Tenants say luxe Jersey City building floods, is a ‘nightmare’

Tenants say luxe Jersey City building floods, is a ‘nightmare’

by Luxury Real Estate

For Jordan Mendelson, 28, living in a luxury developing with a rooftop swimming pool, non-public health and fitness center, ground-to-ceiling views of Manhattan, the Hudson River and Statue of Liberty all a stone’s throw from New York Town sounded like a aspiration when she bought the keys to her $3,600-for every-month, two-bedroom condominium in September 2020. But six months afterwards, it became a dwelling nightmare. 

In March 2021, Mendelson, an lawyer, bought a frantic call from her fiancé whilst she was at the hair salon, indicating the elevator in their 49-tale constructing in Jersey Metropolis — 70 Greene — experienced flooded. 

“There was drinking water pouring down in the elevator. We ended up acquiring to climb up 72 flights of stairs,” Mendelson, who life on the 36th flooring, told The Post. She reported it took her 40 minutes to hike up to her apartment, the place she found her cat scurrying in fright, amid no energy and a leaky ceiling. 

Slow and stalled elevators have been an on-going issue, Mendelson said.
Sluggish and stalled elevators have been an ongoing problem, Jordan Mendelson reported.
Stefano Giovannini

“We hadn’t professional nearly anything like this,” she explained, noting a pipe burst in the developing. The very same factor occurred, she said, in April 2022, and after all over again — and at its worst — previously this month. That time it was so undesirable that hordes of inhabitants had to relocate to close by lodges for 4 days, resources advised The Submit. 

According to the listing portal Lease, Jersey City is now the most high-priced US town to stay in, but those people dwelling in 70 Greene say it’s hardly a lavish life. Extra than 260 of the building’s people have been sounding off in a community chat about the building’s administration — publicly owned genuine estate organization Equity Household, which owns quite a few waterfront properties in Jersey Metropolis, as well as New York Metropolis, DC, Boston, San Francisco and some others. Some of the gripes incorporate maintenance workers not able to change off the building’s drinking water in the course of the most latest floods, which reportedly led to a nine-thirty day period-expecting woman slipping down a flight of stairs as she attempted to exit the making. Other grievances consist of leaks resulting in assets harm, and elevator and scorching water outages.

During the final flood, the elevator dropped 10 flooring in advance of the emergency brake kicked in, one supply explained to The Submit. (Fairness Residential denied this assert.) A lot more proof and scathing assessments can be located on Google, Yelp and TikTok. 

A flooded elevator inside 70 Greene in Jersey City.
Some residents took to social media platforms like TikTok to write-up about the flooded elevator inside 70 Greene in Jersey Metropolis.
TikTok

“This setting up is a total nightmare. It was duct taped with each other a long time ago and its pipes explode each and every six months,” a Yelp user who goes by John B wrote of 70 Greene.

“The elevators have been developed by squirrels and only run 25{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} of the time. I really don’t treatment what web page tells you its [sic] 5 stars or who in the setting up states its [sic] a luxury creating DO NOT Stay Below,” he urged in the just one-star overview.

Other latest inhabitants would agree, notably immediately after the last flood incident.

“You had to locate your way by way of a dark staircase. Coming down 32 flights of stairs was just unachievable. It was full lockdown for the making,” a 46-year-previous resident who has lived in the constructing for 5 years and questioned to remain anonymous informed The Article.

“There was no action program from Fairness right until 4 days right after the incident. Visualize just being homeless for four times? You couldn’t get a lodge space since the lodges were being packed from residents. The simple fact that it took 4 times to occur up with a resolution prepare is unheard of, specifically in a spot where rents are exorbitant,” they stated.

A flooded hallway as a result of pipes bursting at 70 Greene.
A flooded hallway following a pipe burst within 70 Greene.
TIKTOK/@luanamoreira2103

A spokesperson for Equity Residential noted that residents will get reimbursed for hotel stays and assets destruction. The spokesperson informed The Put up they had been unaware that a pregnant woman fell for the duration of the August making flooding.

A different resident, Clarissa Latman, posted a video clip on TikTok right after the final flood demonstrating puddles of drinking water leaking from the elevator’s ceiling, a flooded health club, dirty carpet and residents climbing up flights of stairs as firetrucks appeared to evaluate the condition exterior the developing.  

“I have lived below for more than 3 decades, and have skilled a selection of perilous conditions which came to a head just after our 3rd major flood due to negligent upkeep of the building’s pipes,” claimed another resident, who questioned The Submit to remain nameless out of dread of making retaliation. “The building has been offering us the operate around, not speaking with us,” claimed the source, who also claimed 70 Greene was “deleting reviews” while upping the hire by as a great deal as 30{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9}. 

Jersey City, normally known as the invisible sixth borough of New York Metropolis, can command an normal of $5,500 in rent, according to a report by the listing portal Rent, as earlier reported by The Article. Mendelson began packing her baggage soon after looking at her personal two-bedroom condominium listed for $5,942, up from the $3,600 COVID offer she got in 2020. 

“We ended up chasing them [70 Greene] for a lease renewal and they arrived back again at $4,400, but it was however a $600 increase in 1 year,” Mendelson said,

A different girl paying out close to $3,900 for a a person-bedroom, who questioned The Publish to depart her name out, mentioned she endured $1,500 in residence damage from the most current flood when leaks from the ceiling in her 15th-ground unit ruined clothing, shoes, bedding and personalized goods in the condominium she shares with her husband or wife. Thankfully, she experienced renter’s insurance and reported the making had made available to pitch in.

Jordan Mendelson and her partner David McLellan live in a luxury high rise building in Jersey City, with leaks and other issues.
A memo posted inside of the making notifying inhabitants of a shut amenity room next the flood.
Stefano Giovannini

“Unfortunately we did a short while ago have a pipe burst at 70 Greene which resulted in drinking water damage to a selection of condominium units as very well as frequent regions and impacted the regular operation of the elevators,” Equity Household spokesman Marty McKenna told The Write-up.

“We have labored with the impacted people to locate other lodging, which we are having to pay for. We have also available hire abatements to the people. We are doing the job with our contractors to assess the induce of the pipe burst and to make the vital repairs at 70 Greene.”

Mendelson, even so, is cautious of these kinds of messaging from the administration enterprise right after all she’s observed. She and her fiancé will be shifting future month.

 “It’s not really worth it, at the finish of the working day,” she claimed.

Real Estate Fund Quietly Purchases Entire Community Of 233 Single-Family Rental Homes In Panama City, Florida

Real Estate Fund Quietly Purchases Entire Community Of 233 Single-Family Rental Homes In Panama City, Florida

by Real Estate News

Genuine estate expense system Fundrise just lately obtained Sunset Village, a group of 233 detached, one-relatives rental properties in Panama Metropolis, Florida.

The obtain was created by a joint undertaking between two Fundrise-sponsored funds: the Flagship Genuine Estate Fund, which was backed by Goldman Sachs Team Inc. (NYSE: GS) past 12 months with a $300 million credit history facility, and the Progress eREIT VII.

The joint undertaking obtained the neighborhood for close to $110.2 million from a developer who completed development of the houses in February 2022. In accordance to Fundrise, approximately 52{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} of the houses have been occupied at the time of acquisition. The community is made up of 3-, four- and 5-bedroom properties.

A portfolio update posted on the Fundrise web page about the hottest acquisition states, “Our intent with this and other investments in solitary-loved ones rental house communities is to be a very long-phrase investor, building a scaled portfolio that generates dependable rental earnings, although at the identical time being positioned to capture what we consider will be outsized value appreciation many thanks to a confluence of demographic components driving need across the Sunbelt.”

According to information from Redfin, single-household properties in Panama Metropolis have improved in price by 53{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} calendar year-over-year.

The enterprise has invested intensely in the solitary-loved ones rental area, primarily in Sunbelt states such as Florida. The Flagship True Estate Fund now owns at the very least 650 one-family rentals and several multifamily houses in Florida.

As opposed to the Wall Street funds that have been getting massive portfolios of rental qualities through the state, the Flagship Serious Estate Fund was intended for retail investors — even permitting nonaccredited traders to participate with as very little as $10 through its Reg A choices.

While most publicly traded serious estate financial commitment trusts (REITs) have made adverse returns so much in 2022, the Flagship Serious Estate Fund is at present up 6.2{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} year-to-day (YTD) and posted constructive returns for the duration of the second quarter.

Invitation Properties Inc. (NYSE: INVH), the greatest operator of one-family members properties in the U.S., is at present down 20.3{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9} YTD. An additional main player in the solitary-household rental area, American Houses 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH), is down 17{d4d1dfc03659490934346f23c59135b993ced5bc8cc26281e129c43fe68630c9}.

Fundrise has made favourable returns for 22 consecutive quarters as of the stop of the second quarter of 2022.

Hunting for techniques to raise your returns? Look at out Benzinga’s coverage on Option True Estate Investments:

Or search present investment decision possibilities primarily based on your requirements with Benzinga’s Presenting Screener.

Image: courtesy of Fundrise

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Why You Should Buy an Investment Property in This Booming City

Why You Should Buy an Investment Property in This Booming City

by Investment Property

My investments are concentrated in the Atlanta region, where by I dwell, and I have been fortunate to trip the Atlanta wave for a long time. It truly is however a very good investment spot, but the word’s out and Atlanta is getting expensive. So what is actually the new warm investing location?

A few text: the Rust Belt

Towns of the Midwest and Northeast United States, wherever most of the country’s manufacturing took location, are known as the Rust Belt. We are talking metropolitan areas like Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse, New York.

These when-flourishing towns fell into decline when factories closed, leading to people to migrate to other components of the place looking for much better possibilities. Submit-pandemic, people are starting off to arrive back to this location. The dwelling selling prices are very low, several people can operate from dwelling, and many of these cities are near sights such as rivers and lakes, such as the Terrific Lakes.

Two people taking a road trip.

Image supply. Getty Images.

How to select a good investment place

1 purpose of real estate investing, exclusively buying one-relatives homes to hire, is to acquire in a location that is just setting up to get benefit, a metropolis on its way up. You want to locate these kinds of a location employing what I contact the Goldilocks technique: Glance for an region which is not way too very hot, not much too cold, but just ideal.

If the space is way too very hot, it will be expensive to get into it. If the place is as well cold, it could possibly be way too weak to create demand for your item, which in this case is rental home. Preferably, you want an space that is been cold but is warming up.

The possibility is shopping for in a cold spot that stays chilly or receives colder. You in all probability will not want to do that. On the other hand, here are some features of an forgotten (cold) space on the upswing:

  • Very low rate of entry
  • Trader curiosity
  • Internet migration to the spot
  • Near features (green space river, lake, or ocean transportation hub city options)
  • Powerful or strengthening work
  • Fantastic payment-to-revenue-ratio (profits is ample for people to find the money for housing)

A seem at Youngstown

Youngstown, Ohio, is located in the Rust Belt, with just one of the cheapest rates to entry in the country. Although a very low entry cost alone isn’t going to essentially make a excellent financial commitment, it can be worthy of seeking into, and in this scenario, it might pay off.

The median price tag for a property currently in America is around $350,000, yet the median listing price of a property in Youngstown is a acceptable $115,000. And that is just the median. Forbes experiences that traders are scooping up households at a selling price tag of $60,000 to $80,000 and renting them out. A lot of buyers obtaining in an area is an additional signal of an place in changeover.

So far, we have low rates and investor interest in Youngstown. Also, Youngstown’s spot is great. It really is only a number of miles from the Mahoning River, about an hour’s travel southeast to Pittsburgh and an hour’s drive northwest to Cleveland.

The for every-capita particular income is lower than other Ohio cites, such as Toledo, Akron, Cleveland, and Dayton, so that’s a little bit of a risk element. But people today are setting up to obtain there for the reason that of the very low dwelling rates. Tons of younger buyers are moving to (poor pun alert) Youngstown, in which they can get much more indoor and outdoor dwelling place.

Other Rust Belt solutions

Other Rust Belt towns in which the median rate of a house is beneath $200,000 incorporate:

  • Toledo, Ohio: Median listing price is $128,400. This college city (University of Toledo) is common with Gen Z renters.
  • Akron, Ohio: Median listing price tag is $147,450. It provides a tiny-community experience and a very low crime amount.
  • Cleveland: Median listing value is $169,450. Investors are presently getting below, specifically on the east aspect.
  • Scranton, Pennsylvania: Median listing selling price is $182,400. Scranton receives combined assessments on irrespective of whether it would make a great spot to devote. Value of entry seems to be its most desirable attribute.
  • Syracuse, New York: Median listing cost is $184,900, building this the most inexpensive place to get a solitary-relatives property in New York. Renters who want to remain in New York are exhibiting desire in Syracuse.
  • Pittsburgh: Median listing price tag is $197,000. Individuals are leaving Pittsburgh, which isn’t really a excellent indication, but wages are up, which is. The town is also emerging as a tech hub.
  • Dayton, Ohio: Median listing cost is $197,450. It has not been a sizzling location for traders, but the single-household rental market place is potent.
  • Buffalo, New York: Median listing rate is $199,450. The city has been in decrease and didn’t fare perfectly through the pandemic, but very low selling prices are attracting out-of-city purchasers to the metropolis.

There are constantly hazards when it arrives to investing. You can lower yours by becoming acquainted with your investing location. The far more indicators of everyday living you see returning to a after-flourishing town, the improved. You may want to put this sort of an region on your radar.

Base line: If you you should not dwell in the Rust Belt, it may be time for a road vacation.

JLL Income Property Trust Acquires Kansas City Medical Office Portfolio

JLL Income Property Trust Acquires Kansas City Medical Office Portfolio

by Investment Property

CHICAGO, March 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — JLL Cash flow Assets Have faith in, an institutionally managed daily NAV REIT (NASDAQ: ZIPTAX ZIPTMX ZIPIAX ZIPIMX) with extra than $5.9 billion in portfolio assets these days declared the acquisition of Kansas City Healthcare Business office Portfolio, a a lot more-than 50,000-sq.-foot, three-assets professional medical place of work constructing portfolio with attributes in and all over Kansas Town, Missouri. The acquire price was around $22.2 million.

“We have ongoing to concentration on growing our countrywide health care workplace portfolio as we concentrate on health care-oriented qualities in the workplace sector to get gain of favourable, extended-time period market place traits that really should proceed to produce steady cashflow for our shareholders,” stated JLL Income Residence Trust President and CEO Allan Swaringen. “Kansas Metropolis Health-related Workplace Portfolio is a different terrific example of a top-of-the-line asset in a locale with constructive demographic traits and powerful tenancy that we feel positions our portfolio perfectly for the coming years.”

In mixture, the 3 qualities are 100 p.c leased to a diverse tenant roster of leading wellness systems and medical professionals teams. The portfolio has a weighted ordinary lease expression of just underneath 15 yrs, providing prolonged-time period cashflow. All of the attributes are strategically found during Kansas City, drawing individuals from during the metro location.

The portfolio features 3 qualities:

  • Roeland Park: a almost 30,000-square-foot health care place of work making constructed in 2021. The property’s most significant tenant is AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, a subsidiary of AdventHealth, an expense-quality rated not-for-earnings wellbeing technique.
  • Northland Women’s Healthcare: a 10,000-sq.-foot health-related office making manufactured in 2021 and entirely leased to one particular of Kansas City’s most established women’s healthcare suppliers.
  • Blue Springs Pediatrics: a 10,500-square-foot health care office environment setting up fully redeveloped in 2021 as a most effective-in-course solitary-tenant property leased to a main medical doctor group that is subsidiary of Kid’s Mercy, an investment-quality rated, not-for-income health method.

This acquisition raises JLL Revenue Home Trust’s healthcare allocation to 12 houses totaling more than 1.1 million square toes, valued in excess of $450 million and representing approximately 8 percent of its total portfolio.

JLL Earnings House Trust is an institutionally managed, day by day NAV REIT that delivers to investors a increasing portfolio of business serious estate investments chosen by an institutional financial commitment administration crew and sponsored by a single of the world’s leading actual estate providers firms.

About Jones Lang LaSalle Profits House Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIPTAX ZIPTMX ZIPIAX ZIPIMX)
Jones Lang LaSalle Cash flow Home Rely on, Inc. is a day by day NAV REIT that owns and manages a diversified portfolio of substantial quality, income-developing apartment, industrial, grocery-anchored retail, health care and business homes positioned in the United States. JLL Earnings Property Have faith in expects to further more diversify its genuine estate portfolio above time, including on a international foundation. For extra information and facts, pay a visit to www.jllipt.com.

About LaSalle Investment decision Administration
LaSalle Investment decision Administration is one of the world’s top serious estate investment decision managers. On a international basis, LaSalle manages close to $76 billion of property in personal and general public true estate assets and debt investments as of Q3 2021. LaSalle’s various customer foundation features general public and non-public pension cash, insurance policy firms, governments, companies, endowments and personal folks from across the world. LaSalle sponsors a entire array of investment decision automobiles together with separate accounts, open up- and closed-close resources, general public securities and entity-degree investments. For much more facts, you should go to http://www.lasalle.com.

Valuations, Ahead Searching Statements and Upcoming Results
This press launch may well contain forward-seeking statements with regard to JLL Money Residence Rely on. Ahead-hunting statements are statements that are not descriptions of historical specifics and include things like statements with regards to management’s intentions, beliefs, anticipations, investigation, sector analysis, plans or predictions of the long term. Due to the fact these types of statements include things like hazards, uncertainties and contingencies, precise benefits may well differ materially from all those expressed or implied by such ahead-searching statements. Earlier efficiency is not indicative of foreseeable future outcomes and there can be no assurance that long run dividends will be compensated.

Source JLL Profits House Have faith in

Where Wealthy Russians Own Real Estate in New York City

Where Wealthy Russians Own Real Estate in New York City

by Real Estate News

From left: Dmitry Rybolovlev, Roman Abramovich, Oleg Deripaska, Alexei Kuzmichev (Getty Images, iStock/Illustration by Steven Dilakian for The Authentic Offer)

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears the a single-7 days mark, phone calls are escalating for actions in opposition to oligarchs and their serious estate in the United States.

A selection of rich Russians personal properties in New York Metropolis, however their use of trusts and shell businesses tends to make it quick to conceal them, in accordance to the New York Submit. Nevertheless, some of the authentic estate holdings of these wealthy individuals have turn into recognized and were mapped out by the tabloid.

To be guaranteed, not all of them are oligarchs, who are usually regarded as to have turn out to be fabulously rich by advantage of favoritism by the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin.

Roman Abramovich, recognized as Putin’s banker, has three households connected to him in the city, although ownership to all 3 was transferred to ex-wife Dasha Zhukova in advance of sanctions in 2018. The households include things like a $74 million home at 9 East 75th Road, as properly properties at 15 East 75th Road and 215 East 73rd Street.

Oleg Deripaska, founder of Rusal, is blocked from entry into the country, making it difficult for him to delight in his $42.5 million household at 11 East 64th Road and yet another one at 12 Homosexual Road, which was the moment the subject matter of a raid. Ownership of both of those houses has been transferred to relations.

Other oligarchs with residences in the city involve Alfa Group co-founder Alexei Kuzmichev (33 East 74th Road) Eugene Shvidler (785 Fifth Avenue) and Dmitry Rybolovlev (15 Central Park West). None of individuals three is on a U.S. sanctions listing, in accordance to the Publish.

Just one particular person concerned in transnational investigations spoke to the problem of having homes from Russian oligarchs in the U.S.

“The individuals sanctioned this week — by this level eight a long time just after the initial sanctions — never have traceable assets in their names in the United States, which helps make it difficult to seize,” Stroock & Stroock & Lavan spouse Tom Firestone instructed the Write-up.

That did not stop Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine from tweeting very last week that Russian oligarchs need to have their houses seized in his borough, whilst he has no authority to do so nor any position in the legislative system. Levine cited no statutory or constitutional justification for his demand from customers, nor how he would different oligarchs from other prosperous Russians.

Warner New music operator Len Blavatnik, for example, was included in the Post’s tale, but he was born in Odessa, in Ukraine, and is Ukrainian, not Russian. A U.K. and American citizen, he owns a number of addresses in New York Town. The metals and strength tycoon has attributes at 2 East 63rd Road and 15 East 64th Street. He also owns residences at 834 Fifth Avenue (value $80 million), 19 East 64th Avenue ($90 million) and 998 Fifth Avenue, as properly as a Hamptons residence in Sagaponack.

On Prolonged Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Rep. Lee Zeldin demanded the federal governing administration expel Russian diplomats from Killenworth, a 36-acre Russian estate in Glen Cove.

[NYP] — Holden Walter-Warner

This posting has been revised to point out that Len Blavatnik is Ukrainian.

What to expect at the 2022 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City

What to expect at the 2022 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City

by Home Decoration

The small town of Plant City in northeast Hillsborough County will once again turn on its Southern charm when the Florida Strawberry Festival opens on Thursday for an 11-day run of one of the most-attended fairs in the state.

The pandemic clouded last year’s festival, causing organizers to cancel its usually stellar music lineup. They also spent $600,000 on air scrubbers, acrylic shields and sanitizing walk-through tunnels, and widened the midway to allow more space for the masked crowds.

This year, the music lineup is back with country stars Lady A and Sam Hunt and classic rocker Sammy Hagar, among many other popular acts. And the COVID-19 protocols have eased.

Paul Davis, president of the Florida Strawberry Festival, said they plan to be flexible as new public health guidelines come out almost every week, “but I think our country is learning to live with COVID.”

At the 2021 Florida Strawberry Festival, a popular fair food was the Mega Dog. That's a corndog that is 18 inches long.
At the 2021 Florida Strawberry Festival, a popular fair food was the Mega Dog. That’s a corndog that is 18 inches long. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times (2021) ]

The mask mandates are gone, though they will have masks on hand to give out freely, Davis said. The festival will once again have more than 100 hand-sanitizing stations throughout the grounds. They will request that guests keep their distance and wear a mask when indoors.

Related: How the Strawberry Festival used shrewd Southern charm to become one of Florida’s biggest events

The Strawberry Festival is renowned for its Southern hospitality, which made it the No. 4 most-attended fair in the nation in 2020 with more than 525,000 visitors, according to industry tracker Carnival Warehouse.

In 2021, without its big music lineup and with the pandemic lingering, attendance dipped to 402,000, Davis said. That still surpassed big events like the Florida State Fair, which drew 292,000 visitors in 2021.

The festival was founded in 1930 and it retains its old-fashioned appeal with a midway of more than 80 rides and games, farm animals, funny competitions and lots of food on a stick. And of course, strawberries can be found in every form, from shortcakes and funnel cakes to pickles and strawberry pizzas in the town that calls itself the winter strawberry capital of the world.

At the 2018 Florida Strawberry Festival, the Oak Ridge Boys performed at the Wish Farms stage. The festival is known for its strong music lineup, luring more than 400,000 to Plant City during its 11-day run.
At the 2018 Florida Strawberry Festival, the Oak Ridge Boys performed at the Wish Farms stage. The festival is known for its strong music lineup, luring more than 400,000 to Plant City during its 11-day run. [ DA PRA, ALESSANDRA | Tampa Bay Times (2018) ]
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With no booze, tobacco or other vices, it remains a quaint piece of Americana that offers friendly “roving ambassadors” wearing bright red visors and red vests who walk the grounds and seek out the lost or bewildered with maps and advice.

Here are some highlights to look for.

The music

One of the reasons this festival has such a stellar music lineup every year is organizers discovered that if they can attract young people with a hot music act like Taylor Swift in 2009, Demi Lovato in 2012 or the Band Perry in 2016, they will stick around and spend more money on food and on the midway.

Musical acts performing this year include Nelly, Lady A, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Beach Boys, Boyz II Men, Lauren Daigle, Zach Williams, Jake Owen, Tesla, Cole Swindell, the Bellamy Brothers and Sam Hunt.

Tickets are in addition to admission and range from $20 to $55, depending on the headliner. You can find the full lineup and buy tickets at the festival’s website, flstrawberryfestival.com.

The strawberry shortcake at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City comes with generous amounts of strawberries and whipped cream. But first the customer has to choose: cake or biscuit?
The strawberry shortcake at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City comes with generous amounts of strawberries and whipped cream. But first the customer has to choose: cake or biscuit? [ OCTAVIO JONES | Times (2018) ]

The strawberries

Plant City is splattered in red everywhere you turn because it’s the color of the berry that fuels it.

Many visitors make sure to pick up a flat of strawberries before heading home. You’ll find the cream of the crop from Parkesdale Farms on the south side of Parke Exhibit Building and from Wish Farms on the northeast corner of Parke Exhibit Building and just outside Gate 1.

But it’s the strawberry shortcake that is most famous. It’s a hotly debated topic: Do you choose to top a biscuit or a cake with your gooey strawberry mix before a dollop of whipped cream? St. Clements has a “Make Your Own” shortcake booth in the middle of the Parke Exhibit Building and there are many other booths around the grounds to make your cake versus biscuit decision.

Related: Heavy is the crown for the Strawberry Queen

The milkshakes are legendary, studded with chunks of fresh strawberries and cream. There’s even one at Polar Bear Ice Cream called a Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Milkshake that will line your cup with Fruity Pebbles and top the creamy strawberry milkshake with a cupcake, sponge cake, whipped cream, more strawberries and a strawberry lollipop.

You can also buy strawberry plants and find gifts such as strawberry-themed clothing and home decor.

A bowl of strawberries is seen at the St. Clement Catholic Church booth in 2018 where people can make their own strawberry shortcake at the Florida Strawberry Festival.
A bowl of strawberries is seen at the St. Clement Catholic Church booth in 2018 where people can make their own strawberry shortcake at the Florida Strawberry Festival. [ “ALESSANDRA DA PRA | TIMES” | Times (2018) ]

Contests

The festival keeps the pressure on with an array of contests that are free to enter.

Strawberry Stemming Contest: There’s a youth version at 2 p.m. Saturday, where youngsters of all ages compete to see who can remove the stems from 20 berries the fastest. The adults get a shot at 2 p.m. March 8. All of the green stems must be taken off the strawberry.

Crafts and baking: For less adrenaline-fueled fun, the Neighborhood Village showcases award-winning homemade and handcrafted items in categories such as cake decorating, apparel, food preservation, home decoration items, jewelry, needlework, toys and baking.

Strawberry Mashed Potato Pie Eating Contest: Competitors are challenged with eating one plate of garlic mashed potatoes (topped with strawberry glaze and a fresh strawberry, of course) in under 10 minutes. 3 p.m. March 11.

Super Dog Mega Corndog Eating Contest: Each contestant will be given two corn dogs that are 18 inches long. The first contestant who finishes the two corn dogs and has a clean plate will be the winner of bragging rights. 1 p.m. March 9.

Strawberry Shortcake: Who can eat 4 pounds of strawberry shortcake in 10 minutes? Once they hit the 8-minute mark, their spoons are taken away just to make things a little more interesting. 2 p.m. March 10.

If you go

Florida Strawberry Festival: The Plant City festival celebrates the strawberry harvest with a midway, animal shows and a lineup of top country, pop and rock artists.

When: Opens Thursday and runs through March 13 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily at 303 BerryFest Place, Plant City. 813-752-9194.

Admission: $10, $5 ages 6-12, 5 and younger free. Concert tickets are $20-$55 in addition to gate admission. There are numerous days with special discounts on admission or the $20-$30 ride armbands. Find them at flstrawberryfestival.com.