The Flamingos

The Flamingos

Welcome to Florida Weekly’s Best special section

In this, our Best special section which we call The Flamingos, we highlight the wackiest and the most wondrous, the sublime and the ridiculous — the things that add up to make South Florida among the most interesting places to survive and thrive. Many “best of ” publications are filled solely with content that’s bought and paid for. That isn’t […]

BEST ARTIST

Cesar Aguilera Cesar Aguilera, originally from Quito, Ecuador, his body of work evinces a passion to change the injustices wrought by humans on each other, the animal kingdom and the environment. His art is inspired by the preservation of life. He is the art curator at the Sidney & Berne Davis art center, co-founder of the art collective Artsemble Underground. […]

BEST PLACE TO LIVE

Naples, FL

For Naples residents, it’s nothing but good news since, according to Schoolaroo, (a non-profit educational research company and scholarship website engine), Naples ranks as the No. 1 place to live in the United States. Scoring top overall rankings in health care (number of hospitals) and leisure and entertainment, Naples also ranked in the top 10 in education, economy, and crime […]

BEST FLORIDA MAN – NAPLES STYLE

And a pretty good best son, too

Naples resident Johnny Lauder braved rising flood waters during Hurricane Ian to rescue his mother, Karen – who has one leg and uses a wheelchair – after she decided to ride out the storm at home. He documented his trek with video and photos so family would know he was OK. Mr. Lauder got to her home, as did his […]

BEST FLORIDA MALE

M15

Southwest Florida’s famous eagle and internet phenomenon Harriet has been missing since January, but guess who stepped up to care for kids E21 and E22? Only maybe the best eagle dad and male that Florida has ever seen. M15 has been doing a tremendous job as a single parent, taking care of feeding, nurturing, and protecting his two eaglets who […]

BEST PICKLES

Morgan Brown

Morgan Brown is just 15 years old, but she is now winning pickleball tournaments all over the nation. The Barron Collier High School freshman started playing the game when she was 10 and has quickly progressed to one of the top-rated players. She’s won numerous tournaments including the US Open in Naples and the Nationals in California. Morgan recently moved […]

BEST SUPPORT FOR LOCAL TEACHERS

Florida Disaster and Collier Comes Together Funds

When Hurricane Ian swept into town it left many teachers struggling to pay for their damaged homes. So the Volunteer Florida Foundation’s Florida Disaster Fund, a private fund initiated by the Governor and First Lady to assist educators facing serious challenges with housing and transportation, gave Champions money to help them. Additional funding was then secured from the Collier Comes […]

BEST ON AIR LIFE SAVERS

ABC7; NBC2

It may go without saying that the team at ABC7 and NBC2 saved lives during Hurricane Ian. They provided around-the-clock television coverage with the kind of technology, concern, and awareness that only the best money could buy and the finest professionals who really cared could offer. With many of them hearing personal losses to their homes and cars, they powered […]

BEST POLITICAL UNITED FRONT

Biden/DeSantis

Only six days after the storm broke through, two of the biggest political figures from the Republican and Democrat parties also came together. In a united front, President Joe Biden and Gov. Ron DeSantis came together, met and held a press conference on Fort Myers Beach. The two, who could eventually be competitors running against each other in a 2024 […]

BEST CLASSY EXIT

Kamela Patton Ph.D.

Kamela Patton served as Collier County school superintendent from 2011 until the newly elected school board dismissed her in December. She’d led the district through two hurricanes and the pandemic. Graduation rates rose from 72.5% to 92.2%. She was named Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and was one of four finalists for the […]


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