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Today’s Forecast

77º | Light thunderstorms and rain | 90% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:20 a.m. | Sunset 5:49 p.m.
 

How does our Garden District grow?

What’s growing in Lakeland’s Garden District
A map showing the boundaries of the Garden District and Lakeland's historic districts
The Garden District is highlighted in neon green stripes. | Map via the City of Lakeland
If you said with a mix of historic and modern design, you’d be correct. The small Garden District has big potential — it’s becoming a hotspot for new residential and commercial additions among century-old buildings and homes.

First things first: What is the Garden District? It’s a small sub-district designated as a redevelopment area. It wraps around the northwest side of Lake Morton, extending north from East Walnut Street to East Main Street, and bordered by Bartow Road on the east.

An exterior view of The Gardens apartment building in the Garden District

The Gardens apartment complex has a more modern design.

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Photo by LALtoday

While it falls within the bounds of the East Lake Morton historic district — which typically means a slew of design rules — the Garden District’s status as a redevelopment area offers developers more freedom. It was loosely designed after Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood, which began taking shape when several multi-family developments cropped up in the past few years.

The Gardens apartment complex opened in 2021 with 90 units, followed by the 22-unit Royal Oak Apartments. Florida Southern College also built student housing in the area.

Residential development isn’t the only new thing in the Garden District. Several businesses have set up shop there in recent years, including Unfiltered Lakeland, Qgiv, and, most recently, Kitty Cat Lounge. Another could be headed there soon, as Inklings Book Shoppe has sought permission from the City to relocate to a historic home on East Lemon Street.

Hyde Park Market

Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood offers living, shopping, and dining within walking distance.

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Photo by @hydeparkvillage

When we previously asked if our readers wanted it to become a Hyde Park lookalike, the results were fairly split between those who loved the idea, didn’t like it all, and just wanted it to stay as is. Break the tie and let us know what you think the district needs, or if you think it’s already perfect. We’ll go first: We’d add a public garden to match the name.
 
Events
Wednesday, Oct. 11
  • Artists in Focus | Wednesday, Oct. 11 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Join the Polk Museum of Art’s executive director for a live discussion with featured artists Reynier Llanes and Samuel Bak.
Thursday, Oct. 12
  • Friendship Bracelet Making Party | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 5-7 p.m. | Lakeside Village, 1479 Town Center Dr., Lakeland | Free | Grab your fellow Swifties and head to Lakeside Village to make friendship bracelets, listen to music + get free CMX tickets — supplies available while they last.*
Friday, Oct. 13
  • Dixieland Night Market | Friday, Oct. 13 | 6-11 p.m. | Pink Piano, 1015 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Shop from local makers at this monthly night market.
Saturday, Oct. 14
  • 18th Lakeland Cardboard Boat Challenge & Lakes Festival | Saturday, Oct. 14 | 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | Lake Hollingsworth Boat Ramp, 920 Lake Hollingsworth Dr., Lakeland | $0-$35 | Register your team to build and race a cardboard boat, or just watch the action — registration closes Oct. 13.
Sunday, Oct. 15
  • Fall Harvest Days At Keel Farms | Sunday, Oct. 15 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Keel Farms, 5202 Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City | Free entry | Find fall fun at the farm, like hay rides, a corn maze, camel rides, and special drink releases.
Monday, Oct. 16
  • Resin Art Class | Monday, Oct. 16 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | $52 | Choose your design and make two night light covers out of resin.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Tech

Send a shark after your compromised data floating around the web
data breach alert computer unlocked steal.jpg
Surfshark One is a cybersecurity bundle for all-over protection. | Photo by Surfshark
DYK? Online data leaks give hackers an easy opportunity to gain access to your personal information and accounts — potentially leading to financial fraud and identity theft.

That’s why it’s essential to take your cybersecurity into your own hands.

For an easy way to manage it all, consider 24/7 breach monitoring with Surfshark Alert, which keeps you safe with:
  • Real-time credit card + ID breach alerts
  • Instant email data breach notifications
  • Regular personal data security reports
Stop worrying about data breaches — get Surfshark Alert
News Notes
State
  • Citizens Property Insurance is taking measures to reduce its number of policies across the state. As more insurance companies pull out of Florida, Citizens has grown to 1.38 million policies, including 19,000+ in Polk County. Keep an eye on your mailbox if you weren’t in the first round of depopulation. (LkldNow)
Number
  • $358,793. That was the median home price of the 1,408 homes listed for sale in Polk County in September, compared to $469,000 across the state. You can also get more space for your money here: The median square footage in Florida was 1,691, compared to 1,838 in Polk. (The Ledger)
Fun Fact
  • The Lakeland Swan Roundup began yesterday at dawn with 50 swans collected for checkups — did you know something similar happens in their hometown of London each year? It’s called Swan Upping, where rowers identify and check the health of each swan on the River Thames. (The Ledger)
Try This
  • Put on your game face. The Swan City Improv comedy team is hosting a live game show called Game On! Lakeland on Friday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. at Rec Room. Get your $15 ticket for the chance to play elevated trivia for a cash prize.
Edu
  • Polk State College will host open houses for prospective students to tour facilities, meet staff, and learn about programs and financial aid. Visit the Winter Haven campus on Tuesday, Oct. 24, or see the Lakeland campus on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Cause
  • Do good with donuts. Throughout October, Mary’s Bagel Café will donate 20% of donut proceeds to Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida. Place an online preorder for a dozen or half dozen pink donuts, then pick up your order the following day to take part in the initiative.
Civic
  • Winter Haven city staff will hold a public hearing of an ordinance that prohibits the sale of alcohol before 12 p.m. on Sundays. If changed, more than 90 eateries, bars, and package stores could be affected. (The Ledger)
Network
  • On Tuesday, Oct. 17, enjoy Gallery Night — a curated evening tailored for business owners and investors who value smart financial stewardship + impactful giving. Mingle with like-minded individuals, learn from financial experts, and engage with local artists at the Florida Children’s Museum. RSVP — space is limited to maintain an intimate and specialized experience.*
Featured Home
  • Experience luxury living in a tranquil environment with Grasslands West, a high-end single family gated rental community that caters to your every need. The community is pet-friendly, and boasts lawn maintenance, pest control + internet services all included. Take your pick from three different floor plans.*
Trending
 
Lakelander

A local artist joins the Hall of Fame

Swansation: The story of Lakeland’s swan statues
A swan statue with a blue and yellow swirl design
There are all sorts of swans to be found on Lake Morton. | Photo by LALtoday
The 2023 Polk Arts & Culture Hall of Fame Gala will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Bonnet Springs Park. Lakeland artist Rick Olivo will be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with five others.

Recognize the name? Olivo was a driving force behind one of Lakeland’s most recognizable icons: The Swansation statues.

The statues first landed in 2002 during Swansation, a public arts project held to raise funds for Explorations V Children’s Museum, now Florida Children’s Museum. The statues were displayed downtown before being auctioned off and relocated.

In addition to creating the mold for the fiberglass swans, Olivo was also involved with the current-day Lakeland Community Theatre, taught at Rochelle School of the Arts, and created DOT, the Florida Children’s Museum’s Dragon of Toys.

Look for the swans all over Lakeland. While most stuck around downtown, a few feathered friends found new nests as far as Winter Haven.
See a map of their locations
Shop

Shop Group A 10.11.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
Seasonal
  • These Halloween-inspired earrings from Eleven + Jane will spook up any outfit. Add a ghostly touch to your look with the Cowboy Up Ghost Earrings.
Pets
Home
Eat
Trending
  • The internet’s favorite tumbler — the 40-oz. Stanley Quencher — is in stock in cute colors like pool, jade, and orchid.
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The Wrap
 
Connor-Keith-Headshot-LAL

Today’s edition by:
Connor
From the editor
Here’s another fun fact from across the pond: Swans are valuable birds, and some trade associations have held rights to certain swans since the Middle Ages. Today, unclaimed swans belong to the King, who even has an official Swan Marker to claim ownership of the birds.
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