Seaside

By William E. Males

"In case I don't see you . . . good afternoon, good evening, and good night."

Not everyone gets to live in a nearly perfect world, where everything just seems to revolve around you. I don’t mean “perfect” in a way where you’re the king or queen and you get all your hearts desires. Let’s be honest - that arrangement would be burdened with its own obligations and uncertainties, heavily offsetting the pleasures. Rather, I am speaking of a place that was designed user friendly with all the quaint understated amenities that harmoniously seem to work together, making daily life for everyone more pleasant and a bit less hectic.

 I am talking about some charming little town with all the conveniences and magic of Seahaven that was purposely designed to make the life of Truman the admiration and focus of the millions of viewers of The Truman Show. There, to the wonderment of the viewers who watched him growing up, was a town full of life’s conveniences where every aspect was carefully planned and thoughtfully considered, assuring his daily well being.

If you are planning a vacation to the Emerald Coast and are one of the many who found themselves infatuated with the little mystical town of Seahaven and the whole Truman Show concept, then there is one place you’ll want to move to the top of your “must see” list. Nestled between Fort Walton Beach and Panama City Beach is a unique little beachside resort area called Seaside.  While the original objective was to develop a densely built pedestrian-friendly, residential community with wood-frame family cottages with swings on front porches and white picket fences lining cozy brick paved streets, Seaside never really matured into the originally planned authentic urban settlement. Rather, it beautifully morphed into one of the Florida Panhandle’s favored beach resorts.

This "picture-perfect" town has the allure and charm that has repeatedly won the hearts of numerous visitors who have continued to make it their top choice as a repeat vacation destination year after year. For these experienced vacationers, this picturesque dream of developer Robert Davis and artsy creation of architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk has proven to be the therapeutic break-away they’ve long dreamed of, from the normal day after day, week after week routine that tends to grow burdensome under the increasing weight of life’s persistent obligations.

Here neatly tucked away are 80 acres on scenic County Road 31. This cozy little resort community, whose narrow brick paved throughways lined with pastel-colored homes, is filled with pedestrians and bikers enjoying what some have criticized as a Walt Disney-like uniformity of style. Yet, it is that very charm that caused the producers of “The Truman Show” to use Seaside as the setting of Truman's hometown of Seahaven, where Truman lived out his life in a surreal environment with everyone and everything around him being catering actors and props on his personal stage of life.

Yet, it’s that simple, cozy, surreal charm that still radiates at Seaside which enable visitors to escape into its simple order away from the excessive noise and confusion which relentlessly seems to clog minds and cover counters and desktops with the endless waves of clutter needing to be accomplished . . . only to make way for the next day’s upheavals of demands.  This is a place where the stress of routine demands is replaced by casual preferences and taxing chores with simple pleasures. There is a lot of healing in a mere casual walk through town for breakfast at the edge of the beach with other guests enjoying the gulf breeze, or bike riding, shell collecting, or passing the day waiting for the traditional ringing of the 300-pound brass sunset bell at Bud & Alley’s Tarpon Club Roof-Deck Bar for an evening of live music and dancing.

Since its establishment in December 1981, the success of Seaside has undeniably earned the admiration and interest of both visitors and city planners all across the country. It all started with the simple idea of reviving Northwest Florida's long established building tradition of the tried and proven wood-frame houses and beach front cottages. These simple structures were perfect for the local climate since they enhanced the pleasure of life by the sea as families would spend hours together on the porches enjoying the breeze and sunsets. Today, Seaside has more than 300 cottages available for rent, from small and cozy for a couple trying to sneak away, to large enough for a getaway family reunion for their own serious porch sitting and strolling to catch up on things and getting reacquainted.

With everything being within a quarter of a mile, it’s but a comfortable stroll to Central Square for one of the open air concerts, art shows, or wine fest . . . or for a break to just throw a Frisbee or chase a hula-hoop down the hill. Here at Square’s park is an outdoor amphitheater surrounded by several out of the ordinary stores and gift shops, a gourmet food market, multiple art galleries, and small boutiques plus an array of nearby pubs and restaurants. On the gulf side of the road there are open air market places where people gather to mingle and buy fruits and vegetables and a variety of handcrafts and apparel in a flea market atmosphere on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

So, whether you’re in need of an escape for a weekend, a week or a lifetime change, Seaside is a rare little town that consistently helps it visitors to break away and slow down long enough to allow their cares to float away on a wings of gentle gulf breezes. Here, with a pace that flows with the rhythm of the surf, can life again be savored as a gift which pleasures increase as it is shared with others. So, in case I don't see you later . . . good afternoon, good evening, and good night.