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Quality of Life in Florida
Living the Good Life
The world's favorite leisure destination is also a great place to settle down.
? Only in Florida
Think you know Florida? Think again. We’re not just about sunshine and sand; we also have these unique attractions to boast about:
- The world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany — In addition to the famed leaded-glass windows, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park houses pottery, jewelry, mosaics, lamps and furniture bearing Tiffany’s distinctive style.
- The first national wildlife refuge in the United States — Established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, Pelican Island on Indian River Lagoon between Sebastian and Wabasso along Florida’s central east coast attracts more than 30 species of birds that use it for roosting, feeding or just plain loafing. Humans can’t set foot on the island, but you can see the birds by boat, kayak or hiking along the Centennial Trail.
- The nation’s smallest post office — Located in Ochopee (population: 11) in the Florida Everglades and measuring just 7 x 8 feet.
- Surreal attractions — The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is the permanent home of the world’s most comprehensive collection of the renowned artist’s work.
- An acquisition the Smithsonian Institution vied for — Tucked in a hangar at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport is the largest private collection of memorabilia from Howard Hughes’ personal effects, now part of The Florida Air Museum. The airport is one of the busiest in the world during its Sun ’n Fun Fly-In held each April.
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Those 16th-century Spaniards who sailed into St. Augustine on Florida’s northeast coast sure had an eye for quality of life. Not only is the community they settled in 1565 the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States, it’s on U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 list of “10 Best Places to Live” in America. And no wonder. Modern-day St. Augustine offers an appealing combination of colonial charm, natural beauty, economic stability and cosmopolitan lifestyle that is difficult to match. |
