Welcome to the first edition of the Old City Lowdown in exactly 12 months. After a year in the wilderness, it’s good to be back on the beat.

If you’re new here, this isn’t a travel guide or a place for outrage. Think of it as a steady local field report from America’s Oldest City.

Each week, we’ll keep watch on what matters. Good people doing good work. Gatherings worth your time. Changes shaping our streets and shoreline. The bits of history still lingering if you know where to look.

If you’ve been with us before, welcome back. This next chapter is about connection. Bringing locals together. Spending less time online and more time out in the real world where we belong.

The Old City Lowdown exists to celebrate this town, keep an eye on it, and share what’s worth knowing along the way.

Glad you’re here. Truly.

You can follow along on Instagram for additional dispatches between issues, and you’re always welcome to connect with me personally on LinkedIn as well.

I’ve been thinking about how much of life now happens online. Even in a place as historic and alive as ours, we tend to read, scroll, react, and move on. We stay informed, but we don’t always gather.

That feels like something worth changing.

So I’m kicking around the idea of the Lowdown Society.

Once a month, we’ll meet in person. A casual evening. A local joint. A drink in hand. Something interesting to learn.

Each gathering will center around a different subject: history, nature, culture, architecture, business, science, stories from people who’ve seen things firsthand. The topics won’t be limited to St. Augustine, but they will always be worth knowing.

We’ll invite someone who knows the subject well, be it a professor, naturalist, historian, builder, or observer to share for a short stretch. Then we’ll open it up. Conversation, questions, and time together.

Just curious people in a room. Good beer. New ideas.

If that sounds like something you’d show up for, let me know below ↓

Water: South winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Wave Detail: Southeast 3 feet at 6 Seconds and East 2 feet at 11 seconds. Intracoastal Waters A Moderate Chop. Patchy Dense Fog This Morning.

Sky: A young waxing crescent moon will hang low in the western sky just after sunset. Venus will shine brightest in the evening sky, with Jupiter visible higher overhead once darkness settles in.

Sightings: Black-Bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

City to Review Potential Property Tax Changes
St. Augustine city commissioners will hold a special meeting Feb 23 to review how proposed statewide property tax changes could affect the city’s budget, services, and local taxpayers. More

King Street Overhaul in Long-Range Planning
FDOT and the City of St. Augustine are planning an estimated $18 million redesign of King Street focused on safety, walkability, and drainage improvements, with construction currently projected to begin in 2028. More

University of St. Augustine Campus Sold
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences campus on State Road 207 has sold for $71.5 million in a leaseback agreement with a new investment owner. More

Chase Bank Planning SilverLeaf Branch
Plans are advancing for a new Chase Bank location within the SilverLeaf development as commercial growth continues across the area. More

Large Grocery Store Advancing in SilverLeaf
A 61,000-square-foot grocery store comparable in size to a Harris Teeter footprint continues moving through early planning stages within SilverLeaf. More

Dogtopia Planned Off U.S. 1
Dogtopia is preparing its first St. Johns County location with plans for a 5,000-square-foot dog day care, boarding, and spa facility off U.S. 1 in St. Augustine. More

Commercial Land Sold Near I-95
O’Steen Investment Group purchased 8.8 acres off State Road 207 near I-95 for $6.5 million. Future use for the property has not yet been formally announced, but leans car dealership. More

HCA Florida ER Opens at SR-16 & Woodlawn
A new HCA Florida Healthcare emergency room facility has opened on Woodlawn Road, expanding access to emergency services on the city’s south side. More

St. Augustine Spanish Food & Wine Festival | Feb 19-21 | Downtown | Info

2026 Cathedral Festival | Feb 20-22 | Mission Downtown | Info

St. Augustine Wine Walk | Third Thursdays Downtown | 6-8pm | Info

Taproom Tap In: MUTUAL AID | Spinster Abbott’s | 7-9pm

🎵 Strohmier at Colonial Oak | Downtown | 7-10pm

🎵 Atlanta Rhythm Section | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | 8pm | SOLD OUT

🎵 The Nighthawks at Cafe Eleven | St. Augustine Beach | 8pm | Tickets

🎵 Angel Chantel & Underbrush at Funkadelic Food Shack (Denim Drive) | Bring your used Denim | 6-9pm | Info

St. Augustine Film Society: Wings of Desire | Limelight | 7pm | Info

🎵 Jazz at the Lincolnville Museum: Myrna Clayton | Lincolnville | 7pm | Tickets

🎵 Highway to Hells Bells at Colonial Oak | Downtown | 7pm

Drag Queen-A-Palooza: Valentine’s Edition | Third Space Improv | 8pm | Tickets

🎵 Niko Moon | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | 8pm | SOLD OUT

🎵 Remedy Tree at Cafe Eleven | St. Augustine Beach | 8pm | Tickets

Heated Rivalry Silent Disco at Spinster Abbott’s | Uptown | 9pm-1am | 21+

Lighthouse 5k & Fun Run | St. Augustine Lighthouse | 8am | Register

The Amp Farmers Market | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | 8:30am-12:30pm

8th Semi-Annual Shuffleboard Tournament at Dog Rose Brewing | Lincolnville | 11:30am

Vilano Beach Artisan Market | Third Saturdays, Vilano Main Street | 4pm-8pm | Info

🎵 Homegrown Losers & Souvineer at Spinster Abbott’s | Uptown | 7-10pm

🎵 Medal Militia at Colonial Oak | Downtown | 7pm

🎵 Gamble Rogers Concert Series: Sunny War | The Waterworks | 7pm | Tickets

🎵 Amy Grant | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | 8pm | Limited Tickets

🎵 Dan Navarro at Cafe Eleven | St. Augustine Beach | 8pm | Tickets

Farmers Market at the Classic Car Museum | St. Augustine Shores | 10am-2pm

For the Love of Art Festival | Lakeside Park, St. Augustine Beach | 12-5pm | Info

🎵 Dewey Via Band at Dog Rose Brewing | Lincolnville | 3:30-6:30pm

St. Augustine Film Society: Life, Above All | St. Augustine Beach | 6pm | Info

🎵 Blues Beatles at Cafe Eleven | Feb 22-23 | St. Augustine Beach | 8pm | Tickets

Florida Bohemian Festival | Feb 28-Mar 1 | Info

St. Augustine St. Patrick’s Parade | Mar 14 | Info

St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival | Mar 21-22 | Info

St. Augustine Easter Parade | Apr 4

Gamble Rogers Folk Festival | Apr 10-12 | Info

The Taste of St. Augustine | Apr 12 | Info

Cabbage Potato and Bacon Festival | Apr 25-26 | Info

St. Augustine Craft Brewers’ Fest | May 2 | Info

— Robert Duvall as Boss Spearman, Open Range (2003)

Thank you for reading Old City Lowdown.

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Tips, notes, and local leads are always welcome. Email me here.

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