This weekend I was fortunate enough to spend some time viewing the Hollywood Mural Project, a collection of murals painted on the sides of some of downtown Hollywood's businesses and park spaces.

The Downtown Hollywood Mural Project’s goal is to curate contemporary outdoor murals at key locations in Downtown Hollywood in an effort to enhance and enrich the existing cultural fabric of our community, thereby attracting more art related activities, businesses and events.

Artists from around the globe applied for their chance to display their artwork on some of Hollywood, Florida's most iconic downtown buildings.  Over 20 buildings were selected to display the artwork and the murals are now serving as tourist attractions, promoting both art and business in downtown Hollywood.

The following video shows some of the murals that are on display in Hollywood.

For more info about the Hollywood Mural Project, visit https://www.hollywoodfl.org/989/Downtown-Hollywood-Mural-Project

Have you ever visited Fort Lauderdale Beach and noticed areas in the sand that are taped off? 

They're very common on Florida beaches from March to October and it's very important that you avoid these taped off areas.  Inside these taped off sections of the beach are baby sea turtle eggs. From March 1 - October 31, adult sea turtles will leave the depths of the Atlantic to lay their eggs inland.  

A pregnant sea turtle will make a trip up the beach to lay 60-100 eggs for incubation.  The turtle digs a hole in the sand up to 2 feet deep with its' hind legs and then cover the eggs to protect them from predators.  The adult turtle then returns to the sea to never see the hatchlings again.

Roughly 90% of sea turtles in the USA choose the coast of Florida to lay their eggs.  The hatchling's gender will be determined based on the temperature inside of the nest. This is why Florida is the perfect place for nesting.  Incubation takes up to 60 days to occur but once the eggs hatch the journey has just begun.

Hatchlings will emerge from the sand and begin to travel towards the nearest source of light. This is where the development along the coastline can cause harm. The artificial lights of the streets and buildings can cause confusion and many hatchlings will begin to travel toward the light.  This is why many cities have made laws that require streetlights and buildings to be turned off or turned down at night along the coastal waters. 

It's estimated that only 1 in 1,000 of the hatchlings will reach adulthood as many will not make it to the water to begin with due to this new light pollution. Once in the water, the turtles will have to deal with predators and other natural risks that could cause them harm.  This is why it's so important that we avoid these taped off areas on the beach. We must avoid causing these turtles harm so they'll have a fighting chance to make it to adulthood.

*Photo courtesy National Geographic

BIG news in the tiny house industry. The non-profit New Story, who is working hard to solve the developing world's homelessness crisis has joined forces with tech start-up ICON to develop what could be a solution to homelessness in the developing world.  

Both companies have visions of inexpensive, sustainable housing to help combat homelessness in the developing world.  With similar visions and goals, it only makes sense that the two companies collaborate to find new solutions to help improve global housing conditions.

ICON has developed a state-of-the-art 3D printer capable of printing a home in 12-24 hours depending on the model.  The 3D printed houses can be build for under $5,000 and can be customized to meet the needs of the owner.  The first permitted 3D Home was recently printed in Austin, Texas and is proving that it is capable of meeting the needs of those who would purchase a 3D printed home.  The 3D-printed homes make for an affordable, eco-friendly home that can be constructed quickly and can endure the elements.

New Story and ICON are hoping to have their first development constructed (well, printed) in Salvador in the near future.  We hope to see that these affordable homes meet the needs of those in the developing world and help to reduce, if not end, homelessness in the developing world. 

Earlier this week I finally had the pleasure of visiting Fort Lauderdale's famous FAT Village. FAT stands for "Flagler Arts and Technology" district.  Once an abandoned warehouse district in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, FAT Village is now a thriving district full of creative spaces for local artists and start-up companies.  

What makes the area unique is that there is graffiti painted on every building that the eye can see. Artists from around the globe flock to the FAT Village looking to leave their mark.  It's amazing how the murals on the walls create a unique story on the outside of each of the buildings.

It's great to see how the once-vacant warehouses are being transformed into thriving businesses. There are a mixture of art studios, barbershops, advertising agencies, tech companies and restaurants that have vacated the spaces and have given them life. Each space is filled with a unique experience and offers visitors the opportunity to explore.

The main attraction in the area is the FAT Village "ArtWalk" which takes place the last Saturday of each month from 6-10PM.  Each event features new exhibits displaying local artists and their work.  There are a variety of local vendors set up and food trucks vacate the area to offer an array of delicious options. It's worth noting that the event is kid and pet friendly, so make sure to bring out the family! 

I look forward to enjoying my first FAT Village ArtWalk this month and I hope to see you there!

Here is a collection of the photos I took of the beautiful murals and street art that I found in the area.

One of the very first homes built in Fort Lauderdale was built by contractor Edward King. King and his family moved south to Fort Lauderdale seeking a new town to call home. They stumbled upon Fort Lauderdale on their way to Miami and decide to call the town of under 20 people home.  King built homes along the shore of New River and began to develop what is now referred to as Riverfront in Fort Lauderdale's historic district.  

The most famous house built by King is the Stranahan House, which was originally a hotel, trading post and post office for the residents of Fort Lauderdale and those that traveled through the area by foot, car, train or boat.  The King- Cromartie House is an important piece of Fort Lauderdale's history as it was built in  1907 in what is now referred to as "Smoker Park".  Once Ed's daughter married the brother of Ivy Stranahan, the house was renamed the King-Cromartie House.  

Ed King was tragically killed in the hurricane of 1928 when he was hit by debris while trying to save children from the storm.  The house was named in his honor and was given historical building status.  As downtown Fort Lauderdale evolved and new highrise buildings were being constructed around it, the King Cromartie House faced the possibility of demolition.  Due to the home's historical significance, the City of Fort Lauderdale preserved the home by having it barged to the opposite side of the river and placed in Fort Lauderdale's historical district.  The present location of the King- Cromartie House is at 229 SW 2nd Avenue and is now used as a museum. It is also believed by many that the spirits of children and the previous owners haunt the house to this day.