All Entries Tagged With: "Jupiter"

Talks of Math Institute Coming to Scripps in Jupiter

Original Post October 19, 2007

An article in the Palm Beach Post today announced that Courant Institute at New York University and Scripps Research Institute have initiated discussions for the math institute to do business in Jupiter, Florida. The institute specializes in mathematics, computer science and atmoshpereocean science. The President of the institute stated that they would make a move “because there would be great synergies between us and Scripps and Max Planck.”

The Max Planck society issued a Press Release where President, Peter Gruss, stated that “Scripps and Max Planck are a dream team for innovative basic research in bio-medicine.” Palm Beach County has worked long and hard to bring leading research institutes from throughout the world. Their efforts in positioning our county as the premiere hub for biotechnology is proving to be successful.

Scripps Florida currently has 160 faculty and staff here in Jupiter. Our previous post on the Max Planck Society estimated about 90 staff members could arrive as early as January. There are no indications if more will follow and whether Courant Institute has considered the size of their research staff to be housed at the FAU campus. This development, along with Scripps and Max Planck Society, would be a positive addition to our community. However, all three initiatives are positive forces that will help encourage future growth and development for new businesses and help stimulate our housing market.

Top Restaurants in North Palm Beach

NPB Restaurant Reviews

This is an original post from our former blog, Blogging Jupino in July of 2008. We love to eat out with friends and family. We dine out often and have visited many restaurants in the area. (See our previous postings.) Although, when I was reading the Restaurant Reviews in the Palm Beach Post, I realized there are many places I haven’t tried. So, I’m now on a mission to try some of them.

Since there are so many to choose from, I decided to share with you the highest rated reviews (restaurants listed are all rated A for Food and A for Service) in the Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and Juno Beach areas. (Some I have already visited and shared my thoughts in blue.) Try them out for yourself and let me know what you think. I’ll be sure to share my reviews in later postings.

Cafe Monet
9776 Gardens East Drive
Palm Beach Gardens
(561) 799-9292
California Cuisine
Lighter fare with fresh ingredients
Reviewed 11/9/07 by Charles Passy
Never been, I’ll have to try this one!

Capt. Charlie’s Reef Grill
12846 U.S. 1, Juno Beach
(561) 624-9924
Fresh Seafood – casual
Reviewed 8/4/06 by Charles Passy
Good casual place – we like it!

Cheesecake Factory
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave.
Downtown at the Gardens
Palm Beach Gardens
(561) 776-3711
Reviewed 11/3/06 by Charles Passy
Love it!! The best chicken salad sandwich ever!

Cool’a Fishbar
11340 Legacy Ave
Legacy Place
Palm Beach Gardens
(561) 622-2227
Reviewed 4/11/08 by Charles Passy
Ummm…seafood not my thing. Maybe I’ll try it.

Entre Nous
940 Park Avenue, Suite 104
Lake Park
(561) 863-5883
Contemporary American Bistro
Reviewed 6/29/07 by Charles Passy

Evo
626 N. US 1
County Line Plaza
Tequesta
(561) 745-2444
Contemporary Italian
Reviewed 7/20/07 by Larry Aydlette

Jetty’s
1075 A1A N.
Jupiter
(561) 743-8166
Reviewed by Larry Aydlette
Great place on the water.

Marc’s Chophouse
337 E. Indiantown Road
Jupiter
(561) 747-2522
Reviewed 9/8/06 by Charles Passy
Great place! The Bananas Foster is awesome! Flambe’d at your table.

Pizza Fusion
4783 PGA Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens
(561) 721-0123
Reviewed 4/18/08 by Charles Passy
Carry out is good.

Sala Thai
103 S. US1
Jupiter Square
(561) 747-6944
Reviewed 6/8/07 by Larry Aydlette

Seasons 52
11611 Ellison Wilson Road
Palm Beach Gardens
(561) 625-5852
Contemporary American – no more than 475 calories a plate
Reviewed 4/7/06 by Scott Simmons
The desserts are small and makes them guilt-free!

Easter Fun in Palm Beach County

Updated Saturday, April 11

Time to celebrate Easter and we have compiled a list of Easter activities in Palm Beach County scheduled for this weekend.  Have a wonderful Easter and go easy on the Peeps!

Abacoa:

Roger Dean Stadium:

Jupiter:

Saturday, April 11th
9:30 – 11:00 am
Jupiter Community Center
210 Military Trail
Jupiter, FL 33458

For More Information
(561) 741-2400

Hunt begins promptly at 9:30am. Kids- Bring your own basket to collect eggs & candy. There will be egg hunt areas for ages 3 & under, 4-6, and 7-10. Immediately following the hunt until 11am, there will be additional activities including visits with the Easter Bunny, inflatables, face painting, and arts & crafts. Beginning at 10:30 am there will be a ballet performance of “Alice in Wonderland” by the Jupiter Community Center ballet classes. Be sure to be on time for the Easter Egg Hunts as they do not last long. REMINDER: Please bring a bag to put candy in and get there on time.

Palm Beach Gardens:

Age Groups:  3 years & under, 4-6 years, 7-10 years.  Bring your own Easter Basket

9:00 a.m. – Face Painting

West Palm Beach:

April 11, 2009

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Event begins promptly at 10:00 a.m.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please contact the Flagler Museum at:
(561) 655-2833 or via e-mail at mail@flaglermuseum.us

Each year the Flagler Museum’s Whitehall Society hosts an Easter Egg Hunt and Egg Roll on the South Lawn of Whitehall the Saturday morning before Easter.  Children are encouraged to bring their own Easter Egg Basket for the Easter Egg Hunt on the Museum’s South Lawn. General admission for the Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Egg Roll is $5 for children and $15 for adults. There will be no admission charge for children and grandchildren of Museum Members at the Sustaining Level and above.

John Favole, News Anchor for WPTV News Channel 5, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Museum gates open at 9:00 a.m. for a visit by the Easter Bunny and Easter arts and crafts. The Easter Egg Hunt begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. Light morning refreshments will be available on the South Porch.

Proceeds of the event will help to underwrite the Museum’s Newspapers in Education program. Published in conjunction with The Palm Beach Post, the Newspapers in Education tabloid will be geared toward 4th and 5th grade students and will be made available statewide. It will help students understand the development of Florida and Henry Flagler’s essential role in that process.

Spotlight on Abacoa

Abacoa Town Center

Abacoa is one of the more recent communities developed in Jupiter.  We have been residents of Abacoa for over six years.  We enjoy the close proximity of restaurants, shops, work and school.  It is a young community were the average adult age is approximately 36 yrs.  However, it caters to every age group.  It is a planned community on over 2,055 acres of land, including some areas of greenway preserves throughout the town.

Roger Dean Stadium has become the home for spring training for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins.  The stadium is conveniently located in the heart of Abacoa and brings great family entertainment to our community.  Other fun-filled activities include golfing at Abacoa Golf and family nights at the Abacoa Town Center.  The Abacoa Town Center is filled with retail shops and restaurants.  Most weekends at the town center are filled with live music, movies, and festivals for residents to enjoy.  Other businesses in the area inlude Florida Atlantic University and Scripps Florida Institute.  Since Scripps arrival, Abacoa has become a hub of scientific technology with the following of the Max Planck Society and other scientific institutes from around the world.

There are many community of homes that make up Abacoa.  A wide selection homes are currently for sale.  Prices begin at $84,000 for a condominium at the Village at Abacoa, located directly above the town center shops.  Townhomes in Antigua begin at $154,900 and single family homes start at $305,000 in Paseos and top out at just over $1,300,000 in Valencia.

For more information about the communities in Abacoa, visit our community page about Abacoa or the Abacoa website.

Other Related Articles:

Tracking A Real Estate Investor

Not too long ago, I would have many friends, neighbors and coworkers calling me and following me to see where I would buy next. As an investor, I was always looking to see where the best “preconstruction” deals were and how I could be the first in line to get the best picks. Sometimes I would pay people to stand in line. On at least one occasion I hired someone to sleep overnight while waiting in line for the games to begin the next morning.

We began this journey at Tuscany, a subdivision in Abacoa. That was a lark. In the beginning, all I wanted was one piece of investment property. The next thing I know we had close to 50 properties. After Tuscany, the list goes something like this…Botanica, Harbour Oaks, Antigua, Traditions, Harborage, the Edge, Midtown, Martinique, Mallory Creek, Canterbury, Astor, Boca Rio and on and on we went.

I became friendly with the sales people from most of the developers and that gave me an extra advantage from time to time. At the peak of the buying frenzy, I remember going to one “lottery” and there were 4,000 people lined up at 8:00am, each holding a cashiers check for $40,000.00. We were there to get one of 120 units. Everyone was going crazy. They picked names out of a hat and I got picked early. Everyone was told that if they got picked, they would only be allowed to purchase one unit. Our sales person allowed us to buy four units without a hitch. It’s good to have contacts!

I have learned more about buying investment property in the last 5 years than what most people learn in a lifetime. I haven’t stopped buying. As a matter of fact, I’m aggressively looking for great deals today. I recently picked up three units in Jupiter, preconstruction that will not be completed until the end of this year. The great thing about these units are this…they won’t be done until the end of the year and they may be the best deals I ever made…so far.

The phone  has stopped ringing and the knocks stopped knocking. Where are all of my friends now? It’s funny how quick things change. But, investing in real estate is something only for those who have the stomach for it and in the case of the current market…deep pockets. If you believe in long term investing, you have to believe in real estate.  I’m not sure if we have hit bottom yet, but I’m not waiting to find out before I buy my next few units.

I was on the phone today negotiating with a developer for four more units. I may get lucky and pick these up to add to the portfolio, I may not. One thing is for sure, it’s a buyer’s market and I’M A BUYER!

You may not be ready to buy and that’s understandable. If you would like to follow me on my searches and purchases, let me know. I will be more than happy to let you in on my purchases. You can decide for yourself if you think I’m doing well and whether or not you would follow. Give me a call or send a quick e-mail and I will fill you in on my latest buys.

Whether you decide to rent or buy, always consult the advice of a Realtor®.  You will want a Realtor with strong negotiating skills backed with a long history of buying experience.  A Realtor® who can put his money where his mouth is.

Happy hunting and e-mail me to hear about my investment picks.

Fortune Magazine Forecasts Population Growth in Florida

Palm Beach County has been hit hard by the housing market. Foreclosures were up by 68% in November. We have a four year supply of houses on the market and the Palm Beach Post reminds us almost daily how bad our market is. All the negative talk can stall our market even longer.

Well, I am here to send some positive news your way. The December issue of Fortune magazine highlights some of their best stock picks for 2008. St. Joe, a Florida based company, was listed as one of the top “Ten Strong Stocks for ‘08.” St. Joe Co. is the biggest private landowner in Florida. The housing market brought the stock crashing down from $82 to $28.

What is interesting is why the stock is forecasted as a top pick. As stated in the article, “The Census Bureau is projecting 33% population increase for Florida – the equivalent of six million new residents – between now and 2020.” Reaffirming our philosophy of why we began investing in Florida. Florida is unique to most other states in the nation. Our population is projected to keep increasing not decreasing. Our state is a top destination to retire for baby boomers. Our industry is expanding with the increase of businesses moving into our area. Including in our immediate area where Governor Charlie Crist just approved $94 million in state funding for the Max Planck Society to bring their German based bio-imaging center here to Jupiter.

We may be going through some tough times right now, but we have some strong signs of a promising future. What we do know is that housing prices have been the lowest they have been in years. Whether they will keep dropping is questionable. What we do know is that we will recover and prices will go back up. Making now a great buying opportunity.

What You Should Know Before Buying a Home

By Joe Quirk

I read in the paper the other day that there are four years of housing inventory currently on the market. Whoa! That’s a lot of houses and that tells me that there are great opportunities for buyers. The buyer has the upper hand right now. You can take your time shopping around, learn about the neighborhoods and be choosy about the home you plan to purchase.

With that said, it is a good idea to take a few things into consideration before taking the plunge. Doing a little planning beforehand will make for a focused search and will prevent you from wasting a lot of time while conducting your search.

1. Get a copy of your credit report. The top three credit agencies are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian (formerly TRW). Reviewing your credit report before applying for a mortgage will you help you to clear up any discrepancies on your report.

2. Get your papers in order. You will need to provide documentation to your mortgage broker to qualify for a mortgage. You mortgage broker will be able to provide you with a list of records needed.
3. Get preapproved for a mortgage. Find out how much you can afford. It is one of the first questions your Realtor will need to know. It helps to eliminate the homes that are not within your price range. Your Realtor should be able to recommend a mortgage broker to you to help you prequalify for a loan. Prequalifying for a loan will also help to make the negotiation process of buying a home run smoothly. Did you know that the general rule of thumb is a mortgage equal in value between two and three times our gross income?
4. Search online. Most consumers start their search online and I highly suggest all interested buyers do that. It gives you a starting point and will help you to communicate to your Realtor® what you are looking for and, just as importantly, what you are not looking for. It makes for more meaningful communication with your Realtor® and will help your Realtor to hone in on the key points important to you.
5. Shop for neighborhoods. There are many great neighborhoods in Jupiter, Florida and the surrounding areas. Along with the price range, you will need to decide if you want to live in a gated, golf, family friendly neighborhood. Our communities page can give you some insight into the neighborhoods in the area.
6. Assess your expenses when buying a home. Don’t forget the incidental costs of purchasing a home. Some communities include homeowners fees. You’ll also want to consider the cost to maintain your home. For example, moving from a home with no pool to a new home with one will increase your water, heat and maintenance costs. Property taxes are high and should always be included in your monthly expense.
7. Prepare to bring some cash to the table. You will need a considerable amount of money to purchase a home. The typical down payment is 20% of the purchase price. Then there are the closing costs that can be about 7% of the home price.

8. Find a good Realtor®. Finding a good Realtor® is wise for a number of reasons. A Realtor who is familiar with the area and the communities within the area can consult with you on finding the right community for you. A strong knowledge of real estate laws and practices can help you through the complete buying experience from applying for a mortgage to the closing. Lastly, a Realtor® with strong negotiation skills are critical when purchasing or selling a home. You will want a Realtor® who can best represent you when negotiating the purchase of a home.

Dining Out in Jupiter at Samantha’s

By Susanne Quirk

We dined at Samantha’s in the Jupiter Shoppes this weekend.  It was our first visit there although Samantha’s has been around for a couple of years.  I was eager to go because close friends of ours had recently dined there and raved about the place.  I don’t mind saying that they are quite the critics when dining out.  Their reviews carry weight with us because they dine out almost nightly and have acquired a long list of restaurant recommendations in the process.    They won’t hesitate to give you a detailed critique along with their recommendation! 

Samantha’s is quietly tucked away in the Jupiter Shoppes located next to the now defunct billiards place.  Inside and outside dining is available.  The restaurant is very cozy and intimate.  There are not many tables and that is a nice change from the mega chain restaurants that are flooding the area and can be so difficult to get into.  The seating is limited and I would advise making reservations.  We did not have reservations, however the hostess was very pleasant and fortunately was able to squeeze us in.   

The menu is extensive and I wanted to provide it here for you.  So, I searched online and in my search I also found some great reviews consistently making claims that the calamari is to die for.   We didn’t have an appetizer to give you our thoughts on that, but we did have dessert.  But before I get into that I’ll go over our entrees first.  I had the usual Filet Mignon and I was quite impressed.  It wasn’t my preferred Oscar style but I was pleased with all 11 ounces encrusted with Gorgonzola, Roasted Garlic Cream & Red Wine Reduction - all for $38.   Great price since we’ve paid more than that for smaller portions.  My steak was so big I didn’t pay too much attention to the mashed potatoes and seasoned vegetables.  

Dessert was the best part of the dinner.  I perused the dessert menu and found a delicious bread pudding loaded with vanilla bean ice cream, bananas and drizzled with caramel.  Pure heaven!

We enjoyed everything about Samantha’s.  The food was great, the service was top notch and I can’t wait to go back for the dessert. 

There’s a great website for those who dine out frequently www.SouthFloridaDines.com.  This website is packed with restaurant reviews, menus and more.  They also offer gift certificates at discounted rates.

Black Friday In Jupiter, Florida

By Susanne Quirk

My sister and I would kick off our holiday shopping on Black Friday. It was a tradition that lived on for years until I moved to Florida in 2001. This year we will be reinstating our shopping tradition in Jupiter, Florida. This will be the first year that we celebrate Thanksgiving with my mother, sister and her husband here in sunny Florida.

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving. The retail industry claims it is the biggest shopping day of the year. It is the day that can bring many retailers out of the red and into the black in terms of revenue. Also, a big indicator of what retailers can expect for the remainder of the holiday shopping season.

So, I wanted to do my homework to be prepared for our big shopping day. I went online to search for the latest information on Black Friday. Whoa! I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. I came across websites established for the sole purpose of providing information for Black Friday.

Here’s what I found…

1. Black Friday 2007 - Claims to be the Official Black Friday 2007 Website. This site is pretty loaded. You can subscribe to their mailing list. Categories include Adscans, Online Deals, Message Boards, Store Hours, create a shopping list and more. Click on the Features category and you will get a list of the Best and Worst Deals and Most Popular Deals.
2. Black Friday@ Gotta Deal.com – Lots of information including the latest news about Black Friday. The Black Friday FAQs are helpful. Most Wanted Items was not available when I checked.
3. BlackFriday.info – Pretty straightforward stuff here.
   • black friday ads
   • shopping list
   • coupons
   • deals
   • contact us
4. BlackFriday.net – Simplified here with ads and codes.

Each site had a long list of stores that provided adscans and coupons/deals. Some sites list more than others so you may need to view a few of them.

Check out the Palm Beach Post. They are providing helpful tips each day in the paper and Thursday’s Accent section will have a complete list of store hours and events. The Palm Beach Gardens Mall will text message deals at the mall. Text 97904 and receive messages about giveaways and deals! Text “Save” to WMart (96278) for Wal-Mart shoppers and “GO” to sams1 (72671) for Sam’s Club.

Happy shopping! Know of another website not listed here? Let us know.

ARTrageous at Abacoa Town Center

By Susanne Quirk

The ARTrageous festival will be at the Abacoa Town center this weekend. It’s the 2nd annual event for artists to display their fine art work. Mediums include photography, sculpture, glass, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media. This is a great opportunity for fabulous finds for your home. 

The festival is Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission is free.