Why is Surfside so special?

Some time ago my brother from Tuscany came to visit and after a few days he told me: "The sense of community you have here is amazing! You guys go to the beach to get together, walk to each other's houses for dinners and parties, and meetup on the street!" I found that comment remarkable, especially because Italy is renown for the "slow food" and relationship oriented lifestyle.

I started asking myself what was the reason why Surfside has that kind of "vibe"... I think it's a good combination of size, proximity, and diversity. It's a small town, you can easily walk or bike around and go wherever you have to go, and a lot of us are coming form different places. But unlike many other places in Miami, people come here to stay here.

I grew up in a little village near Udine, and when I was a teenager I was fortunate enough to meet people who were selflessly and relentlessly dedicating most of their free time to volunteering. And volunteering, being in Italy, is imbued in relationships. All these activities with the local church or youth group feed on conversations. Conversations that transform words into belonging, belonging into roots, and roots into lifeblood. In my case, when I left Italy in search for adventure, I always carried with me that longing for a community. I knew that I wanted to see the world but I never wanted to become a "permanent expat".

When my wife Gloria and I found Surfside, we realized that this was the place where that dream could come true. This is probably why I decided to start a nonprofit where ALL the money gets reinvested in activities for kids and adults, serve on the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee, join the Planning and Zoning Board, and to get even more involved and run for commissioner. In Surfside I found that fertile soil where a community can BE community: let's make it even better together.