The Good Life: Seaside, Florida
/A Simple Beautiful Life
Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles Lady. Photography courtesy of Kurt Lischka and Moon Creek Studios.
“To escape and sit quietly on the beach—that’s my idea of paradise.”
Seaside, Florida…How I wish I were there now, and I suspect many of our readers share my desire to be sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in. The name Seaside conjures up images of pleasant breezes, sunshine, water, and pastel houses with picket fences.
The last several months have been challenging ones for all of us as the COVID-19 virus changed our lives. A year ago many of us had not even heard of this virus.
Just as our lives changed, so has the landscape of Seaside, which did not escape the virus shutdowns and only now is again attracting visitors to its lovely destination.
Seaside, about an eight-hour drive from Jackson, Tennessee, is a perfect summer getaway. Built on 80 acres on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, the village is located on South Walton County’s Highway 30-A. The famed beach town is nestled along the white beaches of Northwest Florida Panhandle. Seaside intentionally grew slowly. The co-founders Robert and Daryl Davis invited young architects to work within an architectural code to design unique commercial, civic and residential buildings, developing a harmony between pedestrians and buildings; a social contact of structures and people.
Seaside offers a thriving town center with shopping and dining all within walking distance to homes, cottages and offices. Consisting of more than 475 cottages, many of them vacation rentals, the community offers nearly 20 restaurants or eateries, and more than 40 shops, galleries and services.
Accolades For Seaside
Seaside was named “2015 Best Family Beach” in the Travel Channel’s Best Beach Awards 2015 and was featured on the Cooking Channel’s Emeril’s Florida, was named the “Best Beach on Earth” for families by “Travel+Leisure” Magazine and included in USA Today’s “Top 10 Best Beach Towns in Florida” in 2013 by “Dr. Beach.” The holiday town was also the primary filming location of the classic movie “The Truman Show.”
Recent accolades for Seaside include “Architectural Digest” naming Seaside one of the most visually stunning locales in America. It has also been named Florida’s Best Christmas Town and one of the top 10 places to live in South Walton, Florida. “There is nothing else like it in all of Northwest Florida,” said Kerri Parker, who has lived in Seaside since 1997.
History of Seaside, Florida
The concept of Seaside came in 1946 when the grandfather of future founder Robert S. Davis bought 80 acres of land along the shore of Northwest Florida as a summer retreat for his family. In 1979 Davis inherited the parcel from his grandfather and aimed to transform it into an old-fashioned beach town with traditional wood-framed cottages of the Florida Panhandle. Davis, his wife, Daryl, and architectural partners toured the South studying small towns as a basis for planning Seaside.
The Davises set up a lemonade stand on Highway 30A and sold to the occasional cars that came by and shared with the visitors their vision for Seaside.
“Seaside is an ever-evolving holiday town. We find that most people who visit Seaside have an endearing sense of ownership in in our town. From the street theatre of Airstream Row, to the friendly shopkeepers and their loyal staff, our guests return year after year because they feel a sense of belonging.”
Seaside: A Throwback To Simpler Times
Seaside is a comforting throwback to simpler times because the co-founder Robert Davis wanted people to be able to walk down the paths of Seaside and stop on people’s front porch for a glass of lemonade or iced tea and take advantage of a light Gulf breeze. Every street ends on a gateway to the sea.
Many people attend an event in Seaside or they shop and dine there, and they fall in love with the community, eventually making it their home or summer destination.
There are only 148 fulltime year-round residents in Seaside. They are empty nesters or they own a business there. Semi-permanent residents live in Seaside about six months out of the year. Then there are the many visitors who come year-round.
Most of the homes in Seaside are second homes and rental homes for people in the feeder markets of Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tallahassee, and a lot of smaller markets. Many of the visitors are from the New York area, and some have second homes in Seaside. There is an architectural code in Seaside for residential, civic and commercial areas. “This code pushes all of the elements to their farthest reach, but you feel like there is such unification because of the code,” said Kerri Parker.
“A lot of people visit Seaside every year, and they may book a unit a year in advance,” added Parker. “Others attend our many events. It’s a lot easier to get to Seaside now with the international airport in Panama City.”
Typically, Spring Break is a peak time for visitors to Seaside. “We start to see Spring Breakers arrive the last week of February, and they keep coming through the end of Easter,” said Parker. “After a short break, they’re back for summer. This year, however, Seaside was relatively quiet with fewer travelers during Spring Break during the outbreak of the virus.”
Annual Festivals, Events, Programs & Workshops
Seaside is very events-minded. Wednesday concert series, weekly Friday night movies, and Seaside Repertory Movies and Summer Concert Series are popular annual offerings in Seaside.
In the fall there is a Seeing Red Wine Festival and a cute Halloween Derby. In November “The Nutcracker” is an annual tradition, and in December there is an orchestra performance and Turn on the Town with massive Christmas lights throughout the town and a gigantic Christmas tree, Santa and a parade.
Special programs throughout the year attract visitors. Escape to Create is a program that occurs in January and February in which artists, plein air painters, poets, songwriters and videographers practice their trade and work on their craft in the beautiful setting of Seaside. Some homeowners relinquish their home for a month for these artists.
The Seaside Institute, a non-profit organization established by Seaside’s founders and dedicated to the restoration of civic life, has an academic village that features workshops associated with photography, writing, architecture and design, arts and culture.
Culinary Offerings in Seaside
“Airstream Row, which lines Highway 30-A where the Post Office was before its move, is extremely popular. It has changed quite a bit since 2015,” said Kerri Parker. Nothing but an Airstream can go in this limited space. For decades the vendors were at the Farmers’ Market, but now they have moved to Airstream Row with Airstreams retrofitted to serve the locals and visitors. People walk around ordering food from a variety of vendors while admiring street art. Two popular vendors are Crepe du Soleil, which specializes in crepes, and Wild Bill’s, which serves hot dogs.
A lot of merchants moved, and some new merchants were brought in including the expanded Taco Bar; Bud and Alley’s, which expanded its rooftop deck—quite the sight to see; and Shrimp Shack moved onto the boardwalk now called Gracie’s Way. A new Seaside Pavilion is a popular place for folks to sit and eat.
According to Kerri Parker, there are must see and do activities. “Visitors must tour the beautiful sugar-white sand beach, eat at one of Bud & Alley’s restaurants, take in the sunset from Bud & Alley’s rooftop deck, grab some Royal Reds from the Shrimp Shack or dine at Great Southern, which offers fresh, home-style cooking, or one of our many Airstreams offering a variety of menu options not found elsewhere.”
They should rent a bike and experience streets, view and parks from that level and visit Modica Market, a little hometown grocery store; Sundog Books and Central Square Records; La Vie Est Belle (Life Is Good—specializing in cultured pearls and leather); and Perspicasity and Seaside Classic shops are special clothing stores. Amavida Coffee is a popular coffee shop, and it receives awards for its worldwide philanthropic work. Surf lessons on the emerald green waters are a big draw as well and popular with the kids.”
Kerri Parker offers one must-do thing to do in Seaside. “Take time to look through the palm trees and look for what your eye is being guided toward because everything in Seaside has a purely guided sight line.”
In addition to the newly located Post Office and Airstream Row with many new merchants, there are pavilions on the beach. “Obviously the beach is the main reason people come here,” said Parker. “The white velvety sand feels amazing!”
“We have built Seaside slowly and thoughtfully,” added Parker. “A town is never finished. It is always evolving!”
Seaside successfully combines a natural, elegant and relaxing beach life with amenities for everyone. It is truly the perfect “home away from home!”
What to Know
Seaside Community Development Corporation
(850) 231-6106
P.O. Box 4730, Seaside, Florida 32459
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Website: seasidefl.com
