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Letter to the editor

Gulfport shows fine, funky homes

By NICK JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
Published October 31, 2007

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Last year people came to Gulfport from as far away as Orlando to snoop around otherpeople's homes.

This year, the fourth annual Pink Flamingo Home Tour will feature 13 of the city's finest and kitschiest homes in the marina district.

The event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning at the Gulfport Historical Museum.

Ten dollars gets you a wristband, a guidebook and discounts at many local restaurants and shops throughout the day.

There will be a trolley to cart participants from house to house and, of course, plenty of pinkflamingos to mark the way.

The quirky Chamber of Commerce fundraiser was started by council member Michelle King to showcase historic Gulfportresidences.

King said it was modeled after the popular Kenwood neighborhood home tour, but with a little extra flair. "We made it funky," she said.

So far the tour has been a success, bringing more than 1,000 people to the city last year. This year organizers are hoping for an evenbetter turnout. The tour will showcase homes built from the 1920s through last year, all with what event chairman Jim Shuller describes as having "the feel of Key West 35 years ago."

"Gulfport has a lot of unique homes and a lot of unique people who live here," Shuller said. "We've got a house, for example, that has a tree growing through the middle of the kitchen."

Shuller said the event will go on, rain or shine, and that there should be very little wait time forthe trolley.

King said the event is a great chance to snoop but can also be a gold mine of inspiration.

"People love to look at what other people have done. They take these ideas home and use them," she said.

Nick Johnson can be reached at nickjohnson@sptimes.com or 893-8361.

[Last modified October 30, 2007, 22:46:01]