Wilma & Hollywood

“Hurricane Wilma is located near latitude 18.9 north, 85.7 west. The Westin Diplomat is located at latitude 26.04 north & longitude 80.12 west.” The letter under my door this morning went onto tell me the speed of the hurricane, wind speed (150 mph) and category (4). The entire letter explained what the hotel was doing to prepare for this newest disaster. Fortunately, my wife and I are scheduled out on a plane this afternoon, at the end of the NAIOP Conference that I’m attending. I’ll have some blogs next week on some of the futuristic items discussed here.

Last night we went out to dinner with my sister-in-law, mother-in-law and friends in Hollywood, FL (population 139,537). They have lived here for the past 15 years and related how the historic downtown area has gone from being a boarded up ghost town into a bustling, vibrant center for the town. It is now full of small shops, galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. There are old oak trees that overhang the street, adding a very unique sense to the place.

I’m hopeful that other towns can turn around their downtowns like Hollywood has been able to do. It really adds to the perception of the community.

One final note: Hollywood is the demographic profile of what the entire USA will look like in about 20 years. It has a medium age 10% greater than the USA as a whole, is more diverse and with more of an international flair. If you get a chance to visit it, check out its downtown and observe what the country will look like in the future.