KEDI (CAT) DIRECTED BY CEYDA TORUN

TOURING ART HOUSE CINEMAS NOW -- PLAYING IN MIAMI AT O CINEMA  WYNWOOD AND BILL COSFORD AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MARCH 3-6.

Hundreds of thousands of Turkish cats roam the metropolis of Istanbul freely. 

For thousands of years they’ve wandered in and out of people’s lives, becoming an essential part of the communities that make the city so rich.

Claiming no owners, the cats of Istanbul live between two worlds, neither wild nor tame –and they bring joy and purpose to those people they choose to adopt.

In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to the people, allowing them to reflect on their lives in ways nothing else could.

Critics and internet cats agree – this cat documentary will charm its way into your heart and home as you fall in love with the cats in Istanbul. 

This film is a sophisticated take on your typical cat video that will both dazzle and educate.

“I am a cat owner, I admit, but even I was surprised at the power of Kedi. 

Where did all that emotion come from? 

It’s because what Torun really captures in her unexpectedly powerful film is kindness in its purest form.”
– ROGEREBERT.COM

https://www.kedifilm.com/

THE COOLEST TWITTER FOLLOW

ISTANBUL RESEARCHER

Istanbul Researcher -- @istanbulism on Twitter -- is a treasure trove of still and moving images of the Cultural Capital of Europe.

The site is not political our religious.

Just lots of modern and historic images of one of the most significant cities on earth.

Inspired by the beauty of Istanbul and only on Twitter since September 2016, the site already has more than 200 awesome pictures and videos of the city once known as Constantinople.

GLAMOUR HOTEL -- SIRKECI, ISTANBUL

OUTDOOR AND INDOOR LUXURY AT JUST THE RIGHT PRICE

Well-placed in the religious interests, sightseeing, culture area of Istanbul city, Glamour Hotel provides a most conducive spot for you to take a break from your busy days. The hotel is not too far from the city center: just 5 km away, and it normally takes about 40 minutes to reach the airport. With its convenient location, the hotel offers easy access to the city's must-see destinations.

At Glamour Hotel, every effort is made to make guests feel comfortable. To do so, the hotel provides the best in services and amenities. Guests of the hotel can enjoy on-site features like 24-hour room service, free Wi-Fi in all rooms, daily housekeeping, taxi service, 24-hour front desk. 

The hotel features 39 beautifully appointed guest rooms, many of which include closet, complimentary tea, towels, wooden/parqueted flooring, slippers. The hotel offers wonderful recreational facilities such as garden to make your stay truly unforgettable. Enjoy unparalleled services and a truly prestigious address at the Glamour Hotel.

http://www.glamourhotel.com/

RUMELI KAHVE & ÇIKOLATA

SIRKECI, FATIH, ISTANBUL

An open letter to these fine makers of chocolate:

I ate chocolate desserts, bought truffles for the road and had hot chocolate at your cafe 5 of the 10 days I was in Istanbul in September.

It was my first trip to the city and I'm so glad I accidentally got off the Tram at Sirkeci instead of Eminonu for the ferry docks.

I wandered into your store, was offered a sample and had more coffee/hot chocolate/snacks there than any place in town -- from the Old City to Golden Horn to Beyoglu to Asian side and beyond.

I am returning to the city in 2017. I purposely booked a small hotel in Sirkeci, just so I'd be a less than 5 minute walk from Rumeli -- for late breakfast, mid-day and even chocolate.

I cannot wait to return.

http://www.rumelicikolatacisi.com/en/homepage

SAPPHIRE HOTEL -- SIRKECI, ISTANBUL

4.5 STAR TRIP ADVISOR RATED PROPERTY WITH ITS OWN TURKISH BATH

The large (60-room), pretty impressive Hotel Safir (Sapphire) fronts on İbni Kemal Caddesi.

It is a mostly pedestrian street populated largely by hotels and restaurants, some with sidewalk tables (like the fine Pasazade Restaurant opposite the Safir.)

There's no traffic to speak of on İbni Kemal, just a few deliveries, and the diners are usually not noisy.

--TurkeyTravelPlanner.com

https://www.hotelsapphire.com/home.html

NOLA ABSTRACTS

ST. CHARLES STREET CAR

UPTOWN

PHOTOS BY STEVE WRIGHT

ASHTRAY HOUSE

PARK ISLAND, NEW ORLEANS

Frank Lloyd Wright contemporary Albert Ledner used many innovative design techniques and materials in his homes.

But perhaps none so peculiar as the 1,200 amber ashtrays that the architect installed on the exterior of this New Orleans mid-century home.

The 1962 Park Island casa was the home of former Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, aka Bureau of Prisons inmate #32751-034.

(text adapted from NBC Los Angeles online)

DOC PAULIN HOUSE

NEXT TO LAFAYETTE CEMETERY NO. 2

Ernest "Doc" Paulin (June 22, 1907 – November 20, 2007) was a New Orleans jazz brass band leader and trumpeter.

Paulin was born in Wallace, Louisiana, in St. John the Baptist Parish to a Creole French speaking family. Paulin's father played the accordion. Edgar Peters, his uncle, was a trombonist. Paulin relocated to nearby New Orleans in his youth. He was active on the city's music scene since the 1920s and continued performing marching in long parades into the 1990s. His non-Union band gave many young musicians their start in playing professionally.

Paulin had 13 children, six of whom played music professionally, starting in their father's band. His sons continue to have one of the city's better known brass bands, the Paulin Brothers Band. Son Rickey Paulin, a clarinet player, was displaced to Houston by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Paulin's band was featured in Always for Pleasure, an award-winning documentary about New Orleans culture. Paulin recorded in the early 1960s with Emile Barnes on Icon Records, and in 1980 his brass band made an LP released on Folkways. He also performs on the CD by his sons' 1996 Paul Brothers Jazz Band The Tradition Continues.

GINGER MINT JULEP

THE NEW DRINK. EMERSON'S...

We love this ghost sign for a Mint Julep drink in New Orleans' French Quarter.

It is on the north side of the building next to Fire Station 29, in the 300 block of Decatur Street.

LAFAYETTE CEMETERY NO. 2

ON A MISTY CHRISTMAS MORNING IN NEW ORLEANS

STEVE WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIVE

NOLA ABANDONED HOUSE

STILL BEARING KATRINA RESCUERS GRID

PLUS URBIA'S JUAN MULLERAT QUOTED BY UNIVISION

La Pequeña Habana de Miami, un 'Tesoro Nacional' que lucha por mantener su identidad

El barrio que acogió al exilio cubano y sigue siendo un punto receptor de migrantes y turistas acaba de ser declarado Tesoro Nacional. Por delante hay un plan de revitalización de sus calles y edificios y un reto: que las nuevas construcciones no acaben con su carácter ni echen a los vecinos de toda la vida.

Ante sus quejas, Juan Mullerat, un arquitecto y urbanista que dirige PlusUrbia, una de las firmas que trabaja en el plan de revitalización del barrio, invitó a la mujer a participar en algunas de las reuniones y grupos de discusión que pretenden hacer con la comunidad.

"La idea es traer la suficiente gente como para saber cuál es la manera en la que tenemos que diseñar para que el futuro de la Pequeña Habana no solo sea contextual con la manera con la que está hoy, sino que también atraiga nuevas fuentes económicas y de inversión", le explicó después Mullerat a Univision Noticias. "La gente tiene que ser la propietaria del plan maestro, no nosotros".

CLICK FOR FULL STORY

WLRN (NPR-MIAMI) COVERS PLUSURBIA DESIGN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Little Havana named "national treasure" 

by National Trust for Historic Preservation

  

The National Trust for Historic Preservation added Miami’s Little Havana Neighborhood to its list of “National Treasures” which contains more than 75 buildings, neighborhoods and natural landscapes threatened by development or neglect.

The only other treasure from Florida is another Miami landmark, the Miami Marine Stadium.

The announcement that the historic heart of Miami’s Cuban community will join the "national treasures" list comes days after the city of Miami scrapped a zoning proposal opponents argued would displace working-class and immigrant residents.

click for rest of story and audio link

CBS4 MIAMI PRAISES EFFORT THAT PLUSURBIA DESIGN IS PROUD TO BE PART OF

Miami’s Little Havana Gains “National Treasure” Label

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — A group looking to preserve a piece of history have their sights set on Miami’s Little Havana – the epicenter of the Cuban diaspora.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation added Little Havana to its list of “national treasures” Friday, saying it should be protected from developers who are transforming much of Miami’s downtown and its surroundings.

LINK TO FULL STORY

LITTLE HAVANA

POETRY

By Heidi Johnson-Wright

Little Havana is:

The aroma of picuala

The taste of cafe con leche

The brilliant red of flamboyan

the cry of the itinerant knife sharpener.

We are not seas of asphalt, mountains of big box stores and the dead smell of sameness.

La Pequeña Habana "tesoro nacional" de EEUU

El Fondo Nacional para la Preservación Histórica de Estados Unidos añadió el viernes a la Pequeña Habana -, epicentro de la diáspora cubana- a su lista de "tesoros nacionales", al señalar que debe ser protegida de los desarrolladores inmobiliarios que están transformando gran parte del centro de Miami y sus alrededores.

Los grupos de preservación histórica se aliaron con las autoridades de Miami en apoyo de la Pequeña Habana.

Read full story

Designan a La Pequeña Habana de Miami

Tesoro Nacional

La Pequeña Habana, el emblemático vecindario del exilio cubano en Miami, fue declarada hoy Tesoro Nacional y, como tal, emprenderá un plan de revitalización a largo plazo apoyado por diversas organizaciones.

Durante su designación, en presencia del alcalde de Miami, el cubano Tomás Regalado, el National Trust for Historic Preservation destacó el espíritu inmigrante que construyó La Pequeña Habana y la comunidad que la hizo su hogar.

"La Pequeña Habana no es solo el Parque del Dominó ni el Teatro Tower, es una isla de Ellis del sur", destacó el alcalde al referirse al famoso punto masivo de entrada de inmigrantes en Nueva York.

Haga clic para ver toda la historia

El barrio La Pequeña Habana de Miami

declarado Tesoro Nacional de EE.UU.

Miami (EE.UU.), 27 ene (EFE).- La Pequeña Habana, el emblemático vecindario del exilio cubano en Miami, fue declarada hoy Tesoro Nacional y, como tal, emprenderá un plan de revitalización a largo plazo apoyado por diversas organizaciones.

Durante la ceremonia de designación, en presencia del alcalde de Miami, el cubano Tomás Regalado, el National Trust for Historic Preservation destacó el espíritu inmigrante que construyó La Pequeña Habana y la comunidad que la hizo su hogar.

"La Pequeña Habana no es solo el Parque del Dominó ni el Teatro Tower, es una isla de Ellis del sur", destacó el alcalde en referencia al famoso punto masivo de entrada de inmigrantes en Nueva York.

La presidenta del National Trust, Stephanie Meeks, aseguró que la historia de la Pequeña Habana es la misma de Estados Unidos y resaltó además que el vecindario "sigue siendo dinámico, rico en cultura y asequible".

Haga clic para ver toda la historia

SAVING PLACES

PLUS URBIA DESIGN A PROUD PARTNER

History

Little Havana’s story is at the heart of the American experience. From its earliest days as a residential suburb, to its iconic role as a haven for Cuban Americans, to its more recent role as a home to immigrants from Central America and the Caribbean, Little Havana has been shaped by people striving to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Threat

Despite Little Havana’s significant place in our national story, the neighborhood currently faces a range of threats, including development pressure, demolition of historic buildings, displacement of existing residents, and zoning changes that could impact its affordability, cultural richness, and character.

Opportunity

With appropriate master planning informed by community engagement and lessons learned from cities across the country, Little Havana can remain a thriving, healthy, and livable community that embraces its past while planning for a bright future. With input from the community and local partners Dade Heritage Trust and PlusUrbia Design, the National Trust will focus on solutions that ensure that Little Havana remains a dynamic, culturally rich neighborhood that can continue to welcome future generations of Americans.

Read full post in English and Spanish

PLUS URBIA DESIGN’S JUAN MULLERAT QUOTED IN EL NUEVO HERALD

Nuevas ideas de planeación urbana para La Pequeña Habana

HAY MUCHO INTERÉS EN LA PEQUEÑA HABANA. ES LA ELLIS ISLAND DE MIAMI -- Juan Mullerat, director de la firma de diseño miamense PlusUrbia

“Hay mucho interés en La Pequeña Habana. Es la Ellis Island de Miami”, dijo Juan Mullerat, director de la firma de diseño miamense PlusUrbia, que tiene un interés activo en La Pequeña Habana. “Es un lugar de muchas culturas que exige un alto nivel de atención para asegurarnos de hacer lo correcto”.

Un grupo de empresarios que presionan para crear un distrito de fomento en La Pequeña Habana contempla emular a los dueños de negocios de Wynwood, quienes con la ayuda de PlusUrbia crearon una guía de diseño y zonificación para ese vecindario.preservación de este vecindario, es muy importante y significativo para nosotros”.

CLICK TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE

Read more here: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/sur-de-la-florida/article129381534.html#storylink=cpy

TRAVELERS TODAY NOTES PLUS URBIA'S KEY ROLE IN LITTLE HAVANA REVITALIZATION

Little Havana In Miami Just Declared A “National Treasure”

Little Havana, a community in Miami which has always been the emotional center of opposition to the Cuban regime of Fidel Castro, has been declared a "national treasure" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This was in partnership with partnership with Dade Heritage Trust, Live Healthy Little Havana and PlusUrbia Design.

"Little Havana is a symbol of the immigrant experience in America and a thriving, entirely unique place that thousands of people currently call home," said Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, according to the Yahoo News, Little Havana remains the center of everything Cuban: from Cigars, Cuban music, café con leche, and Cuban salsa clubs. When former Cuban leader Fidel Castro died, Cuban exiles danced and rejoiced on the streets

click for entire story

Juan Mullerat to join MCAD Panel on Boutique Development

PlusUrbia Principal to speak on Art, Architecture & Landscape Design 

Date: 02/09/2017

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: Miami Center for Architecture and Design

Description:

Art, Architecture & Landscape Design in Boutique Development

How have various disciplines been integrated into boutique projects to articulate a powerful sense of identity and place? What considerations are taken into account that differs from mammoth development?

Our panel ranges from two developers, skilled at both large and small-scale projects, to an urban designer whose revitalization plans have won numerous awards. An art gallery owner and a landscape designer will discuss how the overall aesthetics are determined, as well as the integration of their site-specific work into various projects.

click for full details

LOCAL ABC 10 MIAMI COVERS PLUSURBIA DESIGN'S LATEST PROJECT

Little Havana designated national treasure

MIAMI - Miami's Little Havana was designated a national treasure Friday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The distinction means that those who work or live in the neighborhood will have guidance in making sure it remains a vibrant, unique place with a bright future, officials said.

"We feel the National Historic Trust will be the best partner ever in keeping the ambiance of Little Havana, but at the same time, making sure that the world knows that there is a Little Havana here in Miami," Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said.

Little Havana stands as a testament to the immigrant spirit in America and in South Florida, officials said.

click here for full story

PLUS URBIA DESIGN MENTIONED ON CNN

PROUD TO BE PART OF NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PLACES
TEAM PRESERVING AND ENHANCING LITTLE HAVANA

(CNN)Little Havana: It's the Miami neighborhood whose name conjures up so much.

It's where politicians of every stripe have gone for decades to condemn the Cuban government and secure the Cuban-American vote. It's where people danced in the street after former Cuban leader Fidel Castro died on November 25.

When waves of Cubans fled their homeland after the 1959 revolution and in the decades that followed, many headed to the neighborhood that is still the emotional center of Miami's Cuban community. It's also home to a growing number of immigrants from other parts of the Americas.

Even though many Cubans and their descendants spread out across South Florida and beyond, Little Havana has remained the heart of Cuba in exile, where café con leche and cigars still abound.

Now, it's officially a national treasure.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation made the declaration Friday in partnership with Dade Heritage Trust, Live Healthy Little Havana and PlusUrbia Design.

"Little Havana is a symbol of the immigrant experience in America and a thriving, entirely unique place that thousands of people currently call home," said Stephanie Meeks, the nonprofit's president and CEO.

"The National Trust welcomes the urban resurgence that is breathing new life into cities across the country, but we also believe that growth should not come at the expense of the vibrant historic neighborhoods like Little Havana that make cities unique and desirable places.

"As we work to preserve and celebrate Little Havana, we want to make sure it remains a healthy, vital and affordable urban neighborhood." 

With the declaration, the National Trust is launching a long-term planning process that seeks to work with local residents and partners to protect the community of Little Havana while planning for its future. 

"This historic designation enshrines the diverse culture and history of Little Havana," said Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. "Little Havana has been the destination for hundreds of thousands of Latin American immigrants since the 1960s seeking the promise of a new life in America.

"This national recognition confirms the neighborhood's cultural significance in the immigrant experience."

THANK YOU TO MIAMI TODAY FOR PUTTING A HUMAN FACE ON PLUSURBIA DESIGN'S ROLE IN LITTLE HAVANA

Coalition works to preserve what all love in Little Havana

CLICK TO READ FULL STORY AT PLUSURBIA'S SITE

Why Little Havana was just declared a 'national treasure'

The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Friday added the immigrant community to its list, along with 77 other historic sites around the United States.

By Mengqi Sun, Staff, @mitchiesun

JANUARY 28, 2017 —A haven for Cuban Americans, Little Havana, one of Miami’s most historic neighborhood, is now a "national treasure."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Friday added the immigrant community to its list, one of 78 sites to be awarded the designation, honoring the Miami neighborhood's inclusiveness and significant role in the national story while launching a long-term campaign to preserve its heritage.

“Little Havana is a symbol of the immigrant experience in America and a thriving, entirely unique place that thousands of people currently call home,” said Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in the announcement.

"This historic designation enshrines the diverse culture and history of Little Havana," Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado told CNN. "This national recognition confirms the neighborhood’s cultural significance in the immigrant experience."

The neighborhood, created as an enclave for Cuban refugees fleeing their homeland after the 1959 revolution, is also home to a growing number of immigrants from throughout Central America and the Caribbean and is the second-most popular tourism destination in Miami. 

Read entire Christian Science Monitor Story here

Miami’s Little Havana named a ‘National Treasure’

A long-term planning process for the historic area launched today

BY JOSH BAUMGARD  JAN 27, 2017, 10:19AM EST CURBED.com

Little Havana, one of Miami’s most historic neighborhoods, was just named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with a long-term planning process launching today designed to “ensure that Little Havana can remain a thriving, healthy and livable community that embraces its past while planning for a brighter future,” according to the press release.

The process was initiated in partnership with Dade Heritage Trust, PlusUrbia Design, and Live Healthy Little Havana, and is designed to protect the neighborhood against threats like development pressure, historic building demolition, and displacement of existing residents.

“Little Havana is a symbol of the immigrant experience in America and a thriving, entirely unique place that thousands of people currently call home,” said Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation “The National Trust welcomes the urban resurgence that is breathing new life into cities across the country, but we also believe that growth should not come at the expense of the vibrant historic neighborhoods like Little Havana that make cities unique and desirable places. As we work to preserve and celebrate Little Havana, we want to make sure it remains a healthy, vital, and affordable urban neighborhood.”

The Trust started an initiative called ReUrbanism, which focuses on reusing older buildings to benefit communities. with research concluding interesting facts like more than half of Miami’s 100 most populated city blocks are in Little Havana and Miami’s greatest concentration of affordable rental housing can be found in the area as well.

“This historic designation enshrines the diverse culture and history of Little Havana,” added City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. “Little Havana has been the destination for hundreds of thousands of Latin American immigrants since the 1960s seeking the promise of a new life in America. This national recognition confirms the neighborhood’s cultural significance in the immigrant experience.”

Back in Spring of 2016, Plusurbia launched MyCalle8, which envisioned a reinvigorated and safer Calle Ocho, which unequivocally would uplift the city of Miami.

OUR SIAMESE RESCUE CAT

HONEY BEAR

My Siamese cat Honey Bear knows I shouldn't be working with a cold, so she is blocking keyboard with her paws and the mouse with her head.

No more work today and I mean it, Uncle Steve. -- said Honey Bear the Siamese, swishing her tail across the laptop keyboard and screen when another bout of coughing proved I should not work from home with a bad cold.