Nestled along the tree-lined streets of Coral Gables, Ponce Park presents an intimate collection of 58 residences, ranging from two to ve bedrooms. Each home is curated by the acclaimed Meyer Davis, blending contemporary luxury with classic charm to create a re ned sense of place.
Project Address: 3000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Sales Gallery: 203 University Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33134
This season, I reflect on the strong relationships and results built with families across South Florida. With $257 million in closed sales last year, I continue to deliver proven expertise and exceptional outcomes in our local market. If you have been considering selling, this is an ideal time to take advantage of continued buyer demand for homes in
Gables and beyond. My marketing approach highlights both lifestyle and value, positioning properties to stand out. I would be honored to bring that same strategy to your home.
exceptional outcomes in our local market. If you have been considering selling, this is an ideal time to take advantage of continued buyer demand for homes in Pinecrest, Coral Gables and beyond. My marketing approach highlights both lifestyle and value, positioning properties to stand out. I would be honored to bring that same strategy to your home.
- Michael Martinez
- Michael Martinez
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At The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples, the Gulf is yours like never before with a prestigious marina-front location steps from one of the most beautiful beaches on Florida’s west coast. Stunning residences feature captivating seaside and sunset views, enriched by a one-of-a-kind lifestyle with an owners-only club, full-service marina, extraordinary dining experiences, and legendary service.
At The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples, the Gulf is yours like never before with a prestigious marina-front location steps from one of the most beautiful beaches on Florida’s west coast. Stunning residences feature captivating seaside and sunset views, enriched by a one-of-a-kind lifestyle with an owners-only club, full-service marina, extraordinary dining experiences, and legendary service.
Introducing The Park Residences—the final residential offering at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples.
Introducing The Park Residences—the final residential offering at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples. Adjacent to the idyllic Park and limited to just 20 exclusive residences, this is the last opportunity to become part of this extraordinary Gulf-front way of life.
Adjacent to the idyllic Park and limited to just 20 exclusive residences, this is the last opportunity to become part of this extraordinary Gulf-front way of life.
Writer C.V. Shaw has lived a life of full of magic—and she wants to make sure you do, too.
New Horizons
For over 50 years the law firm Colson Hicks Eidson has led the fight for justice and historic preservation in Coral Gables and around the world. And they’re just getting started.
Science Superhero
Not all heroes wear capes. Some, like mom and social media educator Madina Sokolov, wear lab coats and safety goggles.
www.sanctuaryofthearts.org
Undeterred by the challenges the arts community has been facing, our season unfolds across a spectrum of experiences ~ productions for all ages, groundbreaking dance, powerful music, thought-provoking conversations, and site-specific works that close the gap between art and audiences.
From global collaborations to intimate gatherings, our stages and spaces celebrate creativity in its many forms ~ led by artists, inspired by community, and driven by innovation.
Sanctuary of the Arts is your "go-to” place for the best in entertainment! Come and enjoy global, national, and local renowned and award-winning artists!
DOWNTOWN CAMPUS ST. MARY CAMPUS 410 ANDALUSIA AVENUE, CORAL GABLES, FL 33134 136 FROW AVENUE, CORAL GABLES, FL 33133 @sanctuaryofthearts
Tgreeting card companies, not a demerit? After all, haven’t corporations foisted worse upon us than odes to love and stores festooned with heart paraphilia?
THE OLD, HOARY criticism of Valentine’s Day is that it’s a mostly invented holiday, conjured up by greeting card companies to make money.
Well, tell that to Geoffrey Chaucer, who in the fourteenth century—that’s 500 years before Hallmark was founded for those keeping score at home—penned the following words:
For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day
When every fowl comes there to choose his match
Of every kind that men may think of
And that so huge a noise they began to make
That earth and air and tree and every lake
Was so full, that not easily was there space
For me to stand—so full was all the place. So, maybe Valentine’s Day was originally for the metaphorical birds. And maybe Chaucer wasn’t pithy enough to sell a poem to a card company, even if one existed.
But even if the conspiracy theory was true, wouldn’t that be a feather in the cap of the
Our books columnist Rochelle Weinstein—herself an amazing novelist; do yourself a luv month favor and pick up What You Do to Me—offers up a few of her all-time favorite romances in this issue and it got me thinking about my personal favorite rom-com, Nora Ephron’s lovely homage to Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner (1940), 1998’s You’ve Got Mail. Not only is it Ephron’s masterpiece as a screenwriter and director. Not only does it have the wildest cast this side of Love, Actually—Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey, Greg Kinnear, Dave Chappelle, Jean Stapleton, and Steve Zahn.
But it also includes, courtesy Stapleton’s character Birdie Conrad when Ryan’s Kathleen Kelly makes the heartbreaking decision to close her mother’s children’s bookstore, the best line about approaching the inevitable change life throws at us with a positive mental attitude rather than morose regret: “You are daring to imagine that you could have a different life. Oh, I know it doesn’t feel like that. You feel like a big fat failure now. But you’re not. You are marching into the unknown armed with… Have a sandwich.”
Here’s your metaphorical sandwich, dear reader. Let’s march towawrd love, unapologetically.
Shawn Macomber Editor
shawn.macomber@wainscotmedia.com
Advertising Director
Daisy Abreu
daisy.abreu@wainscotmedia.com
Creative Director
Kijoo Kim
Editor
Shawn Macomber
Columnists
Gerry Barker
Rochelle B. Weinstein
Suzan McDowell
Photographer Carlos F. Mendez
www.aquapinecrest.com
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Chairman Carroll V. Dowden
President and CEO
Mark Dowden
SVP, Group Publisher
Thomas Flannery
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Maria Regan
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Rosemary O’Connell
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Operations Director
Catherine Rosario
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Advertising Production Associate Griff Dowden
AQUA Pinecrest magazine is published by Wainscot Media. Serving residents of Pinecrest and surrounding areas of South Florida, the magazine is distributed monthly via U.S. mail. Articles and advertisements contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. Copyright 2026 by Wainscot Media LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent.
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Gerry’s two passions are writing and travel. Atlantaborn and Texas-raised, he left an award-winning media career to see the world. Today, he maintains a website, North Palm Beach Life, and works as a freelance travel writer. Follow his adventures every month in Wanderlust
Suzan’s marketing agency, Circle of One Marketing, which she founded 23 years ago, has grown itself into a formidable and influential brand in South Florida. The agency’s work is mainly done in the multicultural space for a variety of clients and industries.
Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple contemporary fiction novels, most recently We Are Made of Stars Her work has been featured in People, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Country Living, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, First for Women, Kveller, Totally Booked with Zibby, Book Bub, and more. Rochelle is a frequent speaker and workshop instructor. A former entertainment industry executive and NBC-6 Miami book correspondent, Rochelle splits her time between South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina. And in super exciting news, her novel What You Do To Me was recently optioned for a feature film.
Bottom: Kwame Onwuachi, host of Las Lap Link Up at SOBEWFF.
From ultra-luxurious extravagance to the humble joys of nature, we have the inside scoop on Miami’s most unique experiences.
BY SUZAN MCDOWELL
JUST WHEN YOU think you’ve seen and done it all in Miami—you haven’t!
Miami has a well-deserved reputation as an unusual and intriguing place. How could it not?
The city welcomes and embraces people from all over the nation and world—creating a wondrous mélange of so many languages and cultural nuances, experiences and income brackets. Which means there is always something incredible to discover—or rediscover!—in this enigmatic ecosystem we call home.
High-end social clubs are popping up across Miami, but few rival the crown jewel of the Miami Design District: the iconic, reimagined, gorgeous Moore Building, home to Moore Miami, an ultra-exclusive, invitation-only social club created for the VVIP set who gather under soaring ceilings to enjoy the Moore’s blend of historic grandeur and modern luxury. This is where access, beauty, pedigree, and good living converge.
Also swimming in social club waters is the eco-forward Arkhaus, a stunning, seeit-to-believe-it floating two-story mansion surrounded by Biscayne Bay. Beyond its extraordinary views, Arkhaus hosts curated performances, master yoga and meditation classes, chef demonstrations, cocktail tastings, and networking events—or just book the whole thing for a private celebration. For a cute lunch, make reservations (up to a party of six) on the rooftop lounge and enjoy a globally inspired light bite menu and first-class service. www.arkhaus.club/miami www.mooremiami.com
No Miami event experience is quite as sparkly and exciting as the South Beach Wine
& Food Festival. For a quarter of a century the festival has attracted the best chefs, the most exciting culinary innovators, and flavor foodies from across the globe to our sunny shores. From star-powered dinners and cutting-edge tastings hosted by luminaries such as Food Network’s Guy Fieri, Marcus Samuelsson, Kardea Brown, and Bobby Flay—among many others—to passionate conversations about culture, cuisine, and creativity, SOBEWFF’s legacy is elevating Miami’s culinary profile while celebrating the city’s vibrant, ever-evolving and unique flavors. With over a hundred events in Miami Beach and across Miami Dade County, there is something for every palate.
For the festival’s 25th anniversary, Lee Schrager and his team have outdone themselves, curating ever-finer cuisine and booking stars such as Sophia Vergara, Diplo, and Ja Rule. Miami’s own James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein and French winemaker Sacha Lichine will be honored with an evening of unparalleled culinary excellence hosted by Master of Ceremonies Bobby Flay, which will celebrate their profound influence on the gastronomic world. And then—serving as further proof of SOBEWFF founder Schrager’s boundless, restless creativity—the festival
presents Las Lap Link Up: A Celebration of Afro-Caribbean Cuisine, a new event hosted by Kwame Onwuachi. One of the most influential chefs of his generation, Onwuachi’s New York City restaurant Tatiana has been hailed as the best in the city for the past three years, earning top accolades including The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Kwame will be joined by James Beard Award Winner Nina Compton, who is known for her bold, soulful approach to Caribbean cuisine.
SOBEWFF also continues to shine and give back to its community with over $45 million raised to date for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, fueling the next generation of hospitality leaders in Miami. www.sobewff.org
Looking for a truly mind-bending experience that is fun for the entire family? Head to the Paradox Museum in Wynwood, an alternate universe where up is down, down is up, and the fantastical suddenly feels very real. Walk on the ceiling in the Reverse Room. Lose your depth perception in the Zero Gravity Room. Disappear in the blink of an eye in the Camouflage Wall. From optical illusions and inverted rooms to tactile installations, the
Paradox Museum blurs the line between what you see and what you believe. www.paradoxmuseum.com/miami
“For me, the city is best discovered through small rituals and local encounters,” Micaela Martinelli, an advisor at the newly opened Miami office of NUBA Travel—an agency known for its luxury travel experiences offers across the globe—tells AQUA.
“It might start with a drink at Dune Beach Bar at The Ritz Key Biscayne. Go for the casual beachfront vibes but stay for the frozen mojitos, made by Geno, a lifelong island local. For something entirely different, the Faena Theater is a hidden gem. Few people realize the Faena hotel houses a cabaret-style theater with excellent shows. Dinner paired with a captivating performance makes for a completely delightful and unexpected date night.”
www.nuba.com/us
Tucked away in Coconut Grove, The Kampong is a stunning hidden garden sanctuary that feels worlds away from the
city. Once the former estate of renowned botanist David Fairchild, The Kampong has so many scenes of serene garden beauty and an extraordinary collection of exotic plants and tropical fruit trees from all over the world. Tree lined paths wind toward the waters of Biscayne Bay, where a bright red bench beckons visitors to pause, sit quietly, and consider the meaning of life.
www.ntbg.org/gardens/kampong/
Experience a one-of-a-kind tropical botanical garden at the Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead, where visitors are fully immersed in a lush oasis of everything. The park is the only tropical botanical garden of its kind in the nation, benefiting from Miami’s rare tropical climate, producing more than 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts.
Given that South Florida boasts one of the most culturally diverse populations in America, many of these plant varieties are originally from Latin America and the Caribbean. For many, whether it’s Jamaican allspice, Colombian cacao, or Cuban wax jambu, the Fruit & Spice Park tastes, smells, and feels just like home. The park offers specimens from around the world,
showcasing an extraordinary 150 varieties of mangos, 75 varieties of bananas, 70 bamboo varieties, and numerous others unique varieties. Visitors are invited to sample fruits at the tasting counter or enjoy fallen fruit along the trail. The park offers daily delicious tasting tours.
@fruitandspicepark
What’s old is new at The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, re-opened after a renovation hiatus. The pool is refilled daily, with over 820,000 gallons of water fed by spring water from an underground aquifer. Carved from a historic coral rock quarry and hailed for its Mediterranean-inspired architecture, this massive property features two waterfalls and cave-like grottos for swimmers. The Venetian Pool has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places—making it the only swimming pool in the United States to hold this distinction. From its origins as the Venetian Casino in 1924 to today’s amazing restoration, The Venetian Pool is an iconic living landmark, treasured and celebrated by Miami and beyond.
www.coralgables.com/attractions/venetian-pool
Mentoring a child is a gloriously old-school way to make a real difference— in their life and yours.
BY SUZAN MCDOWELL
FOR A CHILD, a mentor can be a steady and objective voice amid uncertainty— someone who listens, encourages, and supports them, but also creates new pathways to help them discover and fulfill their potential.
Yet mentorship is not a one-sided exchange: Mentors themselves gain just as much from the relationship. It sharpens patience, stretches empathy, and reminds adults that they’re still learning, too. Mentors’ lives are often
changed for the better as they find new purpose and do their part to make the world a better place for the future by nurtur ing better people.
No organization is more passionate about youth mentorship than Big Brothers Big Sister (BBBS), a national non-profit with a mission laser-focused on fostering one-on-one relationships between Bigs (mentors) and Littles (mentees) to give these children the best chance of success in life.
Opposite page: WPLG Evening News Anchor Calvin Hughes and his little Shaquille Wright.
This page from top: Victoria Sotolongo (big) and Alayah Johson (little). The Big Brother Big Sister’s Executive Team. Back row: Asim Pleas, Gale Nelson, and Derek Wallace. Front row: Lakeisha Frith and Rebekah Lengel.
In Miami, BBBS is the Swiss army knife of nonprofits: Signature programs include community-based School to Work, which provides high school Littles with on-the-job once a month mentoring with Bigs at the workplace. Littles are bused to corporations to meet with their Bigs and job shadow, engage in mentoring, and participate in skill-based workshops. Bigs in Blue, meanwhile, pairs Littles with police officers to encourage positive relationships with law enforcement.
“We all have a little in common because all of us can relate to having somebody outside your family who says, ‘You can do it,’” Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami President and CEO Gale Nelson, a passionate advocate for the life-changing power of mentorship, tells AQUA Pinecrest. “Mentorship is not just nice—it’s necessary.”
In a world obsessed with shortcuts and self-promotion, mentorship is gloriously old-school. It’s about time, attention, and an intentional act of care. It’s understanding that experience should be shared, not hoarded, and that success is more meaningful when it is passed on. It’s choosing to invest in someone else’s future, while simultaneously investing in yours—without needing applause or a cute Instagram post.
Somewhere between homework assistance, hard conversations, and small wins, mentors remember that impact doesn’t always come from big moments, it comes from real relationships with real people.
Ready to become a Big? Visit www.bbbsmiami.org.
Writer C.V. Shaw has lived a life of full of magic—and she wants to make sure you do, too.
LLOCAL PINECREST NOVELIST, alternative medicine practitioner, and South Florida Writers Association (SFWA) Conference Director C.V. Shaw is a whirlwind of positivity—and about as busy as she sounds. Yet she still kindly took the time to speak with AQUA Pinecrest about her literary influences, her quantum energy work, how she came to write a tale of treachery, magic, and passion set in the lush countryside of sixteenth-century England, and what aspiring scribes can expect from the upcoming SFWA Mango Writers Conference at the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant in Miami on Feb. 21.
You’ve been writing from a very young age. Do you remember what first lit that passion?
I grew up in a Cuban household, where the famous poem by the Cuban poet, essayist, and political activist Jose Martí, Cultivo Una Rosa Blanca (I Cultivate a White Rose), which speaks of peace to both friend and foe, and was often recited, and with such passion, that it would stir up my own. I listened with such delight as if the moment had been set apart for something special. Later on, I’d come to find out Martí, was my paternal grandfather’s uncle.
And what about the mystical? It plays a large role in your new novel The Spell, but also in your day-today work as a quantum energy practitioner. How did you begin to tap into that world?
It was very natural for me. I’ve always felt a connection to the unseen. I remember as a little girl, I used to dream a lot and was eager to report them as soon as I woke up. As I grew a little older, my wise old aunt would call the house often to ask what I had dreamed. With time, I would finally understand why. A lot of these dreams were prophetic, and as I got older, it reached beyond dreams: visions of what was to come happened often. I had a healthy obsession with angels and Edgar Cayce— The Sleeping Prophet I was led to an angel teaching group one day and as I drove away, I noticed the Acupuncture College across the street. I took that as a celestial sign and registered soon after. As I began treating patients as an intern, I noticed my intuitive factor turned out to be able to tap into the root of their ailment and how to treat it. I then continued to study other modalities of Quantum Medicine and eventually started teaching a course called MindScape, which helps students tap into their own intuition— which we all have, though some more evolved than others—through alpha state meditation. It develops it in a way where you can use it to guide yourself through your own healing and other life circumstances. Everything that happens in our life is a reflection of what is happening inside and vice versa. In a nutshell, if one’s energy is flowing correctly—no blockages or stagnation—there is no dis-ease, because we are at ease. But when someone is tense, they are blocking their own energy in their own body. So, relaxation through meditation. Remembering one’s natural state of being is key.
So, The Spell is quite an epic and takes place a long time ago in a kingdom far, far away—yet deals in universal, timeless, relatable truths. Where did this idea originate?
I would love to say the idea was mine, but I was undeniably guided from beyond through writing this story to get one crucial message out to the readers. What was quite interesting is that in my first interview, I was asked a question that catapulted me into a memory I had during a past-life regression when I first became a hypnotherapist at age 22. As I was gathering my thoughts to respond,
the memory of that past-life took over, and I realized that what I had written was a recounting of that past-life—a memory that was forgotten for many years.
How painstaking was the process of developing it and building that magical world?
The world-building and development was actually quite fun. There were real moments of awe when I created a scene out of nowhere with no rhyme or reason. If any part of the process was painstaking, it was the grieving when the book finally went to print, and it was time to leave the castle.
What have you learned about your own life and place in the world through writing?
A lot! I realize that everything I write—or that anyone writes, for that matter—is all really coming from the subconscious mind, looking for an exit so it may to be expressed. The subconscious mind communicates through symbols and images, and we make stories out of them. I find a lot of healing happens when I write. And I have learned there was and is
a lot of healing to be had. Buried emotions I wasn’t aware were there will surface, release, and heal through my writing.
You recently became Conference Director for the South Florida Writers Association. What does the organization do?
The SFWA is a not-for-profit organization providing a space where writers can connect and support writers by offering information,
knowledge, and networking to help writers achieve their writing goals. We provide critique groups for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. And in our monthly meeting we host speakers that bring in tools on all levels and phases of writing to assist our members.
We host one annual writing conference, the MANGO Writing Conference, which is a full day of literary industry speakers touching on all the important factors our members want to know more about. Any aspiring writer or published writer should attend because times change, and even published writers need to stay up with what’s happening in the tech world, such as AI and social media strategies, as we know they are driving forces these days.
Should more people write?
I feel that everybody’s got a book or a story book in them, whether you fictionalize it or not. We are all teachers and reflections of each other—and being able to offer that for another to resonate with is healing for both. What I found with SFWA is the group helps smooth out that initial fear of getting started and pushing through with our amazing support system. Writing groups hosted by published authors, whether traditionally or self-published, really help break that intimidation. And I find I feel inspired when inspiring others to write.
I’ve completed my second novel, The Painted Rose, a re-telling of Alice in Wonderland layered with the true story of the Lewis Carroll and the real Alice—Alice Liddell. It’s got a Girl, Interrupted vibe to it, and I’m excited to get it out. It’s in the query trenches at the moment. I’m also working on a collection of poetry, essays, and short stories called Blue, dedicated to my late mother. It’s about love, grief, awareness, and the existential crisis that transpires when you’re left an orphan late in life.
For over 50 years, the law firm Colson Hicks Eidson has led the fight for justice and historic preservation in Coral Gables and around the world. And they’re just getting started.
WBY SHAWN MACOMBER
“WHEN THE WINDS of change blow,” an old Chinese proverb notes, “some people build walls and others build windmills.”
It’s fair to say that Mike Eidson and Dean C. Colson are master constructors of both— in the best sense possible.
On one hand, the pair are, respectively, Senior Partner and Managing Partner of the venerable Coral Gables law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, which has established itself in Miami and around the globe over the last half century-plus as the gold standard litigation law boutique. Along with partner and former U.S. Attorney Roberto Martinez, they manage the firm, which handles cases ranging from simple accidents to the most complicated automobile and tire defect cases, medical malpractice cases and complex commercial and white-collar cases. Eidson himself has tried more than 200 cases to a jury, and the firm has recovered billions of dollars for clients in individual, class actions, and mass tort cases.
On the other hand, Eidson and the firm have played an integral role in the revival of Coral Gables as a cultural hub: from purchasing, renovating, and bringing Books & Books into a historic property that would help spark the Aragon Avenue renaissance, to establishing the wholly unique world-class performance center Sanctuary of the Arts around the corner.
And that dual legacy of the pursuit of justice and historic preservation is now set to reach toward a new horizon with the firm’s recent move into the penthouse of the elegant South Tower of the Douglas Entrance Office Parc—a spot in which chic, modern professional amenities and technology intertwine within the inspiring atmosphere of a classical Mediterranean oasis.
The Parc Towers, after all, not only encompass the sole business parc in the bustling Gables, but also the Phineas Paistdesigned Douglas Entrance (aka La Puerta del Sol), which includes a stone and stucco
Opposite
This page: Left to right: Partners Mike Eidson, Bob Martinez, Dean Colson, and Julie Braman Kane are settling into the elegant South Tower of the Douglas Entrance.
90-foot belfry and 40-foot curved arch.
The Douglas Entrance was completed in 1924—incidentally, the same year Colson’s father, legendary local attorney, and firm co-founder, Bill Colson, was born in Miami, incidentally—and added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
“When I was a child growing up here, this area was one of the centers of the whole community,” Colson tells AQUA Pinecrest. And he knows of which he speaks: his Gables roots run deep. He attended Coral Gables High. Learned to swim at Venetian Pool. Played tennis at Salvador Park. Carved out a career and life here. “It’s very exciting to us to have the opportunity not only to continue our work as a firm in this incredible new space but also to participate in the revival of one of the most beautiful sections of Coral Gables.”
“It’s going to be one of the most vibrant little villages in Coral Gables,” Eidson adds. “And we’re coming in on the ground floor.”
Eidson may not have been born in Miami, but he’s an honorary native at this point. He arrived in Miami from Atlanta, Georgia in 1972. “It felt like I’d taken a plane to a completely different world,” Eidson says. “I loved it.” He was working with a lawyer named Bill Hicks and Colson’s dad—“a real pioneer in both in the legal profession and in what he did for the community,” he says. Dean Colson was then just finishing law school, but after working in a prominent large law firm and clerking at the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court, he joined the firm. The pair bonded over a dedication to clients and a kind of
creative restlessness that would soon reveal itself—a partnership that remains vital and fruitful more than 40 years on.
“Mike and I are very different…” Colson explains on a recent tour of the new offices to show off not only the stunning views but also selections from the stunningly diverse collection of art that he and Eidson have both been privately acquiring for decades. “…Yet very compatible,” Eidson finishes.
“We respect each other,” Colson continues, “and let each other do our own thing outside of the firm.”
The results are undeniable.
In the years since, Colson Hicks Eidson
has handled a breathtaking array of cases: The firm represented the families of 51 of the 70 passengers killed in the 1996 crash of Aeroperú Flight 603. They tried a dozen claims from families of those killed in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attacks. (And in his role as an officer with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Eidson worked with the U.S. Congress to underwrite a fund to fairly compensate the families as well as organized pro bono representation for over 3,000 of the families before a claims examiner who would place a fair value on the cases. Thanks to his efforts, almost all claims were resolved within a year—a virtually
Beauty and Justice: The art that graces the walls of Colson Hicks Eidson is from the personal collections of partners that span more than 40 years.
unheard of pace.) The firm also represented the families of kids murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and victims of the Surfside condominium collapse.
There is an emotional price to spending so much of one’s professional life delving into small and large-scale tragedies, but the work is important.
“Typically, our clients want justice as much as they want compensation,” Colson says. “We do our best to get them both. Nothing can bring a loved one back or reverse a traumatic injury—they know that—but there can be accountability.”
Once upon a time the firm called 66 West Flagler home. Then they moved to the top office floor of the iconic Southeast Financial Center overlooking Biscayne Bay. “That was a really cool space,” Eidson says. “As we grew, though, it didn’t make as much sense to be there.”
Back in the day, the decision to move the firm to Coral Gables was not an easy one. There was a fear that the Gables did not have the same name cachet as Miami and that the high-profile national and international clients might not realize the two were really one and the same. But the high quality of life called and—no less important—an opportunity had arisen to purchase and restore a piece of historic property on Aragon Avenue in the heart of the Gables’ picturesque downtown. Where others might zig, however, Eidson and Colson chose to zag.
“That space is perfectly suited to a restaurant,” Eidson says. “But restaurants come and go. We wanted something that would have more lasting cultural impact.” At the suggestion of their architect at the time Raul Rodriguez, Miami Beach-native and future co-founder of the Miami Book Fair Mitchell Kaplan was tapped to establish the space as another location of his independent
chain Books & Books. It has since come to be recognized—correctly!—as one of the best independent bookstores in the nation. “We could’ve charged considerably more rent to a restaurant,” Colson says. “But rent was not the goal.”
The knock-on effect? That whole block is a cultural hub. The Coral Gables Museum is next door to Books & Books. Across the street you have Coral Gables Art Cinema. “It was good for the city,” Eidson says, “but also very good for our law firm because we got to work out of that amazing space.” Around the corner there is Sanctuary of the Arts—another of Eidson’s passion projects, which saw three buildings once belonging to the First Church of Christ Scientist converted into world-class performance and training spaces.
Of course, the firm’s community service is not limited to historic preservation and cultural enrichment. Over the last two decades Colson is the only person to have chaired the State University System in Florida, the Board of Trustees of Florida International University, and the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami.
Shortly after the recession hit, the firm sold its stake on Aragon and moved to a property on Alhambra Circle where they were until the Douglas Entrance opportunity arose.
Eidson and Colson spent the better part of a year working with legendary Gables architect Gigi Alvarez to design and build the space out to the firm’s specifications. “Both she and her people are very creative,” Eidson says. “They take the time to look at the space you’re coming from, talk to you about what you want out of a new space, and then puts her own spin on it. In my opinion, Gigi is the Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo of commercial real estate design. She exceeded all expectations.”
The design includes three large stateof-the-art conference rooms in which the firm’s 13 lawyers can conduct depositions, mediations, client meetings, and even mock
prides
on a collaborative work environment that benefits clients and employees alike.
trials. “There’s a lot of space for the lawyers to really do the things they need to do now,” Eidson says. And the lawyers have a great synergy which only further strengthens the firm’s ability to handle significant litigation.
“Throughout the years and each move, we’ve gotten a better and better understanding of what we want, of what works best,” Eidson says. “So, we refine each time and evolve, which is important, and here we are.”
“This feels like the top right now,” Colson agrees. And soon the top of the building will bear the firm’s name.
“Colson Hicks Eidson is not changing what we do,” Eidson says. And why would they? The firm—one of the oldest in Miami—has been on a steady, unceasing upward trajectory for over 50 years. It’s stable of lawyers rivals any law firm in the world. And the world knows it. “We have a very, very highly skilled law firm that is not afraid to get on an airplane and take a case anywhere in the world,” Eidson says.
In something of a novelty in a post-COVID world, the lawyers of Colson Hicks Eidson not only love coming to the office, but they aren’t job hopping or using the firm as a steppingstone. Again, why would they? They work out of a breathtaking office, have the privilege of consistently working on exceptional, high-profile case, and they make a real difference.
“ We didn’t take the corner offices in this move,” Colson says. “The next generation of lawyers here is so talented, and we want them to know we recognize that.”
“Yep,” Eidson says, “the future, is as bright as it has ever been.”
For more information, visit www.colson.com.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some, like mom and social media educator Madina Sokolov, wear lab coats and safety goggles
BY SHAWN MACOMBER
IIN A TIME of hectic schedules, information overload, and outright disinformation, it isn’t always easy to discern what the best—and healthiest—choices are for not only ourselves but our families.
Or at least it wasn’t until metabolic science researcher, biomedical PhD, and local mom of four Madina Sokolov launched Hormones & Neurons, a delightfully inspiring, sometimes whimsical, always edifying channel designed to take science out of the ivory tower and make it fun, accessible, and actionable for everyday people.
AQUA Pinecrest recently chatted with Sokolov about her childhood in post-Soviet Uzbekistan, discovering a love for science, the fun and wildness of juggling professional lab life and motherhood, and why she chose to take her crusade for clarity to social media.
Can you tell me a little bit about your background?
I was born and raised in Uzbekistan, in Central Asia, during uncertain postSoviet times. My mother moved my grandmother and me to Moscow, while she herself went to the United States searching for a better future and a way to support us. In that reality, people were simply trying to survive, not dream, so I never imagined I would become a scientist.
Do you remember the first bit of science that piqued your interest?
I was always interested in medicine, but with gaps in my early education and constant movement between countries,
becoming a doctor seemed out of reach. When I finally joined my mom in the U.S. at age 19, I didn’t speak any English. I went to language school during the day, worked in the evenings as a waitress, and started community college. That’s when I took biology, chemistry, and physics: the foundational sciences to cover my gaps in primary education. At first, I was miserable and my grades suffered, but a few semesters later I turned into a straight-A student.
After three semesters at community college, I was accepted to the University of Michigan, one of the top universities in the U.S. That was the moment I finally felt solid ground under my feet. It was the first time I believed I could achieve something real, and that my dream of medicine might actually come true.
How did you end up transitioning to research science?
You learn what you like and don’t like from experience. I never imagined myself as a scientist. I didn’t even know what research was until I tried it. I was a pre-med student, volunteering in a hospital as well as a lab—and very quickly realized that the lab, not the hospital, was my comfortable place. I didn’t have a specific goal of curing a certain disease or targeting a specific field. Biology in general was fascinating to me: how genetics, biochemistry, and cell biology come together to create complex physiology! I was drawn to the world driven by curiosity rather than profit…Today, I study how nerves regulate glucose metabolism and how manipulating these circuits might help treat diabetes and obesity.
Why did you choose to launch Hormones & Neurons?
This is my midlife experiment! I avoided social media completely for about a decade. But recently, with so many new weight-loss medications and a flood of confusing information online, I felt a responsibility as a scientist to help people understand what’s happening inside their bodies: People deserve clarity. And if scientists don’t step into that space, someone without expertise will.
Was there a learning curve to getting on camera and putting yourself out on this kind of platform?
I feel comfortable on camera, but I’m extremely careful with what I say. I’m also shy about what my academic colleagues might think—academia can be traditional, and social media isn’t always taken seriously. I interact with high-quality scientific and medical information every day, and I’m still learning how to communicate it clearly and responsibly. I genuinely welcome feedback on what I share and suggestions for topics people would like to learn about next.
You’re a professional woman with a demanding job and four children. How do you juggle the lab and motherhood?
Motherhood taught me patience, resilience, and time management—skills that translate directly into being a good scientist. Experiments rarely cooperate, and neither do toddlers, so you quickly learn to adapt. I also get a tremendous amount of help from my mom, my husband, and honestly even from my kids. We’ve learned to manage it together as a family.
At the same time, motherhood has also shaped the way I think about science itself. Scientists can sometimes get lost in jargon and biochemical pathways and forget the bigger picture. Explaining science in simple words to my children is my reality check: if I can make a concept understandable to a child, then I truly understand it myself and can see why it matters. And children ask the most thoughtful questions—often the ones adults never think to ask.
What’s next?
My dream is to continue bridging scientific research with real-world health solutions. I hope to eventually lead my own research program studying how the nervous system controls metabolism and to translate those discoveries into new therapies for metabolic disease.
I’m also excited to grow Hormones & Neurons as a platform for education— especially for women navigating metabolic health, motherhood, and modern medicine. Long-term, I see myself at the intersection of academia, entrepreneurship, and science communication.
For more information, visit @hormones. neurons on Instagram.
This month, our intrepid travel columnist goes south to paradise.
EXIT THE FLORIDA Turnpike onto the Overseas Highway to the Florida Keys, and it’s like throwing a switch. Your shoulders lower. You exhale. Suddenly the stress of everyday life recedes in your rearview mirror.
That was the feeling my wife Pamela and I had as we headed for Cheeca Lodge and Spa in Islamorada, located almost exactly halfway to Key West. Set amid lush, tropical vegetation on 27 oceanfront acres, it has a long history as a luxury retreat for the rich and famous, beginning in 1919, when the Matecumbe Club—so named for Upper Matecumbe Key—served as an exclusive private lodge for the millionaires who came down for the sport fishing on Henry Flagler’s railroad.
BY GERRY BARKER
Alas, the Club fell victim to the catastrophic Labor Day hurricane in 1935, but re-opened as the Olney Inn in 1946. It hosted presidents before it was destroyed by Hurricane Donna in 1960. At that point, the property was purchased by A&P heiress Cynthia “Che-Che” Twitchell, who rebuilt it, combining her name with her husband Carl’s to call it Cheeca Lodge.
As you approach the property on driveways flanked by tropical foliage, the building exudes the atmosphere of a luxurious hideaway. Upon entering their open-air lobby to check in, a staffer greets you with a glass of champagne. And while you do feel special,
this is luxury Keys-style: Laid back, not stuffy. With a full range of amenities, your biggest decision is where to begin: You might head for the 1,200-foot private white sand beach. Or book a treatment at the spa. Golfers can enjoy the Jack Nicklaus-designed, 9-hole course. There are tennis and pickleball courts as well as a full range of water sports including sailing, jet skiing and fishing off their 525-foot pier. Finding a lounge chair or cabana at one of their pools is always a good option—there’s both an oceanfront family pool and one for adults near the spa. The resort features 243 rooms that range from oceanfront suites with private lanais and balcony soaking tubs to bungalows and private one- and two-bedroom casitas with
butler service. Our room overlooked the tennis courts in one of their out-buildings, which featured garage-style parking. If you don’t feel like walking, their complimentary shuttle is at your service.
We have a single word for the dining: superb. Just off the lobby is the Atlantic Cafe, where ocean views provide a great setting for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (Definitely try their French Toast—bricohe bread topped with pineapple chutney and toasted coconut.) There’s also Mia Cucina (Italian) and Nikai (Asian). Across the highway are two more Cheeca restaurants: The Beach Cafe and Pierre’s, adjacent to one another on Florida Bay.
Open for dinner, Pierre’s is nothing less than a gastronomic tour de force. UK-born Executive Chef Stuart Dove brings culinary skills honed by previous stops in Argentina, Spain, and Sweden to create a truly magical French fusion dining experience. Surrounded by North African and Moorish décor, we started with the Locally Grown Butter Lettuce, held together by delicate slices of cucumber, and, for our entree, Yellow Tail Snapper Paillard with sautéed fingerling potatoes, fennel pikliz, and crab butter. Amazing. And whether you are in Pierre’s upstairs dining room or the recently renovated Green Flash Lounge, what’s always on the menu are spectacular Keys sunsets.
Book the shuttle over to the restaurant early so you’ll have plenty of time to find just the right spot for photo ops, like one couple did on our visit who got married on the beach. (Cheeca Lodge also is a popular destination wedding venue.) Oh, and if the surroundings look familiar, Islamorada is where the Netflix series Bloodline was filmed.
Before leaving, I checked out a fishing rod and bait and headed for the pier to try my luck. The waters around the resort are so clear you can see where the fish are. Over the course of an hour, I caught a dozen or so blue striped grunts—but didn’t win any friends among a flock of pelicans when I released the fish back to the sea.
100 years later, members of the Matecumbe Club would no doubt approve of what present day guests enjoy at Cheeca Lodge. They might even take up Pickleball.
Of course, there’s a lot more to see and do on your visit to Islamorada, all of it within a short drive of Cheeca Lodge. Just down the street is the History of Diving Museum, which houses, amidst other marvels of underwater exploration, artifacts recovered by legendary treasure hunter Art McKee. The Theater of the Sea is a family-owned marine mammal park, where you can swim with dolphins. A local favorite is feeding the tarpon at Bud and Mary’s Marina.
Near the monument commemorating the 1935 hurricane is the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, showcasing local art and artists. Founded by Italian-born, Brooklyn-raised artist Roberto “Pasta” Pantaleo, he talked to us about the life journey that brought him to Islamorada in 2006, which to him “evokes the charm of a small fishing village” in his native Italy, and inspires him with its natural beauty and slower pace. His striking paintings and drawings of saltwater fish cover the walls of his gallery, nestled in one of the original Red Cross houses built throughout the Keys in 1937 for hurricane survivors.
We also made a stop at Dolphin Life Hospital, a nonprofit marine rescue and rehabilitation center doing extraordinary work “rescuing, treating, and providing sanctuary for sick or stranded dolphins and whales.” Visitors can take an in-depth behindthe-scenes tour or view the educational exhibits in their museum. A companion facility in Key Largo offers the opportunity to interact with the rescued dolphins.
Of course, you can’t leave without sampling the Key Lime Pie, a Keys original invented by sponge fishermen in the early 1800s. While we gave high marks to the Beach Cafe’s version, you’ll want to try several and decide for yourself.
Whether you come for the sport fishing, the natural beauty, the cuisine, the art, or the breathtaking sunsets, Islamorada will no doubt cast its spell—just as it did for Pasta.
Book your own Islamorada adventure at www.cheeca.com.
Learning the power of a trust can protect you and your family.
BY ALINA F. NUÑEZ, ESQ., ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE ATTORNEY
MOST OF THE FAMILIES WE meet have done everything right. They’ve built successful businesses or careers. They’ve purchased beautiful homes and are raising children with every opportunity available. They’re thinking about college, travel, and legacy.
Yet there’s one critical area where even very sophisticated families leave themselves exposed: They rely on outdated or incomplete estate planning, or worse yet, none at all.
If you own real estate, investment accounts, or a business, and you have children, your plan should not begin and end with a will. In Florida, a will alone still guarantees one thing: probate.
Probate is a public, court-supervised process that can take months— sometimes years—and cost your family tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, court costs, and delays. More importantly, it temporarily removes control from the people you trust most and places it in the hands of the court.
Wealth is rarely lost all at once. It disappears slowly, through taxes, inefficiency, lack of structure, and preventable mistakes. This is why I often tell families that a revocable living trust is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
A trust allows your assets to pass privately, efficiently, and immediately to your loved ones without court involvement. Your
successor trustee can step in seamlessly if something happens to you, ensuring bills are paid, investments are managed, and your children’s lifestyle remains stable. But the real power of a trust isn’t just avoiding probate. It’s control.
A properly structured trust protects your children from inheriting too much, too soon and from outside threats like creditors, lawsuits, or divorce. It ensures your wealth supports your family’s future instead of becoming a burden or disappearing within a generation.
Without a living trust, an 18-year-old can legally inherit outright. Imagine yourself when you were 18 if you were to inherit a significant sum. What would you have done? With a trust, you decide when, how, and under what conditions your children receive assets, protecting them from immaturity, poor decisions, creditors, divorce, or outside influence.
For families who want to preserve wealth across generations, trusts create guardrails. They allow you to incentivize education, entrepreneurship, and responsibility while protecting assets for decades to come.
I also see parents assume they’ll “get to it later.” The truth is that estate planning is not about age, it’s about risk. Accidents, illness, and unexpected events don’t wait for retirement. The families who plan early don’t do so out of fear, they do it out of love, foresight, and intention.
Estate planning isn’t just about
documents. It’s about making sure everything you’ve worked for continues to work for the people you love most and protecting your legacy. If you’re unsure whether your current plan truly protects your family and your legacy, now is the time to find out. Estate planning is far easier and far less costly when done proactively rather than in crisis.
Alina F. Nuñez, Esq. is the principal attorney at Nunez Estate Law & Title, a Miami-based law firm devoted to helping families safeguard their wealth and smoothly transfer it to the next generation.
Schedule Your Consultation – “Protect your family today—your legacy depends on it” (305) 962-5929 | www.nunezlawfl.com
You’ll fall head over heels for these February reads.
BY ROCHELLE B. WEINSTEIN
THE FIRST THING that comes to my mind in February? Love. And, so, this month I’ve dug into the archives for my all-time favorite soul-stirring books—reads that capture the phenomenon of our most powerful emotion in its truest form. Classic tales that remind us that love knows no bounds; that it is inexplicable and inevitable. Magnetic. Timeless. Selfless. Heartbreaking. Grab the tissues and get ready to fall in love all over again
By JoJo Moyes
They are nothing alike: He’s daring and adventurous. She’s simple and practical. Fate joins them when Will lands in a wheelchair after a tragic accident and Louisa accepts the job as his caregiver. Bitter and angry, Will has already decided to end his life…but Lou’s just not having it. Through a series of adventures and the beginnings of a beautiful, brimming love, Louisa proves that life is worth living—even when it feels as though it’s not. Moyes balances rich emotions with humor and wit, emphasizing the complexities of relationships against provocative moral questions. Because sometimes love means knowing when to let go.
By Audrey Niffenegger
Henry lives with a rare condition with which at any moment he might slip back and forth through time. Clare, his wife, lives linearly, loving a man who’s always leaving. Their days are measured in rare glimpses of time, the quiet heartbreak of loving someone you can’t always have. This novel is a fascinating and fantastical— you’ll need to suspend your disbelief—journey of two lovers bound by devotion, fighting for their love in each and every lifetime.
By Nicholas Sparks
While in a nursing home, an elderly man reads to his wife afflicted with Alzheimer’s. The story is theirs, a journey beginning in 1940, when the pair meet and share a passionate summer romance. Cut short by the war and parental disapproval, the couple go their separate ways. She becomes engaged to society man, Lon. Noah, meanwhile, lives a quiet life reflecting on their love. When fate intervenes, as it often does, Allie must choose between security and approval and the love she never got over. A rare, moving tale of love, sacrifice, and memory.
By Judy Blume
I’m aging myself here with my favorite read from the iconic Blume, but this is the book that had me falling in love with the idea of love. Characters Katherine and Michael share the hypnotic thrill of the intense, allconsuming feelings of first love. What sets it apart, however, is the finality. There’s no romanticizing here. Love often ends, and Blume proves that it leaves an indelible mark.
Find these holiday gems at www.bookshop.org or stop by our favorite indie Books & Books
Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple contemporary fiction novels, most recently We Are Made of Stars Her work has been featured in People, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Country Living, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World and more. Rochelle is a frequent speaker and workshop instructor. A former entertainment industry executive and NBC-6 Miami book correspondent, Rochelle splits her time between South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina. And in super exciting news, her novel What You Do To Me was recently optioned for a feature film.
