If I had gazilliions of dollars and had to live in one of the high-end communities along 30A, I don't know which one I'd choose. But I don't have that problem so I'm not taking the time to think about the trade-offs.
But I can say that I'm very happy that our cottages at the Cottages at Camp Creek are only 1/2 mile from Alys Beach. We love going to the restaurants (Calyza pool, George's, donut truck, Fonville Press). Someday we'll also benefit from outdoor concerts, movies, etc. I've been to a few of the Friday late afternoon wine events, and they've been awesome (about a year ago, maybe even before that).
What I REALLY like about Alys Beach is that despite it's high end appeal, it is VERY family friendly - playgrounds, photos of kids, inclusion of kids in events. And, regardless of whether one likes the architecture, it sure is architecturally well done and consistent with the Alys Beach vision from what I can tell. I, for one, am glad that Ebsco can keep Alys Beach going despite the downturn for the long-run.
I went to the Calyza restaurant last Easter with my daughters and it was such a fine experience. We paid attention to all the little architectural details and choices the architects made. Even the little chains that hang from the rafters to separate the restaurant from the pool were carefully thought out so that they would have a certain "look" and make a particular sound in the wind. It was fun to have my daughters learn about how attention to the smallest details and being consistent with a vision is a big part of excellence. We'll go back this Easter as well.
ˆguess only time will tell how it will build out.
