Things To Do In SW Florida

MIAMI — There was a buzz in the air at a Starbucks near the downtown Miami Brightline station — and it wasn’t only because of the caffeine.

A “Holiday Sip and Shine,” featuring kids’ games, a DJ and drink specials, took over the cafe.

Concessions International, a Black-owned business, operates this Starbucks, and wanted local people to connect with the coffeehouse team in an informal way.

Residents of Overtown, the historically Black community just blocks away, got to see a business that represents them.

“Since the event happened, I’ve gotten an influx of people saying, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this was Black-owned,’ ” event planner Kylie Russell said.

As one of the largest coffee brands in the world, Starbucks might not be associated with Black family business. But Concessions International is changing that perception in South Florida.

The company has owned the franchise and operated the Starbucks near MiamiCentral, the downtown transportation hub, and also one at Jackson Memorial Hospital, since December 2024. read more

NEW YORK — I’m standing in a room in which a waterfall cascades from the heavens and pours by extending down past my feet into … well, the inky blackness of forever.

Obviously this isn’t real. But it’s sure disorienting. A woman walks by and reaches out her hand as if to steady herself. I understand the feeling.

I’m standing in the “Waterfall Infinite” room of the Arte Museum in New York City. “Experience the spectacular moment of standing in a gravity-defying and surreal space,” the entrance sign reads. That is the effect.

I am taking time away from my normal New York haunts on Broadway to check out the Arte Museum because one has been announced for Orlando. Korean company d’strict is planning to bring its immersive-art concept to International Drive’s ICON Park in 2027.

The first Arte Museum opened in South Korea in 2020 and has since expanded across Asia and into North America. You can find them in cities such as Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Dubai. But is an Arte Museum actually an art museum? read more

On Reddit, a user recently asked if spending money on an expensive hobby can be justified.

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  Sean Hannity is selling his Florida mansion — for twice what he paid a year ago

Sure, expensive hobbies may bring joy. But does it make sense to splurge on something like golf, sailing or world travel? What if that splurge takes money away from other more “responsible” goals, such as saving or paying off debt?

Responses were mixed: Some encouraged the poster to spend now on what makes them happy. After all, you never know what the future might bring. Those folks shared stories of spending on luxury cars, video gaming accessories and musical instruments.

Others recommended a more balanced approach, suggesting a responsible split between spending on future savings and today’s hobbies. read more

Flip that house.

Just a year after snapping up a mansion in Manalapan, a small beach town just south of Palm Beach, Sean Hannity is looking to get rid of it — for a tidy profit.

The waterfront estate cost the Fox anchor just about $23.5 million. The eight bedroom beauty can be yours for almost double that amount, a whopping $44.9 million. Did we mention it comes furnished?

“Crafted for discerning buyers seeking privacy, acreage, and generational quality, this is a rare opportunity to secure a world-class Manalapan estate with scale, infrastructure, and dual-waterfront living that cannot be replicated today,” the listing notes. Vince Spadea Jr. of Douglas Elliman has the listing.

No worries, Hannity’s hardly homeless and most definitely not returning to New York due to his hatred of high taxes, a point he’s hammered home endlessly. The Long Island native still owns property in Palm Beach, just a stone’s throw from President Donald Trump’s winter White House, Mar-a-Lago.

In early 2025, Hannity paid $14.9 million for a two-bedroom townhouse in the gated community of Sloan’s Curve, next door to another bachelor pad he bought for $5.3 million in 2021. read more

The year 2025 was one for big stories in real estate and development in the Orlando area — big openings, big deals, and big controversies.

Universal’s Epic Universe opened its gates in May, inviting thousands of guests to experience the delights of Nintendo World and How to Train Your Dragon. With the park came new hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues along Orlando’s world-famous International Drive corridor, driving tourism spending to record highs.

Cities and counties are suing the State of Florida over a law that stifles their ability to regulate new development. And here in greater Orlando, a mayor’s private negotiations with a potential developer exposed a rift with the town council that threatens to stymie one of the region’s most significant infill development projects.

Here are Central Florida’s biggest real estate stories for 2025, as chosen by GrowthSpotter.

STORY OF THE YEAR: Hungerford School sale to Dr. Phillips Charities

In September, the Orange County School Board advanced a land deal involving the historic Hungerford property in Eatonville that would sell it to Dr. Phillips Charities. read more