Talk about a place ready for its moment in the sun (all 252 days a year of it). This resort-forward little city of 23,376—a low-key beauty on the Gulf with Mediterranean architecture and 14 miles of bone-white beaches—has just emerged from a yearlong beautification project in its historic downtown. New rows of tall palms shade upgraded sidewalks (with ADA-compliant curbs), while median strips lush with hibiscus, jatropha, and jasmine add tropical verve to Venice’s lively center for food, drink, shopping, and arts. (It’s home to one of the largest community theaters in the country.) “We worked hard to keep the charm of downtown while rehabilitating the infrastructure so it will last for decades,” says City Engineer Kathleen Weeden. Venice, it seems, is playing—beautifully—for keeps.