Monday, September 01, 2008
September 1st! WOW the summer just blew by! Hope everyone had an enjoyable summer vacation!
Above is a picture of Marc Giacomazzi, our client concierge at Sky Sotheby's, with his parents and their friends. Papa Do Run Run belts out the tunes as the crowd gyrates on the dance floor.
Business in downtown Sarasota has been pretty good considering some of the national headlines. I've noticed more pedestrian traffic along Main Street than we usually see in August and most stores and restaurants report an uptick in sales this year. Something about the cost of gas and the 'staycation" phenomenon keeps being mentioned. But we also saw many more foreigners this summer than the last few with the exchange rates favoring other currencies. A Florida vacation becomes much more affordable if you have Euros or Pounds. I was told that many foreign vacationers were staying longer as well. Maureen and I were at a table in one of favorite restaurants recently and no one was speaking English at the tables around us. I'm pretty sure it was German and French. Clients of ours from both countries say that Europe has had an unusually wet and dreary summer this year.
Meanwhile there were plenty of things to do here in Sunny Sarasota! Just yesterday we went to "Sound Waves on Siesta" sponsored by Hyatt Siesta Key Beach Residences. It was supposed to be at the beach but, with the blustery weather from our friend Gustav, was moved inside the ballroom at the Hyatt downtown. Hats off to the organizers that pulled off those last minute changes...Great Job! Here's a few shots from the party:
Above is a picture of Marc Giacomazzi, our client concierge at Sky Sotheby's, with his parents and their friends. Papa Do Run Run belts out the tunes as the crowd gyrates on the dance floor.Here we are with our friends Tom and Roberta Tengerty who own a fractional at Hyatt Residences in Aspen, CO.
