Live, local and good laughs. If you want world-class comedy, it can be found at Palmetto Bay’s The Comedy Inn. But you have to be an inn-sider to know what’s coming up. Run like a secret society, The Comedy Inn is keenly crafted by founder Mike Levine, the son of the family who has owned the Quality Inn hotel at 14501 S. Dixie Highway since 1972.
It started eight years ago with a raised triangle of plywood and a mic in the corner of the rarely used hotel conference room.
“Those are memories of when my Dad said I was crazy,” explained Mike Levine. “It’s been such an awesome ride over the past eight years. Some of the best comedians in the world have touched our stage.”
Indeed, nationally-recognized jokers such as Carlos Mencia have graced the now fully-professional stage.
You’d never expect a good comedy club to be out here in the suburbs, but it’s no accident, Levine says.
“When you focus on taking care of the comics, they take care of you and the audience.”
Besides being instrumental in developing local comedians, Levine and The Comedy Inn have a reputation for providing audiences and the performers an amazing venue and environment for comedy.
“We’ve recorded comedy shows for Amazon and Netflix, as well as recording albums in English and Spanish.”
Fittingly, on 4/20, The Comedy Inn threw itself an eighth anniversary party. The intimate room hosted all local comedians, including the ever-improving MC David Stebbins. Yours truly brought 12 friends to the anniversary show and we all laughed like crazy. I’m proud to have found this inn-credible place so early in its existence. I inn-courage you to become an inn-sider by getting on their mailing list (it’s the only way to find out about their shows). Shows are approximately monthly. There is no drink minimum and you’ll love the experience. Full info can be found at <www.comedyinn.com>. They also are on Facebook and Inn-stagram.
Business Networking at Dadeland Mall and Earl’s Kitchen
If you’re into networking and wine, you’re won’t want to miss ‘Wine on Wednesday’, a new big event concept by Dadeland Mall and Earl’s Kitchen.
“It’s about bringing the community together and having fun,” explained Earl’s General Manager Lauren Barr. “On each second Wednesday of the month, 5 p.m. -7 p.m., we’re pouring unlimited wine and inviting business-oriented people to mix and mingle.”
Beginning May 9, you can bring your business card and $20 to the second-floor atrium and outdoor balcony outside of Earl’s Kitchen + Bar to enjoy this event. You’ll get a wine glass and nametag and they’ll even be some small bites. The rest of the networking is up to you.
Dadeland Mall Director of Marketing, Lourdes Rodriguez explains this was the brainchild of the mall and Earl’s to enhance their involvement in the community.
“This is a first of its kind in Miami event,” explains Barr. “We’re much more than a mall and this is just one of the ways we can showcase this. We believe this will benefit everyone, Earl’s, the mall and all the tremendous business people in the area.”
The organizers expect more than 150 people to be at the first event.
Howard Drive Elementary Ladybug Release
“They’re all over me,” exclaimed students of Howard Drive. It was the annual tradition of releasing ladybugs in Palmetto Bay in advance of Earth Day.
Students met on the benches outside the front of the school donning ladybug construction paper cut-outs around their necks and each class then provided facts about ladybugs. Did you know a ladybug’s color fades as they age? A ladybug may consume 5,000 plant-destroying aphids in its life and ladybugs are completely harmless to humans.
No, “lady” in the name does not mean all of the bugs are female. Here’s the backstory, courtesy of the Lost Ladybug Project: “During the Middle Ages in Europe, swarms of aphids were destroying crops. The farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help — and help came in the form of ladybugs that devoured the plant‐destroying pests and saved the crops. The grateful farmers named these insects ‘Our Lady’s beetles,’ a name which had endured to present day.”
Teacher Nayibe Padilla explained, “This is an amazing experience for the kids. They are able to release ladybugs into the wild and learn about all the good things they do for the environment.”
Each class was handed a container with hundreds of ladybugs and sent to various locations on school grounds to let the kids release them.
“This is one of my favorite activities every single year,” said Councilwoman Karyn Cunningham. “During Earth Week we visit every one of the elementary schools and spread the joy of education in this fun way.”
Mayor Eugene Flinn added, “When the adults got up to speak I could see the kids got antsy. So, I was quick to say that what the students were doing was great and then we got to spreading them around.”
Real Estate Update
As of April 22, the Pinecrest market remains soft. Homes listed over $1M are at 13 months of inventory, indicating a Buyers’ market. A healthy market has 3-6 months of supply. No matter where you live, let me assist you with local expertise, realistic expectations and guidance to get you to wherever ‘next’ is. It’s easy to get started at miamihal.com/myvalue.
Hal Feldman (MiamiHal) is a Realtor with RE/MAX Advance Realty. You can contact him with your story ideas or real estate questions at www.MiamiHal.com, Hal@MiamiHal.com or www.facebook.com/MiamiHal.
