I am proud to announce that the Village of Pinecrest recently has been awarded the highest ranking in South Florida for quality of life by The South Florida Business Journal. Our residents already know about the high quality of life enjoyed in the Village, but it is nice to be publicly recognized.

Our Village economy remains relatively strong, educational offerings are among the best, and public and private services available to residents are top drawer. The Village Council and staff are open and responsive to our residents and we labor to make the Village a great place to live. A strong citizen and business participation in our community and government, and our Village based charity foundations also contribute to our quality of life.

The Village now enjoys an active Community Center, with programming for young and old, a library, parks and recreational facilities with programming, and sports programs and leagues. Our Pinecrest Gardens, which recently was designated by the National Park Service to the National Register of Historic Places, continues to be responsibly improved, offering a uniquely beautiful venue for personal relaxation and events. The Gardens has its own programming in horticulture, art and music. Those of us who have had an opportunity to attend a musical performance at the Banyan Bowl in the Gardens know just how wonderful the experience can be. If you have a chance, check it out!

Our vibrant community offers much more not mentioned here, so I urge you to visit our Village website for more information at <www.pinecrest-fl.gov>.

The new rankings come from a study of 1,146 cities, towns, villages, municipalities and unincorporated communities with populations greater than 10,000 in 13 southern states. The study looked for well-rounded areas with healthy economies, light traffic, moderate costs of living, impressive housing and strong educational systems by using a 20 part formula to rate each community’s quality of life. Other areas of South Florida in the top 10 “places to live” are Key Biscayne, Parkland, Coral Gables, and Weston.

Pinecrest was ranked second statewide by about one percentage point behind Central Florida’s Lake Butler. Pinecrest would have been number one, but, after all, Lake Butler has its own lake! Our Village was ranked 20th in the quality-of-life standings for all the southern United States.

The South Florida Business Journal’s publication of Pinecrest‘s quality of life ranking comes as no surprise to most Village residents. Nevertheless, such a lofty position is the result of the hard work and contribution of many, for many years. Quality of life will always be a work in progress, so we must all continue to seek the best for our community. In the meantime, it is okay to also enjoy the fruits of our success.

I will continue to do my best to keep you informed on Village of Pinecrest issues. Stay tuned. If you would like to be updated by email on any Pinecrest issue or have a question, please email me at JCutler@pinecrest-fl.gov.