Port St. Lucie
4
Creating a viable community
There was a time when Port St. Lucie was viewed mostly as a haven of silver-haired
people from the Northeast and Midwest who fled their frigid climes to spend their
golden years in Port St. Lucie.
Not anymore.
What once might have been a sleepy retirement community touted by the Mackle
Brothers as “the Florida dream” — where residents arriving had to travel to neighboring
towns to shop or even attend church — is now a vibrant, self-contained metropolis of
young families who see a future for their own children here. Today, 76 percent of the city’s
population of some 165,000 is under 55, while just 24 percent is 55 or older.
Recent awards from national media outlets and websites show just how diverse Port St.
Lucie’s appeal has become. To be sure, Port St. Lucie is still ranked high Forbes as a great
place to retire. But as you’ll discover in “PSL ranks high in ‘best’ lists” beginning on Page 8,
the city is also hailed for economic and job growth and is cited as a good place to live, buy
a home, start a business or spend a vacation.
The fact that Port St. Lucie is now a community of vibrant families committed to the
city’s future is wonderfully illustrated in two of our stories.
In “Port St. Lucie called painter home,” appearing on Page 38, Willi Miller writes about
the works of 27-year-old Taylor Loughlin, who grew up in Port St. Lucie and attended
college in north Florida. When it came time to pick a place to live, she chose to return to
Port St. Lucie. “Port St. Lucie just feels like home,” she says. “Even with its continued
growth, it feels like community.”
In “Students fulfill great expectations’’ beginning on Page 30, Lisa Angell writes about
four remarkable teenagers who grew up in St. Lucie West and excel in various fields, even
though they are still in high school. One is a community activist, another is an outstanding
debater, a third has been a successful fundraiser for a nonprofit, and the fourth is heavily
involved in competitions for creative thinking.
College undoubtedly lies ahead for all of them and they still have plenty of time
to decide where they’ll eventually land. But let’s hope that, like Taylor, they consider
returning to Port St. Lucie.
Reach Associate Publisher Allen Osteen at
772.466.3346 or osteen@portstluciemagazine.com
Reach Publisher Gregory Enns at
772.940.9005 or enns@portstluciemagazine.com
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
PortStLucieMagazine.com
4
CITY OF PSL
Large events such as this one outside the Port St. Lucie Civic Center reveal how family-oriented Port St. Lucie
has become.
Publisher & Editor
Gregory Enns
772.940.9005
enns@portstluciemagazine.com
Associate Publisher
Allen Osteen
772.466.3346
osteen@portstluciemagazine.com
Writers
L.L. Angell, Susan Burgess,
Greg Gardner, Willi Miller,
Jerry Shaw, Christina Tascon
Design Editor
Michelle Burney
Cover Photo
Ed Drondoski
Adverting Representatives
Susanne Cruz
305.710.5315
cruz@portstluciemagazine.com
Marsha Lange
973.714.4141
marsha@portstluciemagazine.com
Laurie Cox
772.466.3346
laurie@portstluciemagazine.com
To Advertise
772.940.9005
advertise@portstluciemagazine.com
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Visit IndianRiverStore.com
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M A G A Z I N E
Port St. Lucie Magazine and
St. Lucie Magazine are
publications of Indian River
Magazine Inc., a locally owned
company based at 308 Ave. A,
Fort Pierce, FL 34950.
All material contained herein
is copyrighted by Indian River
Magazine Inc. Member of the
St. Lucie County Chamber
of Commerce.
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