by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
Tall and blond. Those are the first things that can be noted about her as soon as she walks through the door. She isn’t dressed in casual business attire like most journalists. There’s really no need; she isn’t most journalists.
Her black, fitted T-shirt, dark washed jeans and flip-flops do the trick, though. And her black glasses give her relaxed look a bit of an educated and sophisticated edge.
Laura Capitano might remind some of Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City” for various reasons: she’s blond, a columnist and witty. However, instead of articles on risqué relationships in New York City, her column is about the lifestyle in Jacksonville. And it feeds not on the fact that sex sells, but on society’s craving for all things dealing with pop culture.
With her unique point of view and wry sense of humor, Capitano seems to put just the right combination of words together with natural ease. A familiar face around Jacksonville, she graces the pages of the Florida Times-Union’s Lifestyle section three days a week. But she is on a constant journey to discover every nook and cranny of life that Jacksonville has to offer — from dive bars to trendy restaurants to neighborhood events.
Having moved from her hometown in Omaha, Neb. to St. Augustine in high school, Capitano admits there are still parts of Jacksonville that are new to her.
“I love the lifestyle here because there are so many different areas of town,” said Capitano. “The city is endless. There is a scene to fit your mood no matter what mood it is.”
Having recently celebrated the third year since her column’s creation in May, Capitano was not always a columnist. She was the editor of her high school’s newspaper, a job she continued when she became the editor of Stetson University’s newspaper, The Reporter. After college, she took a job as a copy writer before deciding to apply for a position as a columnist at the Times-Union.
“It was time for a positive change in my life,” said Capitano.
Capitano was looking to become the paper’s next music writer. However, the position was filled, and she was told the Lifestyle columnist job was available.
“That was even better for me,” said Capitano.
There are two types of columns that she generates every week: one is a pop culture column while the other lets people know what’s going on in the area. Admitting that there are days when she struggles with column ideas, Capitano says the actual process is more than simply sitting in front of her computer and writing the column.
“I’m always thinking about it,” said Capitano. “The actual act of sitting down and writing the column is a small percentage of the time put into it.”
Capitano generates a majority of her column topics and enjoys a special amount of freedom over what gets put into the paper. Keeping herself educated on popular culture isn’t difficult, especially considering she gets about 10 magazines in the mail. However, she keeps in touch with the Jacksonville lifestyle by going out and doing the very things that she writes about.
“I like when I can go on a local outing and bring the story to those people that wouldn’t do it or didn’t know about it,” said Capitano.
With her mother and brother in St. Augustine and her father in Palm Coast, the Riverside resident has her own places that she enjoys, calling them her “secret places.” Of her list, Capitano shared only two. The first is the Sushi Cafe.
“It’s good for you, so I don’t think you could call it a weakness,” said Capitano. “But I eat there at least once a week.”
The second secret place that Capitano frequents is Pete’s Bar in Neptune Beach. She even repeats the slogan that the bar boasts to guests: “The place to be since 1933.” With cheap, strong drinks and a friendly atmosphere, the local pub that Pete Jensen and his family built has a rich history. It was the first bar in Duval County to be issued a liquor license. But that isn’t the reason that Capitano frequently finds herself at Pete’s.
“I love to play pool,” said Capitano. “And they have pool for 25 cents.”
And the local night life scene isn’t the only part of her life that is new and exciting. Traditionally a dog person, the fair haired commentator of culture has recently devoted an entire column to the latest addition to her family: a cat named Garrison. Described by her dog Kyle in the column, Garrison was picked because he looks like her dog and, well, it’s her first cat.
“We’ll see how it goes,” said Capitano.
Unmarried, her roommates consist of Kyle and Garrison. But Capitano does know what she wants in terms of human companionship.
“I look for a sense of humor and intelligence in a man,” said Capitano. “He has to be fun, open minded and active.”
So what’s next for the celebrated lady of lifestyle in Jacksonville?
“I’ve been looking into syndication,” said Capitano. “And I would really love to get into book writing.”
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