The grass by the toddler bounce house turned into a virtual baby stroller parking lot during Founders Day in Aventura Sunday afternoon as young parents flocked to the event, breaking last year's attendance record. ``It's a great day,'' said Aventura Mayor Susan Gottlieb. ``We've focused more on the younger population, because we find that we have more and more younger families here.'' A total of 3,705 people streamed into Founders Park for the celebration of Aventura's incorporation as a city, which occurred in 1995. Young families with children made up a particularly large part of the crowd -- confirming city officials claims' that the city is losing its gray. Aventura, once known at least in part as a retiree destination, appears to be growing younger. Even the bingo tent -- an activity that organizers had billed as being for elders -- was dominated by kids. ``I think it tells you about the shift in population in Aventura: a lot of younger professionals moving in with their families, while we still maintain our original residents,'' said Aventura City Commissioner Luz Weinberg. There are no firm statistics to illustrate the trend, since the last census occurred in 2000. But Michael Yavner, chairman of the Aventura Young Professionals, which is part of the Aventura Marketing Council, said he's confident the trend is real. Yavner -- who, at 36 is a vice president at the financial firm Northern Trust and lives in Aventura with his family -- said he believes young couples have been attracted to the area by the city's charter school, the abundance of parks and new housing developments. He thinks the trend will persist despite the recession, since the young families moving to the area tend to be financially secure. ``It's a kid-friendly community, and I think more people are moving into the area,'' he said. The Department of Community Service's efforts to create child-friendly activities were on full display Sunday. Toward the back of the park, some toddlers sat on a rubber mat and did their best to contain their giggling as they tried to follow along with a dance instructor, a cheerful woman who took them through a series of hand movements coordinated to the song This Little Light of Mine. Other children gathered in the line for the face painting booth, which stretched to the sidewalk when Antonia Garcia, 5, asked ``Strawberry the Clown'' to begin with the color pink. A few yards away, Steven Rosman-Beckman, 9, reached the top of the rock-climbing wall while his mother and younger sister cheered him on. His mother, Aventura resident Deanna Rosman, was pleased with how the day was going. She's lived in the city for 2 ½ years and recommends it to friends. ``You never even have to leave the community; there's businesses, shops, parks; you're on the water. It covers all bases,'' she said.

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