Melbourne, FL

Florida has the largest Cuban population in the U.S. The Miami and Tampa areas are rich with Cuban heritage, culture and restaurants...on the Space Coast we have yet to have a large Cuban influx...but thankfully we have a few really good Cuban restaurants and El Ambia Cubano is one of the best!

El Ambia Cubano is a small restaurant built in an old Historic Melbourne home that overlooks a river and park. The restaurant has tables inside as well as a sizable outdoor porch and some stools up at the counter facing the kitchen. Although the parking lot for the restaurant is small...you can always find parking in the near by City parking lot. The issue you may have here is the food is so good and authentic you may find yourself waiting on a long line to enjoy the wonderful Cuban options offered at great prices.

On a recent visit for lunch I decided on a Cuban sandwich, sweet plantains (maduros), and a cup of Cafe Con Leche (strong Cuban coffee with steamed milk...yum)...the entire lunch cost me $9.50 plus tax and tip...an amazing value for what felt like a 45 minute trip to Cuba circa 1960!. The Cuban sandwich rivals those I have eaten (many times) in Miami...the roasted pork is amazing...and I need to know what they do to those pickles). If you have room left for desert try the Flan...it is the best available north of South Florida!

There are always great specials offered (your server will tell you which are available each day)...fyi...they are $7.50 on the day they are offered...and $10 on off days. They also offer music on the patio many nights...so check the schedule (I will include a link to the website below). They have beer, wine and sangria (red or white) available. The sangria is sold by the glass or pitcher...my suggestion...order a pitcher ($15) with your dinner it is really...really good.

El Ambia Cubano is located at 950 E. Melbourne Ave in Historic Downtown Melbourne...they are across the street from Crane Creek (the best place to see the Manatees in season)! If you are coming for lunch try to arrive no later then noon...so you can get a table out on the patio...this way you can enjoy the sun and great food.

Here is a link to their website:

http://www.elambiacubano.com

Along the south side of the Melbourne Causeway as the bridge begins to head to the beach and Indialantic...a small park exists that is one of my absolute favorite spots in the Harbor City. The park is called Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point...and it is a perfect place to have a picnic, begin your run over the bridge and back...or just view the beautiful picturesque setting from this cool little park that seems to jut out into the middle of the Indian River.

This park has very limited amenities that include parking, a 1/4 mile walkway, benches, a pavilion, BBQ area, fishing and taking some beautiful pictures. Many local runners and walkers use Kiwanis Park as a starting point for their run to the beach...or just over the bridge and back (challenging because of the steep incline and decline of the causeway bridge). If you like to fish off land or a pier...this is one of the better spots in the area...you can stand under the bridge and fish...so the rain or strong Sun will not force you to pack up your tackle box for the day!

Here are some pictures of the park and the great views:

Last week I was out showing houses to out of town buyers. We looked at houses for three days, and I'm pretty sure we saw about 25 properties by the time the last day rolled around. The buyers had narrowed the selection down to their final three. They were trying to make a decision on which house they wanted to buy: the house that suited their wants and their needs. I recommended we go back and look at all three of them again.

It's good for a buyer to look at houses a second time, on a different day, at a different time of day (if possible, in our market of multiple offers).

Houses can look different the second time around. The buyer had seen numerous properties, so their perception has changed. The way they look at houses has changed, as they get a better idea of what's on the market, what they want and what their money can buy.

Lighting, shadows, temperatures and neighborhood activity change at throughout the day.

Often, buyers don't remember certain aspects of a particular property. Or, at first, they didn't think to look for certain things in a property.

Buyers can see things in a house differently, the second time around, than they did their first time looking at it.

So, whenever possible, it's always a great idea to take a second look, before you write that offer to purchase.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Broker-Associate

M & M Real Estate, Inc.

Residential, Investment and Relocations

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545 or 321-733-6080

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

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Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

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I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

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Another Bank of America Short Sale property listed and Sold

Claude Edge Front Street Park is a heavily used park that fits in directly on the west side of the Indian River...and the south side of the Melbourne Causeway.The address of the park is:

The community center phone number is: 321-674-5700

The park has quite a few amenities including fishing piers, boat ramps, picnic areas, shuffleboard, benches and a pavilion. A community center is also located on the grounds. The Front Street Community Center has a couple of available rooms as well as kitchen facilities.

The park is open from 7am to 7pm (all night for those with permits) and is heavily used by runners, joggers and walkers who like to go over the river and back. Since Front Street Park also has multiple boat ramp docks it is heavily used by those with small craft to head out for some fishing or pleasure boating.

Here are some pictures of the park: