M5C| Friday, February 21, 2020 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
Special Advertising FeatureSpecial Advertising Section
THE FLORIDA-BAHAMAS
EXPERIENCE
Luxury Homes and Developments
S
and that glistens like crushed
diamonds.Nature’s orchestra per-
forming an aquatic arrangement
of crashing waves and jubilant sea life.
Sounds like the makings of a quintessen-
tial beach day in Florida.Or the Bahamas.
How about both? There’s a one-of-a-kind
synergy between these tropical locales,
a connectivity felt strongly by South
Floridians who find themselves drawn to
the islands,even when world-class beaches
are at their own doorstep.
by Kelly Bryant What’s the attraction? For starters, it’s the
proximity. With such little distance between them,
it’seasytogetfromPointAtoPointBforamuch-
needed getaway.
“You can jump on a plane in South Florida and be
here in about 35 minutes,” says Genevieve Conroy,
vice president residential sales and marketing with
Baha Mar Residences, which enjoy a superb location
in Nassau, Bahamas. “If you have a private jet, you
can be here even quicker because you don’t have to
deal with the airport. It’s so close, but at the same
time, just far enough away.”
The Bahamas still feels like an escape because they
don’t have the same traffic headaches or hustle and
bustle as one might experience at home. That, in and
of itself, creates an environment prime for relaxing.DESTINATION RELAXATION
“Once there, you really feel as if you are thousands
of miles away from the busyness of everyday
Florida,” says Bethany Sharp, a resident of Palm
Beach, Florida, echoing Conroy’s sentiment. “There
are 700 islands of the Bahamas, and they offer a huge
amount of variety. The food, culture and beauty is
truly unique. I just love the clarity of the crystal-blue
water. Even though I have beautiful beaches right
in my own backyard in Florida, when I’m home,
so many responsibilities are calling my name. I’m
not in the relaxation mindset. When I travel to the
Bahamas, I’m in vacation mode.”Sharp, who is the president and co-founder of Lady
Jetset, a designer clothing rental company that ships
your vacation wardrobe directly to your hotel, loves
the Bahamas so much that she chose to make it the
destination of her 2012 wedding.
“I am South Florida born and raised. The Bahamas
are a hop, skip and jump away,” she explains.
“Multigenerational travel is all the rage nowadays,
and the Bahamas are perfect for that. There are
activities for people young, old and everyone in
between. Our guests enjoy the tropical beauty
of Bahamian waters, as well as Bahamian and
Caribbean cuisine.”
Within the past 15 years, Miami has grown by
leaps and bounds, evolving into the metropolitan
city we know today, explains Ernesto Cohan,
director of sales for Oceana Bal Harbour, luxury
waterfront residences in Bal Harbour, Florida. That
growth offers tremendous opportunities in South
Florida and makes it appealing to those in search of
entertainment and a global cultural scene, complete
with world-renowned art shows and five-star cuisine.
But with the glitz and glam of neighborhoods like
South Beach also come noise and crowds. It’s only
natural even the most die-hard Floridians would
want a little peace and quiet now and again.
“You go to a place like Great Abaco, or even areas
of the Grand Bahamas, and you disconnect,” CohanContinued on next page
BAHA MAR RESIDENCES
Baha Mar’s private island, Long Cay, is the perfect, exclusive hideaway for owners at Baha Mar Residences in Nassau, Bahamas.