Stuart

Tucked away, around the corner from the southside of the Roosevelt Bridge, Gilbert's Coffee Bar offers visitors a mini oasis just steps of U.S. 1. The coffee shop, named after the Historic House of Refuge at Gilberts Bar on Hutchinson Island, has quickly become a local favorite for locals and visitors in Stuart, FL. 

After just one year in serving the community, Gilbert's was voted the best coffee shop in 2019 by the readers of Stuart Magazine. However, Gilbert's offers more than just delicious cups of joe, the restaurant also has a variety of delicious food items ranging from avocado toast to home made pastries and pop tarts. They also know how to put on a show, as they host live music weekly while serving happy hour beer and wine with a trio of

Historic Downtown Stuart claimed the 7th annual "Great Places in Florida" award hosted by the state's chapter of the American Planning Association. 

The American Planning Association praised Downtown Stuart for its ongoing evolution, including projects like, transforming the downtown area and restoring it to its former 1920s glory, enhancing thoroughfares on Osceola Street and Flagler Avenue to support exposure of local businesses and the beautification efforts including artistic crosswalks, installation of sculptures, increased parking, new outside dining areas and additional shade trees. 

Stuart has also been named “America’s Happiest Seaside Town” by Coastal Living in 2016; ranked No. 6 among “60 charming American towns you haven’t heard of but

Southern Living Magazine recently listed their top 10 Snorkeling spots in the Sunshine State and our area was prominent, ranking in 5 of the top 10 spots. Take a look below at some of their favorites in the Palm Beach and Martin County area!

Bathtub Reef Beach, Stuart 

Family-friendly and scenic, Bathtub Reef Beach is located at the northern tip of Hutchison Island in Martin County. The beach gets its name from the water’s bathtub-calm conditions created by the reef system just off the shore. The reef hosts a variety of sea life, including endangered sea turtles. 

Phil Foster Park, Jupiter

 Wildlife abounds under the water’s surface at Phil Foster Park in Palm Beach County, which has a snorkeling trail 200 feet off Phil Foster Beach that

Just a short drive north could mean big time waves for Martin & Palm Beach County surfers! 

A simulated surf park may be on its way to the Treasure Coast as part of a $595 million development plan in Fort Pierce. The “Willow Lakes” proposal would bring an estimated 800 residential homes, 600 hotel rooms and 400,000 square feet of retail space along with thousands of potential jobs. 

The first phase would feature the WaveGarden and food and beverage facilities. It may also include a 150-room hotel. The surfing center itself, "Surfworks Resorts" is expected to create 139 jobs and $15.6 million economic impact annually, according to a study by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County. 

The facility features a massive swimming pool-like

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida, along with show producer Informa U.S. Boat Shows and Broward County, announced Thursday that the 61st version of the annual boat show will go on as planned with new safety protocols. 

Precautions will include contactless ticketing system, 14 entrances, docks widened to up to 30 feet, temperature checks, and sanitization stations. All exhibitors and attendees will be required to wear face coverings, and all customer lines – including entrances, restrooms, and food and beverage stands – will be spaced out, with visual markers every 6 feet. Hygiene stations will be installed throughout the show area.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the largest boat show in the world. In 2019, the show

Palm Beach International (PBI) Airport announced it achieved GBAC STAR facility accreditation, ensuring proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices are in place to combat biohazards and infectious diseases.

This facility accreditation, which is administered by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a Division of ISSA, properly equips PBI for effectively combating reoccurring biohazards or infectious disease risks. 

PBI is the second airport in the United States and the first airport in Florida to receive the GBAC STAR facility accreditation.

After over a year of planning and construction, Sprouts Farmers Market will open its doors on Oct. 7 in Stuart, FL, it’s very first Treasure Coast location. The Phoenix-based grocery chain originally announced plans to open a store in Stuart in January 2019 and it will finally come to be next month.

Sprouts will be located in Stuart’s Martin Square Shopping Center on U.S. 1 near Indian Street, the same plaza as Staples, Home Depot and Old Time Pottery. The Stuart location is hiring 110 new team members. Residents interested can apply online at sprouts.com/careers. 

The grocery store opened 15 new locations in Florida in the past year-and-a-half with two more under construction. It has over 350 stores nationwide.  Sprouts says its stores feature a

The sun is out and the windows are down, the excitement is building as you head to the nearest sandy oasis. It's beach day! The car is loaded with all of the essentials, including your very best waterproof speaker. Now all you need is the perfect sountrack to enjoy the day with friends and family. Luckily for you, we have listed ten of our favroites to help you build the perfect beach day playlist. Enjoy! 

1. Son's Gonna Rise - Citizen Cope, Carlos Santana (Rock)

2. Higher Love - Kygo, Whitney Houston (or the orginal Steve Wynwood!) (Dance, Rock)

3. Good Times Roll - Jimmie Allen, Nelly (Country) 

4. Corona and Lime - Shwayze, Cisco Adler (R&B)

5. Beachin' - Jake Owen (Country)

6. Say So - Allen Stone (Rock)

7. Cheerleader - OMI

It may be ready to break out the pumpkins and fall jackets in a lot of the U.S. but here in South Florida, our summer weather continues to roll on! Instead of hayrides and apple orchards, why not fire up the boat head out on water for a weekend at the Sandbar. Here are three of our favorites to consider:

Stuart/Hutchinson Island:

The Stuart sandbar is located just inside the St. Lucie Inlet, and just east of the convergence of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. The closest boat ramp is Sandsprit Park. You can rent boats at the Sundance Marina in Jensen Beach. There is also excellent fishing and snorkeling in the area, which is known as the “sailfish flats.”

The Jupiter/Tequesta Sandbar:
The sandbar is located along the Loxahatchee River,

Divers across the globe have their eyes on the Jupiter coast for the next few months, as hundreds of goliath grouper -- some the size of golf carts, and up to 10 feet,  make their way off the coast for mating season. This annual phenomena, known as the Atlantic Goliath Grouper aggregation, provides divers for a one-of-a-kind experience right in our backyard!

Jupiter Dive Center offers an extensive diving experiences to see these mammoth creatures. The center runs run regular boat trips for two-tank dives on the MG-111 wreck, the local ledge reef system, and other sites where the Goliaths are known to gather. According to their website, during this time of year, divers can expect to see up to sixty(!) groupers along the “wreck trek”.

For more info