Anyone else remember the beaches here in the 90s?

[Roger Rietsema]

Just filled out my profile and it got me thinking - my first time coming down here was a 90s vacation, and it completely hooked me. By 2003, I made it official and moved here permanently.

I love helping people find their own homes or investment properties down here now with Allison James Estates & Homes, but I always have a soft spot for the classic days of the Panhandle.

For the long-time locals and visitors here: What do you miss most about the PCB/30A area from the 90s or early 2000s?

 

[bob1]

Public beaches and uncrowded roads.

 

[Lake View Too]

The 90's were a brilliant time to be living and visiting South Walton. Seaside was bursting with new energy and we were always being gifted with its promising new future. Rosemary was the emerging new baby planned community. You could still cruise the open highways between villages at 45mph or so. Wonderful restaurants, such as the Red Bar, Criolla's, and Bud&Alley's were establishing their excellence. Steady older places were still alive such as LeBleau's, the Wheelhouse, The Seagrove Village Market, Collaborations. The beaches were never crowded and contentious. Houses were never more than 2 stories tall with 3 bedrooms... there were parking places...

 

[Dawn]

The 90's were a brilliant time to be living and visiting South Walton. Seaside was bursting with new energy and we were always being gifted with its promising new future. Rosemary was the emerging new baby planned community. You could still cruise the open highways between villages at 45mph or so. Wonderful restaurants, such as the Red Bar, Criolla's, and Bud&Alley's were establishing their excellence. Steady older places were still alive such as LeBleau's, the Wheelhouse, The Seagrove Village Market, Collaborations. The beaches were never crowded and contentious. Houses were never more than 2 stories tall with 3 bedrooms... there were parking places...

The people here LOVED SoWal and were here for the beach and beauty NOT money. We were not a tourist trap. Life was slow and good. You're right about excitement but it was about measured growth not sickening development and greed.

 

[Roger Rietsema]

You hit the nail on the head. Cruising down 30A at 45mph with no traffic sounds like a daydream compared to July peak season now! And man, those early days of the Red Bar and Criolla’s really set the culinary tone for what this area became. There was a unique magic to how slow and measured everything felt back then.
It’s crazy to see how much has evolved

 

[Lake View Too]

You hit the nail on the head. Cruising down 30A at 45mph with no traffic sounds like a daydream compared to July peak season now! And man, those early days of the Red Bar and Criolla’s really set the culinary tone for what this area became. There was a unique magic to how slow and measured everything felt back then.
It’s crazy to see how much has evolved

I'm thinking back about the times before there was ever a stop sign at Seaside. It's hard to imagine it was ever so sparse. Today I was almost trampled on the bike path by a traffic jam of opposing mobs of bicyclists.

 

[James Bentwood]

I'm thinking back about the times before there was ever a stop sign at Seaside. It's hard to imagine it was ever so sparse. Today I was almost trampled on the bike path by a traffic jam of opposing mobs of bicyclists.

Back in the days when beach lovers and environmentalists had power in the county. Greed ruins Florida county by county.