April/May Home Sales in 33428

We try to do monthly real estate updates for each of the five zip codes in West Boca. We’ve fallen a bit behind so here’s a month and a half from 33428.

Four Houses in Boca Falls
21624-Marigot
21624 Marigot Drive sold for $603,000 on April 22nd. With 3 bedrooms and 3 baths in 3100 square feet, it seems like a high price. It may have benefited from a cul-de-sac location in the Crystal Pointe subdivision. On the other hand its backyard faces Riverview Drive which probably means increased road noise. The house was bought new in 1997 for $322K.
12895-hyland-cir
A large home in Emerald Isles, 12895 Hyland Circle sold for $560K on May 15th. It has 3300 square feet, 5 beds and 3 1/2 baths, a lake view and is very close to Waters Edge Elementary.
21405-shannon-ridge
Mystic Bay’s 21405 Shannon Ridge is another 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath house, though with slightly less square footage. It sold for $585K on May 9th.
12445-RockledgeWe’re pleased to see that even the “low end” in Boca Falls is selling for over $500K. This 2500 square foot, 4 bedroom house in Mystic Cove sold for $503K on April 4th. The location is great for those who want to walk to the clubhouse area, with its popular tennis courts, fitness room and resort-style pool. From the appraiser’s records it looks like the house was bank-owned for a few months, and had sold near the market’s peak for $694K back in 2005.
Three Houses in Loggers Run
21142-Castlewood
A short sale in Winding Lakes, 21142 Castlewood sold for $502,500 on April 11th. This is a big house with nearly 5000 square feet, five bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths. Records indicate the home was purchased in 2000 for $452K and the owner passed away in 2011, leaving this as a sale by his estate.
11895-Sandlake
In the Winding Lakes II subdivision, 11895 Sandlake Drive sold for $420K on April 10th. Oddly it also had the address 11897 Sandlake Drive and the appraiser has the transaction occurring in March. The house originally sold 30 years ago for $202K.
22396-Waterside
On the southern end of Loggers Run (south of Palmetto off Judge Winikoff), 22396 Waterside sold for $490K on May 21st. It has 4 beds and 2 1/2 baths, and is a short walk to Publix and the middle school.

Boca Winds
Four houses sold in Boca Winds recently, all of which have four bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths and are between 2200 and 2500 square feet.
22212-Collington
The highest price sale in Boca Winds was for 22212 Collington, which went for $417,500 on April 9th. It has a pool, a lake view, and is a short walk from the clubhouse.
22111-Altona
Next on the list for Boca Winds is 22111 Altona, which sold for an even $400K on May 5th. It’s similar with a pool and lake view, and it is also close to the western edge with the Loxahatchee wildlife refuge just over the trees.
Two others in Boca Winds were 22608 Blue Fin Trail, selling for $350K on May 1st, and 12681 Tucano Circle for $353K on April 23rd.

Lexington Estates
We saw three homes of note in Lexington Estates.
10269-Lexington-Estates
With 3 beds and 2.5 baths in 3000 square feet, 10269 Lexington Estates sold for $435K on April 24th. The House has a pool inside its lania and a long lake view.
22165-Braddock
22165 Braddock sold April 15th for $417,000. It has 4 beds and 3 bathrooms in 2500 square feet, with a wide lake view and an open pool on a back corner of the house.
Also, 22272 Holcomb sold on May 9th for $325,500. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and less than 1900 square feet on a tight lot with no particular view.
Other Neighborhoods
We saw a few sales in other neighborhoods.
9671-parkview
In Avalon, 9671 Parkview has five bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths in just under 3000 square feet. It sold April 9th for $550K. The gated community is north of Palmetto just east of the Lowe’s plaza.
9792-Vineyard
Nearby on the south side of Palmetto is the Vineyard neighborhood. 9792 Vineyard sold May 2nd for $376K. It has four bedrooms and three baths in over 2600 square feet.
9808-Palma-VistaOne of the larger homes in this report, 9808 Palma Vista is in the Estates of Palma Vista. Another gated community on the east side of 441, it’s north of the medical center and borders the Jewish Federation campus to its east. The house has 6 bedrooms and 5 1/2 baths, and sold for $495K on April 22nd. The last transaction was in 2005 for $685K.
10157-Serene-MeadowLast in our report is 10157 Serene Meadow Dr N. It’s in Meadow Lakes on the west side of 441 near the county line. The house has 4 beds and 2.5 baths, and sold for $340K on May 5th. The backyard has a view of the Boca Entrada apartments.

Boca Restaurant Inspections: Early May

giovannispizzaFour West Boca restaurants had perfect inspections in early May. Each had zero violations.
The most popular of the three is probably Giovanni’s Pizza which is on the west side of Powerline just south of Boca Grove (between Glades and Palmetto Park).
Domino’s Pizza, nearby in the Shops at Boca Grove, also had a perfect result. Keep in mind that it’s a little easier for a place with a limited menu and little or no seating to do well on the inspection, but nevertheless it’s a good sign.
The third was Aladdin’s Eatery in Boca Village Square (on St. Andrews near Town Center). We think it’s new, and it describes itself as having a healthy Lebanese-American menu. We’re going to have to try this place.
And the new House of Dog, also in Shops at Boca Grove, also scored a perfect zero on its first inspection.
house-of-dog-pano
The new Brooklyn Water Bagel did well with only two minor violations.
Mozart Cafe had a so-so inspection with 6 violations including one “high priority” having to do with “non-exempt fish,” and they will have to have a follow-up inspection. Last time we were there we were disappointed with the service, though the food was still good.
Hunan City in Lakeridge (near Doris Market on Yamato between 441 and Lyons) had 7 violations with one high priority, but did not require a follow-up. As Asian restaurants go this is spectacular.
Brendy’s in the same plaza had 9 violations with one high priority. We read the list and found a few that were comical. The high priority item was that they had a bottle of vitamins on the same shelf with containers of spoons and toppings. We’ll still go to Brendy’s.
casalitalien
The second biggest number of violations in West Boca was also in that plaza, for Casa L’Italien. The inspection details a total of 18 violations. Most of them seem trivial, such as “Ice buildup in reach-in freezer.” However, there were two “high priority” violations that required a stop sale on tomato sauce – a big issue in an Italian place:

Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food found greater than 47 degrees Fahrenheit but less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit more than six hours. See stop sale. 50F container of cooked tomato sauce stored overnight in w/I cooler.

Of course if you read that closely, the sauce was only 3 degrees over the arbitrary 47ยบ limit.
Ben’s Deli (Clint Moore and 441) had 8 violations with 2 “high priority” involving food not kept cold enough. One of them involved “food chicken” (is there another kind in restaurants?) that was reported as a repeat violation. The other involved short ribs and required a stop sale of that item. However, no follow-up inspection was required which seems odd. We’ve eaten at Ben’s many times and always like it.
And the biggest number in West Boca belongs to Broken Sound Country Club Restaurant with 26 violations.

High Priority – No proof of parasite destruction or aquaculture documentation for cold smoked salmon served raw or undercooked. Fish must be fully cooked or discarded. **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority – Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. 45F egg salad, 47F grilled onions, 47F, 56F sliced tomatoes, 54F chopped lettuce, smoked salmon, in Buffett table.
High Priority – Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cooked/heated yesterday/on a previous day not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within a total of 6 hours. Food has been cooling overnight. Soup 45F. Discarded by operator. **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority – Self-service salad bar/buffet lacking adequate sneezeguards or other proper protection from contamination. Soup station by buffet area. **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority – Toxic substance/chemical stored by or with clean or in-use utensils. Bleach container stored above lids by dishwasher shelf **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority – Toxic substance/chemical stored by or with single-service items. Propane torch stored above coco powder. **Corrected On-Site**

As bad as that might look, it doesn’t really look that bad to us, and no follow-up was required.
maxsgrille
Moving outside West Boca, we saw some poor results for Max’s Grill in Mizner Park (12 violations with 3 high priority – no follow-up required) while the related Burt & Max in Delray Marketplace (11 and 3). On the bright side, Burt & Max had a follow-up inspection with zero violations.
terrafiamma
Also in Delray Marketplace, Terra Fiamma had 15 violations with 2 high priority. Seven of the fifteen items were listed as repeat violations, and there was a stop sale where the description is unclear – something to do with food temperature and hand washing. Our readers might be more concerned about the other one, a repeat violation: “Live, small flying insects in food preparation area.”
One of our favorite Mexican dives in East Boca, Las Fajitas on Dixie Highway, had a high number with 15 violations.
Ichiyami Buffet in Royal Palm Place had 15 violations with 4 marked high priority, though reading over the list it doesn’t look that bad.
The biggest number in all of Boca for this report belongs to Pine Garden on Federal Highway, with 27 total violations including 6 marked high priority.
Also on Federal Highway, Cavalieri’s was temporarily closed on May 16th after 11 violations including 4 high priority and one large finding of rodent droppings:
cavalieris-inspections

Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found.Rodent droppings present. 4 dry dropping underneath counter in front line, pizza station. Fresh 30 to 40 droppings underneath dish machine and 3 compartment sink. 5 fresh rodent droppings underneath stem table. Dry 15 droppings underneath shelf in kitchen area.

Inspectors came back on the 17th and found only 2 minor violations. This was reported on by WPTV as well.
On the brighter side in East Boca, Estia Greek Taverna had only 2 minor violations. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Mizner Park had 4 violations with one labeled high priority, and that was corrected on site.
Tucci’s Fire & Coal, just south of Mizner Park, had 4 minor violations. Seasons 52, near Town Center, had 5 violations including one marked “high priority,” but all were corrected on site.
In the Polo Club Shoppes, Josef’s Table had 5 minor violations and Toojay’s had 6 violations, all also minor. Wok Out and Brendy’s had 4 minor violations each. Bangkok Thai had only 3, all minor.
Mimosa and Kagura Sushi had the same numbers, 8 violations with one high priority for each. Kagura needs a follow-up inspection which we think relates to paperwork rather than any food safety issues.
The Polo Club / Bistro had 7 violations with two high priority. Most were corrected on site. Barefoot Cafe had 11 violations, all minor. Terrace G / Steeplechase in the Polo Club had 12 violations with two listed as high priority.

What is pure barre?

purebarrePure Barre is a new fitness studio that recently opened in the Westwinds of Boca (Home Depot Plaza). According to their advertising, it is a total body workout that lifts your seat, tones your thighs, abs and arms in record breaking time. Classes are 55 minutes and designed for all levels of fitness.
One class costs $23 and a package of 5 classes costs $105. Currently there is a New Client Special, 1 month unlimited for $100. The studio is open Monday and Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. It is also open Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Classes can be scheduled online.
For more information, call 561-465-5994.
 

Reducing Road Rage in West Boca

Road rage has become a serious problem in the US as well as the world. There are motorists who believe that they are the best drivers in the world and that other drivers lack experience. They will grow impatient with their fellow motorists, resulting in road rage. This rage manifests itself in several ways, including aggressive driving, tailgating other drivers and driving erratically, as well as other dangerous behavior such as flashing your headlights. An online search for “what headlight flashing means” will yield different results, but according to the highway code, it is a way of making yourself visible to and communicate with other motorists, however, it has become a way of showing aggression to other drivers. Many road rage accidents have resulted in serious injury which is why one should never understate the importance of safety when out on the road as other drivers are not always as level-headed and considerate as you are. West Boca is no exception. As a public service West Boca News would like to offer a few tips to our readers about how to reduce road rage. This is the first in an indefinite series.
Proper Lane Usage
Consider the following image of Glades Road:

We’ve enhanced the image with arrows to help identify lanes and their proper usage.
The right lane (black arrow) is for slow drivers, typically driving at or below the speed limit. This includes most people over the age of 70, school buses, people who are lost, users of cell phones and other mobile devices, drunks, unlicensed drivers, unregistered vehicles, and public officials and candidates facing elections in the current year.
The right lane is also useful for other drivers who are thinking of making a right turn within the next quarter-mile.
The middle lane (yellow arrow) is for most regular drivers, driving anywhere from the speed limit to 10 mph over.
The left lane (red arrow) is for fast drivers, going 10 mph or more over the limit. Typical drivers fitting this role include males under the age of 25, off-duty police officers, judges and politicians not facing reelection in the current year, lawyers and amateur journalists.
This lane may also be useful for other drivers planning to make a left turn in the next 100 yards. Please keep in mind that if you’re at Lyons Road, Jog Road is more than 100 yards away and you should move to the middle or right lane as soon as possible.
Parking Rules
When you see a no-parking sign, whether on an actual sign or in the roadway, please understand that it applies to all cars including German cars. It does not have to say parken verboten. We see this all the time, including yesterday in a local plaza.

Failure to follow simple guidelines like these may cause road rage in others. Please do what you can.
We will add more to this series as the muse inspires us, because we think writing articles like this is a lot better than engaging in road rage behavior.

Olympic Heights Spring Fling: May 30th

Olympic Heights High School is having a “Spring Fling” event next Friday from 6-10 pm.

Update: See comment at bottom for more details.

We’re not completely sure we understand how the event works, but here’s a video about it from a guy named Nate Horowitz. We haven’t figured out his connection to OH, but maybe he’s a dad.

The event came to our attention when we were in Somerset Shoppes and saw a flyer in a store window.
oh-spring-fling
If anyone at OH wants to give us more details, we’ll be happy to update this article.