OldCity.com, Old City Web Services, Aug.com and the rest of our business family are happy to welcome everyone into the new decade! It’s off to a chilly start for us here in Florida–we even might see a few flakes of snow in the sky over the next week. Wouldn’t that be a great way to start of 2010?

On the local front, these next ten years will be big for St. Augustine (and not just because we might finally get to see the end of the temporary bridge and the re-birth of the Bridge of Lions!). No, the big news is that we are quickly approaching our 450th year of continual operation in 2015. The festivities leading up to the big anniversary have already begun with the First America lecture series going on at the Flagler College Auditorium. The series encompasses not only the history behind the Nation’s Oldest Continually Occupied European Settlement, but many of the legendary people who have made it what it is today. There are four more scheduled events in the lecture series this year starting on January 7th with “The British Our Coming!” which will include members of the British Night Watch. All the shows begin at 7:00 p.m. and are free to the public.

The real festivities to celebrate St. Augustine’s unique history will kick off in April of 2013 when the city celebrates 500 years since Ponce de Leon arrived on Florida’s shores and continue up through the actual 450th anniversary date of Pedro Menendez de Aviles’ arrival in September of 2015.   Locals, visitors, history buffs and others should start making plans now for what is sure to be the biggest celebration this city has ever seen.

Outside of the city’s big events for 2010 and beyond, OldCity.com is also looking at an exciting year. Just before the end of 2009, we launched the first version of our St. Augustine iPhone App and we’re already up to well over 200 downloads and building. With its state-of-the-art GPS-enabled technology, this app is going to have a major impact for tourists, locals and businesses as it will make it much easier to get around downtown and offer businesses the opportunity to reach potential customers in a new way. The app also boasts a really unique tour of St. Augustine’s most popular haunts with the Shivers & Awe GPS Tour.  For more information, check out iphone.oldcity.com.

Speaking of OldCity.com, we are in the process of making a major overhaul to St. Augustine’s most popular web portal. We can’t give you all the juicy details on what’s on the horizon, but the new look will not only be a aesthetically pleasing, it’s going to make it a lot easier to access information on what’s going on in St. Augustine. Keep checking back with us as we get closer to launching that new version possibly later this year.

Well, we hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.  Good luck for a successful 2010 and beyond!

- OldCity.com

It’s been a long year in St. Augustine, across the nation and around the globe. We have soldiered on through war, a recession, unemployment, foreclosures, an epidemic, and so much more. Now is the time we draw our families and friends close at heart to celebrate our successes and dream of what the New Year will bring.

The OldCity.com family of businesses (including Old City Web Services and Aug.com), appreciate all of the support we’ve gotten this year from our friends and family in St. Augustine and around the country. We know that everyone has had their struggles, but we’ve helped each other make it through the year and now we stand on the precipice of a promising 2010.

We close out the decade on the verge of new technologies we could not even have dreamed of when we began the new millennium ten years ago. From 3D movies to GPS navigation to touch-screen phones, the world is pushing the evolution of technology. What new advances will 2010 and its new decade bring?

Outside of technology, the new decade brings with it a major milestone in St. Augustine’s history. In 2015, we will celebrate the 450^th anniversary of Pedro Menendez de Aviles’ discovery of our beautiful little town. It will be a momentous occasion and a source of tremendous pride for St. Augustine, and you be can sure the anticipation and preparation has already begun. OldCity.com is excited to be one of the many businesses and individuals who will come together to make this celebration possible.

It’s exciting to dream of the prospects awaiting us in the next decade, not only in technology but in all other aspects of our life and culture as well. Whatever comes along with 2010, we will get through it together just has we have all the decades before.

We wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a very happy New Year!

Just a few days ago we introduced the idea of giving back this holiday season instead of giving gifts. Sure it might seem like a great idea to get a Snuggie for your Secret Santa at work or send your sister another bath gift set, but what if instead you took the money you’d spend on one of those items that would be used up and thrown away by next Christmas to be part of something much bigger than any of us as individuals instead.

Within the confines of the First Coast alone, there are hundreds of opportunities to make a difference by supporting a worthy cause or organization who serve the needs of others. We previously profiled the Haven Horse Ranch, an organization dedicating to helping children with mental disabilities and challenging life circumstances a chance to grow as individuals through horseback riding.

Today we want to highlight The Arc organizations of St. Johns and Volusia Counties. These community groups are dedicated to enriching the lives of citizens with developmental handicaps from children to adults. Though branches of the same national organization, the two groups in St. Augustine and Daytona concentrate on different areas and therefore have different needs.

The Arc of  St. Johns is currently in the midst of a major campaign to raise funds for a new building for their Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC). The TLC is an intensive program for children from birth to age five who need help in overcoming the challenges of a physical and/or mental disability. This is the only program of its kind and though it has been in operation for over 25 years, it has never had a permanent home suitable for long-term operation. A group of very dedicated citizens in St. Johns County have been donating their time and money to giving this program a permanent foundation and are now just a few hundred thousand dollars from their goal. No matter how large or small your contribution may be, it will have an impact on establishing this unique program that is desperately needed. For more information on how to donate, please visit: The Arc of St. Johns Website.

Just to our south, the Arc of Volusia is also doing a tremendous job improving the lives of others. Their branch of the Arc organization focuses on “Connecting Abilities to Opportunities” by giving individuals with mental and physical challenges the opportunity to garner some independence through their social entrepreneurship program. From animal snacks to document destruction, electronics recycling to arts and crafts, members of the Arc Volusia partake in activities on the group’s 15 acre campus that allow them to feel the joy and independence from doing something on their own. These products are sold through Arc Volusia and the individuals who put their hard work into making them are paid for their efforts. A weekly check might be something we all take for granted, but when it shows the proof that you are able to do things on your own, it can mean the world. You can learn more about these products and the wide array of other services offered by this wonderful organization here: Arc of Volusia Website.

We will be bringing you a few more profiles on worthy causes you can support this holiday season very soon!

From all of ours to all of yours, Happy Holidays!

- OldCity.com

New Technology for the Oldest City: Introducing the St. Augustine iPhone Application

Old City Web Services and SAGPS Adventure Tours are revolutionizing the way people discover the Oldest City with the St. Augustine iPhone App featuring the Shivers and Awe Tour available on iTunes and powered by GeoQuest Technologies, Inc.

St. Augustine – The Nation’s Oldest City is stepping into modern times with the new St. Augustine Application for the iPhone and iPod touch powered by GeoQuest Technologies, Inc. The application is available for free starting today, Wednesday, Dec. 9, on Apple iTunes. Developed through a partnership between local businesses Old City Web Services and SAGPS Adventure Tours, the exclusive application offers locals and visitors the ability to discover St. Augustine like never before.

“We’re thrilled to present this application to our customers and to the general public in and around St. Augustine,� said Old City Web Services president and CEO, Chuck Nusbaum. “Our goal is always to keep the Oldest City on the leading edge of technology to the benefit of local businesses, visitors and residents alike.�

The first phase of the St. Augustine App features a GPS-enabled tour of St. Augustine’s spooky side through the unique vision of the “Shivers and Awe� tour. With the help of an engaging narrator, visitors and locals alike can explore the macabre past of some of St. Augustine’s most popular destinations at their own pace.

“I am very excited to bring new and innovative entertainment using smart phone technology to the nation’s oldest city,� said Jeff Tabor, president of SAGPS Tours, Inc. “I believe that residents of northeast Florida, as well as visitors to our city and local businesses will find the St. Augustine iPhone application both entertaining and user friendly.�

The next phase of the application will act as an extension of OldCity.com, St. Augustine’s leading web portal. Just as locals and visitors can find a wealth of St. Augustine information on OldCity.com, users of the application will be able to surf through listings of local restaurants, shops and attractions with detailed descriptions and contact information.

This addition to the St. Augustine App will also offer a unique opportunity to local businesses looking for new ways to reach customers. Location-based and direct-to-consumer advertising will enable local businesses to guide customers directly to their doorstep. Advances in technology, such as smart phone applications, will help local businesses increase their visibility.

iPhone and iPod touch users are encouraged to go ahead and download the application from iTunes. Doing so will give them access to the Shivers and Awe tour, as well as prompts to download updates as they become available including the scheduled addition of the St. Augustine Trip Planner and much more.

“The Shivers and Awe tour on the iPhone is ideal for visitors and locals to enjoy,â€� said Jeff Swyers, President of GeoQuest Technologies. “Tourists and residents will be engaged and entertained by this tour of paranormal St. Augustine.â€�

GeoQuest is a Utah-based company that previously created an interactive iPhone application for Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.

For more information on all of the features of the St. Augustine iPhone Application and instruction on how to get your free download, visit OldCity.com.

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OldCity.com is St. Augustine’s most popular web portal with information on all the hottest restaurants, attractions, accommodations and events in the Oldest City.

SA GPS Adventure Tours, Inc. (“SAGPS�) based in St. Augustine, Florida, provides tourism entertainment using sate-of-the-art GPS technology. The company’s missions are to provide high quality experiences in St. Augustine, and beyond, while meeting unmet needs such as convenience, consistency with quality of experience, and the ability to take tours in multiple languages. For more information please visit www.sagpstours.com or call (904) 377-1447

GeoQuest Technologies is a Hurricane, Utah based company nestled in the shadows of Zion National Park. Beginning as an independent tour producer for the national parks of Utah and Arizona, GeoQuest Tech transformed into a global leader in producing educational and entertaining multimedia tours for destinations worldwide. The technology developed by GeoQuest Tech allows new destinations to be added rapidly without compromising quality. We partner with destinations who either have content they want turned into an iPhone application or we can help produce a new tour from the ground up. GeoQuest Technologies is dedicated to helping destinations “tell their story� in a unique way. You can reach GeoQuest Technologies at www.geoquesttech.com

Old City is excited to announce the addition of its newest family member—Auglink Communications, Inc. Just 24 hours after St. Augustine’s first privately owned dial-up Internet service provider informed its customers that it would be closing its doors, Auglink users were able to breathe a sigh of relief that their email and Internet connections would be spared thanks to a last-minute reprieve from Old City Web Services, Inc.

President of Auglink, Maurice Morissette, delivered the bad news to customers in an email late Tuesday afternoon, declaring that Auglink would be out of business on Friday, June 26, 2009. But in a second e-mail sent to company users on Wednesday evening, Old City Web Services, Inc. President Chuck Nusbaum announced, “Good news! Nothing is going to happen this Friday!�

Customers of Auglink will now be welcomed into the Old City family, which includes Old City Web Services, a full-service design studio (oldcitywebservices.com) and St. Augustine’s most popular web portal, Old City (oldcity.com).

Auglink was originally launched in 1994 and incorporated in 1995, during a time when the country’s leading Internet provider, America Online, did not offer a local, toll free number for St. Augustine web users. Elkus and partner Eric Hinson later expanded the company to provide e-mail services as well through “aug.com.â€�

Elkus also started Old City Web Services, which was acquired by Nusbaum in 2005.

Though much is still to be sorted out in the transition, Nusbaum wants Auglink customers to know that their e-mail accounts are still active and fully operational.

“For a while, you won’t notice any difference–except possibly a little better service,â€� Nusbaum said in his initial e-mail to Auglink customers. “We do have some short and long term plans in place to improve the quality of your service experience and possibly lower some prices.â€�

For more information, contact Old City Web Services at (904) 829-2772 .

On Twitter earlier today, @jonathanrhunt asked if I knew of a good resource of discounts on attractions for St Johns County residents. After a little research, I saw that there wasn’t one. So I’m going to try and make one. There were a few I could remember from gallivanting around St. Augustine when I started at Flagler in 2004, and a lot that I couldn’t get with just a Flagler ID: it had to be true resident status (driver’s license or utility bill). So, be sure to bring your proof, but so far here are the discounts I’ve uncovered. Posting them here for now but soon we might add this as a page to the site.

St Augustine Alligator Farm is half off ticket price. Hailing from Central Florida and being very familiar with Gatorland, I was a little disappointed that a place called an Alligator FARM didn’t serve gator to eat there, but other than that, this place is great, especially for half off.

The Scenic Cruise is half off, bringing it to about 7 bucks for an hour and fifteen minute cruise around the bay and around near the lighthouse. Beer, wine, and sodas available for sale on the boat. It is a great time. I love doing this when people come to visit and once in a while on a gorgeous day. Bring your camera. The last cruise of the day is usually right around sunset, which is perfect. Definitely need proof of residence to get this.

Old Town Trolley Tours offers a hometown pass to ride free with any other paying guest (ie, when people come to visit and just HAVE to get on one of those trains, even though you can recite their narration from your time spent walking downtown). Also, you can get the hometown pass to ride free in November all month! So, if you haven’t had relatives bug you to ride and you kind of just want to play around and be a tourist for a day, it won’t cost you anything, and the weather is bound to be gorgeous in November!

St Augustine Lighthouse is half off. If you haven’t climbed to the top of the lighthouse, you should do it. Do it this weekend. Saturday’s going to be gorgeous. And it’s half off, so you have no excuse. The museum is fascinating and the grounds are spectacular, giant oak trees everywhere.

The Oldest House is free for St Johns County residents. It’s probably one of those places you’ve given directions to for tourists a million times but never actually been inside. I know that’s certainly the case for me. Now that I know it’s free, I think I’ll check it out. Feel free to comment here if you’ve been and let us know what it’s like.

The Lightner Museum is free with proof of residence! It’s free for all Flagler students as well with your Flagler ID. I’ve been there many times and it seems you always run into something you hadn’t seen before. It’s a lot more interesting than you might think and it seems to me like a tamer (but more historically interesting) Ripley’s. This dude, O.C. Lightner, was a wealthy Chicago publisher and personally collected Victoriana. The website highlights the stained glass and art pieces, which are gorgeous, but evidently Lightner’s interests also expanded to include a mummy, a shrunken head, a stuffed lion that had once belonged to Winston Churchill, dolls, toys, and various historic music machines (which the museum demonstrates every day). History buffs will enjoy exploring the once hotel, where you can still see the Turkish baths in the old spa and cool pictures of the giant indoor pool that once filled the bottom of the hotel (which now contains fascinating antique shops and, of course, the Café Alcazar in the deep end).

Fort Matanzas: Ok, this one’s kind of a cop out because it’s free for everyone, and not just St Johns County residents, but if you haven’t made your way south on A1A to check out Fort Matanzas, I know you’ll enjoy it. There’s a free ferry that takes you across the inlet every hour on the half hour, and you’re led by a costumed guide who gives you a tour of the Fort, telling you all about the history and answering all of your questions. I saw a manatee in the water right next to the Fort the last time I went. Dolphins are frequently spotted during the ferry ride as well.

UPDATE: Ripley’s Believe it or Not: Local price $5 for St John’s Co. Regular price is 14.99 Adult 7.99 child. Trains are ½ price - $8.50 Adults and $4 for children. This is an excellent discount and I thank my twitter friend @RipleyWorld for this info!

There’s no reason not to ask for a local’s discount everywhere you go around here, even the shops on St. George Street. During tough economic times, locals are golden, the bread and butter and all that, and you should take advantage of that! Leave any other tips or recommendations in the comments! With a gorgeous weekend coming up everyone get out there and make good use of these!

Hola from the staff at OldCity.com! We’re writing to let you know that we’re now updating on Twitter at twitter.com/oldcity! If you don’t know what that means, you should learn now: Twitter is a microblogging site, you write updates of 140 characters or less through the website or you can even hook it up to do it via text messaging.

People use it to talk about what they’re doing throughout the day, and companies and info portals (like us) can use it to keep people up to date on events, recommendations, and more! If you’re planning a vacation, wedding, family reunion, or any kind of holiday away here in St Augustine, follow us and we can help you plan! Create a free account at twitter.com and start following us today!

This video explains it pretty well, if you’re still kind of lost:

We’re already following about 80 people who all live in St Augustine! Twittering is a fun way to stay connected with friends and connect with people you don’t even know who might share common interests, common location, or might be able to answer questions you pose to the Twitterverse. If you own a small business, it’s a great, free way to keep clients and customers updated without having to manage a full blown blog.

We’re also hoping to use Twitter to tap into what OldCity.com can do better to offer St Augustine locals more valuable content, to get you to want to come back again and again. We’ve focused on tourists for a while, but we want to really be a resource for the community. We offer completely free classifieds to benefit the community, and spread the word! An ad on there will be highly visible right now, as there aren’t too many posted just yet.

So, if you have any comments or suggestions about what YOU want to see on OldCity.com, comment here or (of course) follow us! Twitter allows you to communicate directly with other users through @replies (when you type @someonesusername in your update box, which anyone can see) or direct messages (when you type d someonesusername, which no one else would see). We’ll be frequently responding to both kinds of messages on Twitter!

Everyone have a great weekend and enjoy the last few days of the Nights of Lights!