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South Florida Living
Experience South Florida living through local guides, culture, events, and everyday moments. From Fort Lauderdale to hidden coastal gems, explore what makes this region unique with insights on lifestyle, community, and the vibrant energy that defines life in South Florida.


I Found the First Black Gay Magazine in America at a Fort Lauderdale Library
I found a December 1993 edition of BLK magazine, the first Black gay magazine in America, with RuPaul on the cover at the African-American Research Library in Fort Lauderdale. The complete archive is right here in Broward County. Most people have no idea.

John Palmer Payne
Jun 141 min read


The South Florida Adventure Pass 2026 Is Back And It’s One of Summer’s Best Deals
The South Florida Adventure Pass returns for summer 2026, giving locals unlimited admission to five popular attractions including Zoo Miami, Butterfly World, Flamingo Gardens, MODS, and Sawgrass Recreation Park. Here's everything you need to know before you buy.

John Palmer Payne
Jun 93 min read


Oakland Park Pride Was Everything
Oakland Park Pride delivered a full-on good time, cold lemonade from Cali’s Lemonade Express, new shoes, and a Head Shoulders Knees and Toes championship I did not come to lose. Here’s why this Broward community celebration deserves a lot more attention.

John Palmer Payne
Jun 82 min read


First Timer's Wilton Manors travel guide
John Palmer Payne's honest guide to Wilton Manors: where to eat, drink, park, and why this LGBTQ+ city is unlike anywhere else in South Florida.

John Palmer Payne
Jun 78 min read


Memorial Day Weekend Did Not Miss: Jellyfish, Mermaids, Wings, and My New Pelican Best Friend
A full Memorial Day weekend day in South Florida: breakfast in Lauderdale by the Sea, BBQ wings at Beach House Pompano, the Jellyfish Museum, and mermaids at the Wreck Bar in Fort Lauderdale. Here’s everything, ranked and recapped.

John Palmer Payne
May 264 min read


Something Worth Doing: Two Days at Tortuga with S.T.O.P.
There is a specific kind of tired that feels good. Not the tired that comes from staring at a screen too long, or from a meeting that should have been an email, or from the low hum of modern life running louder than you want it to (these days, that's far too often). This is the other kind. Sunburned calves, sand still in your shoes at 9 pm, dirty feet and hands, voice slightly gone from talking to strangers all day. The kind of tired that only comes from actually doing someth

John Palmer Payne
May 166 min read
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