Perdido Area Residents are happy to see these piles of rubble at the corner of Innerarity Point Rd. and Sorrento Rd……

Why, you may ask? 

Because no later than October, that pile of rubble will look much like this:    

Founded in 1930, Publix is the largest and fastest growing employee owned supermarket chain in the U.S., employing more than 142,000 people with 729 stores in Florida alone.  This Fortune 500 Company has more than 1000 stores nationwide and was named one of Fortune’s 100 best companies to work for from 1998-2009.  That is great news for an area plagued by continued job losses and a high long-term unemployment rate.  

After speaking with some of the construction crew on site today, I also learned that the above piles of rubble will be used to construct the new building and parking lot, keeping in line with their commitment to sustainability.  Sustainability is defined as creating a balance with the needs of humanity with the needs of the living earth.  Additionally, new stores are designed to use 23% less energy than existing stores, illustrating the company’s commitment to conservation.  The Get into a Green Routine program established in 2001 is a program designed to implement environmentally responsible practices including education, energy conservation, waste reduction, recycling and water conservation.  These efforts have saved 930M kilowatt hours  through conservation projects equaling a reduction of more than 500,000 tons of greenhouse gas (enough to provide electricity to 64,000 homes for a  year).

Since the loss of Alice Guy’s popular specialty market, Alice’s Gourmet, to Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the area has been craving items such as fresh baked bread, specialty olive oil, olives in brine, Boar’s Head meats and cheeses and fresh mozzarella balls.  Additionally, the grocer also has an organic line of products aptly named Greenwise, sustainable seafood and an impressive bakery.  The residents and visitors of Perdido and Perdido Key will only have to wait a mere 9 more months before projected completion to enjoy this premier specialty grocery store. 

Stay tuned for more pictures and updates as the construction crew makes progress.  Publix just gave you one more reason to visit our area and discover paradise!

     Happy New Year from Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach!  If you didn’t get to come see us in 2009, here’s hoping our beautiful beaches are in your plans for 2010.  Even the sagging economy did little to prevent visitors from heading to the Gulf Coast in 2009.  From October 1st-September 30th, 2009, the Pensacola Bay Area recorded the second highest numbers in lodging revenue, generating $133M, only second to the 2007-2008 season which generated $138M.  Additionally, area attractions recorded increased visitors in 2009 with the Historic Pensacola Village up 41.3% and the National Aviation Museum up 15.2%.

     Travel deals are easily found, with flights and rental car rates slashed to attract passengers as well as monthly condo rates as low as $1000.  Visit www.pointesouth.com to view our available condominiums and specials.   Furthermore, an $80M renovation is  underway at the Gulf Coast Regional Airport, including a state of the art baggage handling system, new ticketing and rental car area, expanded parking and additional stores to make your next traveling experience a memorable one.

Upcoming events :

•  Pensacola Double Bridge Run is on February 6th.  This is a 15K course over two bridges with beautiful views of the  Pensacola Bay and Santa Rosa Sound.  Runners and walkers are also welcome to participate in the 5k course and Kids Fun Run.  For more information, please visit www.pensacolasports.com.
• Mardi Gras is celebrated February 12-14.  Come join us inPensacola and celebrate at one of our family friendly area parades.  www.pensacolamardigras.com.
• Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire will be held March 6th-7th and will include jousting, falconry, medieval musicians, jesters, jugglers, fire breathers, belly dancers, bagpipers and more.  www.gcrf.net.
• McGuire’s 5K prediction run on March 13th will host 5000 participants, Pensacola’s largest run and the nation’s largest prediction run.  Details at www.mcguiresirishpub.com.
• Beulah Sausage Festival will be held the weekend of March 19th-21st.  There will be carnival rides, arts and crafts, sausage and entertainment by The Charlie Daniel’s Band.  www.beulahsausagefest.com for more details.
• Festival on the Green on the campus of UWF will be held the weekend of March 26th-27th and will feature arts and crafts, dog agility, live music, sporting events and a food and children’s fair.

With low monthly rates, special events and travel deals abound, perhaps it’s time to come out of hibernation and Pointe South!

Well, this weekend was no exception on beautiful Perdido Key, Fl.  Like most fall days, it was chilly in the morning and warmed up to the mid seventies in the afternoon with sunny, clear skies.  The only exception was that Pensacola NAS was host to the spectacular Homecoming Show for our Blue Angels. 

If you missed this year’s show, make plans to attend next year when the rates are low, the weather is perfect and the crowds are sparse.  More than 57,000 people turned out for this year’s show which offers more for spectators than any other show of the season, including tighter formation by the Blue Angels Flight Team.    For more comprehensive coverage visit http://www.pnj.com/section/blueangels   

Keep in mind that even though you may have missed out on this event, it doesn’t  mean you have to miss out on our beaches, which offer perfect weather this time of year with rates starting at only $60 a night.  Perhaps it’s time to Pointe South and start a new Thanksgiving tradition.  www.pointesouth.com     

Event Calendar Fall 2009         

Happening Now-November 22nd:

25th Annual Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival

November 27th:

Pensacola Beach Tree Lighting

December 11th:

Pensacola Beach Lighted Christmas Parade

Kelly Clarkson in Concert Pensacola Civic Center              

As a lifetime resident of the area and 12 year resident of Perdido and Perdido Key, I have to say, this is my favorite time of year.  We turned our air conditioners off yesterday evening, opened the windows and turned on the ceiling fans.  The cool, crisp air poured through the windows and filled our home with the feeling of  fall.  I will admit though, that it made it tough to get out of the comfort of my bed at 5 a.m. and drag myself to Lost Key Marina and Yacht Club to work out, but knowing this view was waiting for me helped tremendously….

view from Lost Key Marina and Yacht Club Workout Facility

Lost Key Marina and Yacht Club Workout Facility

Another beautiful view this morning

This, along with a little Dave Matthews Band is all the inspiration I need most  mornings.  There are 45 units for sale at Galia, which is the condominium located at the Marina and Yacht Club.  With sweeping views of the Intracoastal Waterway, spacious balconies and well appointed amenities, this has become a desirable community to live in.  If you are looking for a great investment property, prices have fallen to well below pre-construction pricing and the units rent well on the long term market.  If you are considering buying property, give us a call at 850.492.2600 to either speak to an agent or myself, Jennifer McKernan, to talk about all of the aspects of our Property Management Team, what we have to offer you, and about our success with other owners at Galia.  You may also choose to email me at jennifer@pointesouth.com with any questions.

We are heading in to a three day weekend on the beautiful Gulf Coast.  For many area businesses, it will be the last BIG BANG of the summer.  Local residents will get to stop and smell the salt air before gearing up for a busy snowbird and holiday season.  Fall is the best time of year to enjoy the beach.  The crowds are gone, the weather is perfect and the rates at local condos and beach homes are low.  With so much to do this time of year, I thought I’d take this opportunity to remind you of some upcoming events you won’t want to miss….

http://www.nationalshrimpfestival.com 

The Gulf Shores 38^th Annual Shrimp Festival will be held October 8-11^th, featuring over 300 vendors and attracting over 300,000 visitors to the Gulf Coast.  There will be art, crafts, jewelry and plenty of SHRIMP.  There will also be a variety of entertainment, including the talented Lee Ann Womack on October 9^th from 8:30-10:00.  This year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever.

http://tasteofpensacola.com

Taste of  Pensacola will be held September 19^th and 20^th in Downtown Pensacola at historic Seville Square.  Admission to this event is free and will feature some of Pensacola’s best restaurants and entertainment.

http://www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/SeafoodFestival/index.html

The 32^nd Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival will feature over 180 arts and craft vendors, live music by local and regional acts, cooking demonstrations, a 5k run/walk, children’s area and much more!  This event has the distinction of being named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southern Tourism Society.  Admission to this event is also free and will be held September 25^th-27^th in Historic Downtown Pensacola’s Seville Square overlooking Pensacola Bay.

With so much to do, you too, should take time to stop and smell the salt air and relax with the locals!

Click for article on PNJ.com

This new website has been a long time in the making and we are finally live!  Pointe South strives to go above and beyond by keeping up with trends, technology, and information.  We will continually be adding more features and will be blogging regularly about new units added to our rental program, area festivals, current real estate conditions, and more!  So be sure to check back often.  Feel free to comment on the design of our new website and if you have any suggestions or problems, let us know!

See you at the beach!