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Jackie Colson-Miller

Jackie Colson-Miller, CIPS
Direct - (813)629-5757
Homeward Real Estate
3401 Henderson Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609
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Archive for January, 2011

        

Restaurants in St. Pete…Leave Cassis Off Your “Must Go” List…Tampa Real Estate News and more…

Filed under: Best Places in Tampa, Restaurants in St Pete, Restaurants in Tampa

I love to try new restaurants and recommend the “best” ones to my clients who are new to the area. I love French food, having lived in Europe, and  enjoy heading over the bridge to St. Pete for a great dining experience.  For me, that experience starts at the door.  Last night, I was looking forward to trying the “newest” place in the “French” genre, Cassis.  With an enviable location on Beach Drive, they get plenty of “walk in” traffic, so, perhaps they don’t think they have to provide good service, or “polite” service…at Cassis, “politesse”,  is definitely lacking.   Arriving at 6:45, the hostess was missing in action for about five minutes.  When she finally arrived,  I asked for a booth, in the half-empty dining room, which looked like a remake of Thomas Keller’s “Bouchon”, filled with a “mostly “senior crowd” and we were seated at 6:50. Then we waited, and waited, and waited…for fifteen minutes, before anyone from the wait staff arrived to tend to us.  At 7:05, the waiter arrived, we informed him that we would be having the prix fixe menu, but first would choose the bottle of wine.

Oh no, he informed us, the prix fixe menu is “over at 7 pm”.  I politely informed him that we had been seated for fifteen minutes and asked to see the manager.  ” I am the manager, I can ask the chef, but the computer won’t even let me enter a prix fixe menu past 7 pm.” Perhaps, I suggested, you should wait on your tables in a more timely manner.  He then asked if we were ready to choose a bottle of wine????  Seriously? No, we won’t be choosing a bottle of wine, we will be leaving and we will never return.   Just a block down the street, we were cheerfully welcomed at Bella Brava, as we laughed and said…”We just left Cassis over bad service, so take good care of us”…the hostesses laughed and said…”We get that alot…you will be very happy with us”.  We WERE very happy with the fabulous food and amazing service, but that is a blog for another day….Cassis?  I can’t comment on the food, but I can comment on rude service or incompetent management…It is never acceptable and I will never recommend Cassis to anyone. There is plenty of great food in St. Pete…just head down the street!


Cassis American Brasserie on Urbanspoon

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Posted by jackie   |   Click Here To Comment »   |   01.27.2011

Moving to Tampa? Find the Best Schools in Tampa…Hillsborough County Schools Have Many Great Choices and the Deadline for School Choice is Approaching

Filed under: Best Places in Tampa, Best Tampa Neighborhoods, Plant High School, Schools in Tampa, Steinbrenner High School, Tampa Neighborhoods, Tampa Real Estate

The Latest News on Relocation to Tampa, The Best Neighborhoods in Tampa, The Best Schools in Tampa and EVERYTHING you need to know about enjoying life in Tampa, every day, on The Real Estate Sizzle…..

I received four calls this week from all over the US, asking about moving into the Plant High School District, where I live, and work. Each parent had done plenty of research and they had many questions about Plant High and the neighborhoods in the Plant High District.

Plant High School is consistently ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the U.S.  It consistently graduates a majority of students with a GPA in excess of 4.0.  It has over 20 AP classes available to students, starting at the Freshman level.  Students are well-rounded, with most students involved in clubs, athletics and service organizations.  It is, without question, a great school CHOICE.  Whether your child is an athlete, or a musician,  or a gifted student, it is one of the top choices in Hillsborough County.  That being said, I give all parents the same speech…Hillsborough County School System is filled with great school CHOICES, in fact, it is a “choice” system.  Each residential address is assigned to a specific Elementary, Middle and High School.  Each of those schools falls within a specific, “AREA”, of the district.  You may apply for your child to attend a different school, within the same area, if (here is the catch)…there is space available at the requested school.  Plant High School is a “bulging at the seams” district, so they never have space available, but that is not necessarily the case with other schools.

Other top-rated High Schools include Newsome, in Lithia and Steinbrenner in Lutz. All of the High Schools offer AP classes and three high schools offer the International Baccalaureate Program, and there are Magnet Schools for many disciplines, at all levels.  I counsel parents not to look simply at a school’s Grade:  A vs. B, as there are so many factors that might change a school’s rating from year to year, it is best to talk to a professional about the Best Neighborhoods in Tampa for Schools, which translates to the Best Neighborhoods in Tampa for resale.  Most of my clients are in Tampa between 3 and 5 years before they relocate again, so I make sure they are in desirable places for resale…which are always the best school districts. I relocate families to every corner of Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, Lutz, Odessa, Westchase, New Tampa, Lithia, FishHawk, Riverview and north in Pasco County, which is Wesley Chapel.  

So, before you decide on which school district in Tampa is right for you, give me a call, or send me an email.  If you have a specific question about Hillsborough County Schools, or are looking for the boundaries for a specific school, I can help you, or send you to the right resource.  I have been relocating families with children for 16 years and my youngest child is now in High School…from music, to athletics to magnet programs, to AP classes, I can help with YOUR best choices.

It is time for any Choice/Magnet School Applications, so if you are considering a Choice for the next school year you can download the application, or get more information about the school choice programs in Tampa/Hillsborough County.  The deadlines are approaching, so if you are moving to Tampa this year, it is time to look at your school choices and THEN make a decision about the best neighborhood!

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Posted by jackie   |   Click Here To Comment »   |   01.06.2011