late career professionals who admired his entrepreneurial endeavors and his ability to reinvent himself after a legendary career with the Lakers.
Many athletes can’t make the transition after their sports careers end.
They miss the cheers and adulation and live in the past chasing the glory days.
Not Kobe.
He became an investor, entrepreneur, creator, artist and reportedly a very devoted dad.
He understood that his relentless will to win would also lead to success in business.
Based on some recent articles, it seems he was fulfilled and excited about the future. There’s no doubt that his second act was shaping up to be legendary as well.
It’s a shame that we will never get to see the next chapter.
I enjoy reading about successful people. What makes them tick? What keeps them going once they succeed? What enables them to keep trying when they fail?
The great ones are truly different. They are truly special.
They inspire us, energize us, challenge us and take us to new places.
Kobe was one of those people.
He was some kind of basketball player. Just a next level talent and competitor.
He was doing some special things as an entrepreneur too.
What a loss.
Indescribable.
Keep your loved ones close. It’s all so fragile. And can be taken away in an instant.
Last February, journalist Timothy P. Carney published a provocative book entitled “Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse.”
It’s a hard hitting book that examines whether the American dream is alive, on life support, or dead.
The conclusion: it’s alive in places like Chevy Chase Village, Maryland where the author lives and dead in places across America where the jobs have disappeared along with the social ties that bind us as Americans.
I’m reading the book and it’s riveting.
Mr. Carney is a well-known conservative writer and I’m decidedly not conservative—still it’s good to expose your mind to other perspectives, especially intelligent ones.
Carney’s hypothesis is that the American dream dies in places that lose their sense of community. When the ties that bind no longer apply—be they church, service organizations, sports leagues, book clubs, neighborhood associations etc.—pretty soon the dream dies with it.
Humans are not meant to be unmoored.
We are social creatures and we are fragile.
Things happen to us.
Accidents, job losses, debt, fires, violence, addiction.
Cancer.
We are vulnerable beings. We grow old and frail, or we are young and unable to fend for ourselves. Sometimes we get sick and sometimes we lose our jobs and fall on hard times.
That’s when we rely on our family, friends, jobs, church, synagogue, service club and neighbors to step in and cushion the pain.
But, Carney argues, those things are fraying in America these days– at least in many places hard hit by economic hardship.
I saw a recent stat that floored me—1 in 7 children in America are growing up in households where one or more parents suffer from addiction. That piece of information was part of a story on what social scientists are now calling “deaths from despair.” There’s actually a category describing those who die from suicide, opioid abuse and alcohol poisoning.
Despair sets in when you lose hope; when there does not seem to be a viable alternative to the pain that engulfs your life.
There are whole towns and regions in America that feel this way. Hence, the divide in this country.
Sometimes I feel like we don’t live in the real world here in South Florida.
Nobody blinks when a Ferrari roars past, nobody thinks it’s odd to see homes in the Lake Ida neighborhood sell for $2 million plus, we take investment for granted as if its business as usual that someone can drop $40 million for the Sundy House and $28 million for a few old buildings on Atlantic Avenue.
We ring our hands over the silliest things but you don’t have to travel very far in our All America City to see poverty. There are families who can’t afford school lunches for their kids. We are no strangers to substance abuse and the ravages of the opioid epidemic. We have homelessness and plenty of despair in our community.
Still, I wonder about our focus and priorities.
Sometimes, at the end of a long day I will sit back on my couch mindlessly watching some reality show trying to quiet my brain until 9 p.m. comes and I can crawl up to bed only to get up at 5 a.m. and do it all over again.
I have a good life, so that’s not a complaint. I’ve been fortunate, lucky even. And for that I am grateful.
But there are times when I take a look at social media and watch the armchair trolls duke it out on all things Delray and it makes me aware of how far we’ve strayed from the place I discovered by happenstance in 1987.
We were a poor city back then, with no reserves, a weak tax base, high crime, dangerous racial divisions, a dead downtown, distressed neighborhoods and……a ton of potential.
Rather than succumb to despair, the community worked together and put in place a plan to revitalize the city. We were circling the drain but we would not be flushed away.
It was something to watch and thrilling to write about and experience.
Reading Tim Carney’s book and his description of Chevy Chase Village reminded me of that long ago Delray.
Chevy Chase has a senior committee, a speaker series, neighborhood parties, a strong volunteer base and a resilient network of organizations that bind the community together. It’s hard to get tickets to the annual school Christmas concert because the whole town wants to go to see “their kids.”
The African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” is a truism.
We talk often about being a village but I wonder if we truly know what it takes to act like one. Just what we are doing to make this a kinder, more inclusive place?
Usually discussions about being “village like” focuses on development and yes the quality, design and scale of development is very important.
But….
But there is more.
A whole lot more.
Building and maintaining a sense of community requires commitment and a constant effort to engage stakeholders and seek ways to bring people together.
What does that look like?
It means we have strong faith communities, town hall meetings, charrettes, engaged non-profits, a vibrant arts scene, involvement in our schools, community projects we take pride in, active neighborhood associations and events that draw the community. We have public spaces that are inviting and a wide variety of activities. We also take care of our own when bad things happen—as they inevitably do.
It also means that when we disagree we can do so civilly. We can let go if we lose a vote or if things don’t go our way. We don’t beat people up because we can. We don’t disparage their character or question their motives just because we disagree on one or a hundred issues.
None of this of course is rocket science. But all of it takes an effort. It requires leadership—true leadership which is not a position or a title but how you treat people and how you serve.
It requires dedication and a rock solid commitment to be there for the long haul.
There was a time when local government led these community building efforts.
We had a Community Improvement Department that helped to form and strengthen neighborhood associations. That amazing department conducted Citizen Academies, sponsored neighborhood leaders to attend national conferences so they could come back and help Delray and worked with local schools.
The Commission hosted community pot luck dinners and city government worked closely with non-profits.
And it made a difference.
It felt like a village.
To break bread with neighbors, to literally draw the future at a visioning session, to volunteer for a favorite non-profit, to enjoy seeing friends and neighbors at a festival builds community. And the list of community building/trust building activities goes on and on.
It feel like home.
Kind of the opposite of Facebook.
To be sure, there are plenty of great efforts happening now—the Delray Beach Initiative, EJS Project, Old School Square, Roots and Wings, Knights of Pythagoras, the wonderful work being done at the library, Historic Society and Milagro Center, the hard work being done by our Chamber of Commerce and much more.
But, I don’t know too many people who would argue that the public square isn’t more toxic than it used to be.
The impact of that toxicity limits the pool of people willing to serve in public office. Oh, they may serve on a board or two, but they stop short of running.
Not that the public square has ever been safe. It has always required thick skin—I can show you more than a few bruises myself. But this looks and feels different.
It has become more personal.
If I were running today—I’d make this election about culture.
What kind of village do we want to live in?
It’s a fundamental and important choice and it goes way, way beyond the latest development project.
And more important than any other decision we can make. If we choose right, we can meet any challenge and seize any opportunity. Choose wrong and it will be a long, ugly slide. I’d argue that we’ve been on that slide for a long time now. It is time for a reset. Before we squander the lead that we worked so hard to achieve.
Can you believe it’s 2020?
Didn’t it seem like only yesterday when we were sweating Y2K?
Well not only did our computers survive the millennium, they have become ever more ingrained in our lives.
The beginning of a decade is a good time to dream and to take out our imaginary crystal ball.
So here are some predictions and prognostications for the 20s…
Boca Raton:
Boca Raton will continue to flourish driven by the power of FAU and Lynn universities, the growth of the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, the successful execution of the Brightline deal and a refresh of Mizner Park with several new tenants.
Fueled by new investment, the Boca Raton Resort and Club will solidify its place as one of the world’s premier resorts hosting important conferences and attracting titans of industry who will fly into an ever busier Boca Airport.
Boca’s decade will be marked by its strengths in health care, education and technology. It will become known not only for excellent health care, but also for medical research and education.
It’s “A” rated public schools, excellent parks system, great hospital and corporate base will continue to fuel the city’s growth and success.
Yes, we are very bullish on Boca.
Headwinds: traffic and affordability. Nothing new there. But big challenges nonetheless.
Opportunities: leveraging Brightline and bringing a pedestrian orientation to the downtown. Not easy but worth a try.
Stretch prediction: By 2030 FAU will play in a major bowl game and go deep in the NCAA basketball tournament.
Delray Beach:
Delray can achieve whatever it wants to—or it can squander the decade. Sounds harsh…maybe. Still, history has taught us that this city works best when it has a North Star and goes after it. But only when it engages the community. There has been no large scale effort to do so since the Downtown Master Plan in the early 2000s. We are long overdue and deeply in need of a unifying vision.
Delray will squander the decade if the focus remains on petty politics and settling personal vendettas and if the grass tops ignore the grassroots.
Opportunities:
Getting something going on North Federal Highway.
Getting something going on Congress Avenue.
Attract private investment to West Atlantic East of 95.
Fix City Hall.
Empower city staff.
Build on the city’s many strengths-vibrancy, a strong brand, events, culture and restaurants.
Fix an aging infrastructure while interest rates are historically low.
Engage citizens.
Build on the city’s tennis heritage to create economic opportunities.
Headwinds and land mines:
There is a pressing need to focus on Delray’s public schools.
The city needs to ramp up economic development which is virtually non-existent.
There is a need to raise the level of discourse on important issues ranging from development and investment to how downtown can survive rising rents and the changing retail environment.
Stretch prediction:
Delray’s culinary scene will get national attention. We have some exceptional culinary talents in the city.
But we need to diversify and add some strong ethnic offerings.
Regardless, the future is not yet written. So if you don’t like what you see, or if you want to see something happen, get involved.
Things we loved in December
Eliot Winokur has a lot to be happy about these days
The 75-year-old Delray Beach man won five swimming events in his 75 to 79 age group and placed third in the other in the annual Florida Senior Games. Oh and he set a slew of age group records along the way. Amazing.
When a container storing holiday gifts sprung a leak and ruined a slew of toys collected by the Delray Beach Police Department it could have been a disaster.
But thanks to big hearts and generosity, the community stepped up to replace the toys ensuring that hundreds of needy children would have gifts for Christmas. Bravo!
Congratulations to Roby & Suze on their return to Channel 12.
The dynamic duo will bring their Rise+Live show to CBS 12 on January 3 at 9:30. That will be the regular time so make sure to tune in every Friday.
If you prefer to see these great personalities live and in person check them out every Friday at 8:30 at The Heart of Delray Gallery.
The show also streams on YouTube, Facebook and their website.
Good to hear Coco Gauff will play an exhibition before a hometown crowd at the Delray Open.
Also good to see the frivolous lawsuit against the event settled.
On a sad note, Joseph Segel, the founder of the QVC shopping network and a resident of Delray passed in December. He was a true pioneer of TV and retailing. There was a wonderful tribute to Mr. Segel in the Wall Street Journal. He also founded the Franklin Mint.
Some restaurant notes.
The bison burger at Harvest is terrific.
Caffe Luna Rosa makes the very best chicken sandwich.
We discovered Mana, a Greek restaurant in Boynton and it’s terrific.
Rose’s Daughter continues to impress.
The new renovations at Prime Catch in Boynton Beach are something to see.
Please support your local businesses especially those in Pineapple Grove impacted by the construction of The Ray Hotel. Can’t recommend Papas Tapas, Brule, Joseph’s Wine Bar and Christina’s enough. They are standouts.
Have a happy and safe New Year!
Last week, we had a chance to attend the opening of “Rex Baron”, a new restaurant concept at the Town Center Mall.
Aside from getting to hang out with former Giants running back Rashad Jennings (he’s terrific and an investor in the business) which was cool, I can honestly say I’ve never seen a place quite like Rex Baron.
It’s an experiential restaurant with great food (and many healthy options) and a vast array of virtual reality experiences that allow you to experience everything from Jurassic Park and NASCAR to a post-apocalyptic Boca Raton. I think I’m decent with words, but I can’t quite describe the place. You have to see for yourself and you really must. It’s amazing.
Spread out over 8,200 square feet including beautiful outdoor space, a private room with a golf simulator and a magnificent bar/dining area Rex Baron is an exciting new concept.
We asked Mr. Jennings what attracted him to Rex Baron because we figured a former football star and “Dancing with the Stars” champ must be offered a slew of investment opportunities. While he was impressed with the VR component and the uniqueness of the design, he was really taken with the quality food options as someone who eats healthy but also fancies himself a chicken wing connoisseur.
“They are the best wings I’ve ever had,” said the LA based Jennings. “The best.”
By the time my friend Marisa Herman and I were done with Rashad, we had him considering a move to Boca and a job at the newspaper we run. He is after all a New York Times best-selling author who says he loves to write.
But I digress.
Let’s just say Rex Baron is a welcome and extremely unique addition to the Boca landscape.
The new restaurant is located near Nordstrom’s and Sachs adjacent to California Pizza Kitchen.
The opening of Rex Baron got me thinking about the marvel that is Town Center.
In a world where malls are closing or distressed, Town Center continues to thrive.
Why?
Because it evolves with the times. The mall still looks fresh and modern and feels vibrant and alive. It’s hard to imagine the mall will turn 40 in 2020.
They have added some great food options—including a soon to open French Bakery that is said to be out of this world.
It manages to stay busy year-round and seems to combine the perfect blend of shopping and dining.
Town Center’s tenants are also community focused hosting special events that benefit local charities.
I remember coming to Florida for a job interview in the 80s and visiting the mall. I was blown away way back then. Town Center was so much different than the drab northeast malls I was used too. It had palm trees, natural light, a strong retail mix and was the place to people watch.
Thirty years later it is still evolving and still relevant.
Rex Baron is the latest example.
Check it out…it’s spectacular.
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