• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

Paula

Beach Fanatic
Jan 25, 2005
3,747
442
Michigan but someday in SoWal as well
I'm curious. Given all the new upscale high rises and Pier Park plans, do you think Panama City Beach will actually become a more upscale beach (assuming you like high-rises)? How will it differ from Destin?

What's the word on the west end of Panama City Beach (closest to 30A) which doesn't have high rises (yet?) and seems quite calm with some nice properties and developments.

Because we're at Seacrest Beach, we tend to drive out toward Panama City Beach rather than Destin when necessary (e.g., to get a cheap donut or oysters) and we are growing fond of some of the "dives" for very casual dining (that may become extinct soon) and are curious about whether all those high rises will actually get filled.
 

JB

Beach Fanatic
Nov 17, 2004
1,446
40
Tuscaloosa
If the airport deal goes through (others here can offer better opinions on it that me), then that would be the closest part of PCB to the new airport. It stands to reason it would be developed on a major scale within a very short period of time.
 
Paula, this concerns me as well. We are also located in Seacrest (High Pointe). The highrises are inching their way closer and closer. Pretty soon you will be able to stand on the beach in Seacrest/Rosemary/Inlet and see the highrises very clearly. We too go to PCB more often then Destin because it's a much eaiser drive. I don't think it will become more upscale but I do think less seedy.
 

Camp Creek Kid

Christini Zambini
Feb 20, 2005
1,278
124
52
Seacrest Beach
There are major redevelopment plans for PCB, but as you can see with Pier Park, some things are going slowly. We are curious about how long it will take for someone to buy up all the trailers on the west end of the beach. All it would take is one strong hurricane . . .

Things are changing, but most people in PCB like to drive to Destin to shop. One thing in PCB's favor is that there are 3 main roads (Front Beach, Middle Beach, Back Beach) instead of one like Destin. Traffic will never get as bad as in Destin. Things will change dramatically when the airport is approved. And, St. Joe still owns most of the land just north of Back Beach Rd. Its anyone's guess what their plans are.

Personally, I welcome the growth in PCB, but we like the growth to stay in Bay County. Let us shop and eat there, but then let us come home to our SoWal!
 

Paula

Beach Fanatic
Jan 25, 2005
3,747
442
Michigan but someday in SoWal as well
It would be too bad to see more high rises closer to 30A. It seems like there are many communities at PCB that would have to be torn down for the high rises to take over -- and many of these communities seem pretty entrenched and not likely to get everyone in the community to sell out (but who knows?).

I think the west end of Panama city beach looks quite nice now and is pleasant to drive through. I'll be staying at one of the communities for a few days this summer (a condo in the Horizon South community at the west end of Panama City Beach, I think) because our places at the Cottages at Camp Creek are booked with renters for a few days when we are there but we needed to stay for those two days to get cheaper plane tickets (we'll stay 5 days at the Cottages at Camp Creek and 2 days at Horizon South). So, it will be interesting to have first-hand experience in the area.

It seems as though it would be good for 30A if PCB had a better reputation than it has had in the past (e.g., spring break mecca), especially for people who live closer to PCB than to Destin.

As for the airport, will it make the drive to Seacrest beach shorter than the drive is from the current airport? Will the new airport make our beaches noiser with airplane noise?
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
The airport will be closer and an expressway will be built directly over the intracoastal to WaterSound North or near there. it will probably take 10 minutes to Seacrest. It's doubtful that any flight lines will cross SoWal.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Final approval from the FAA is expected to be granted this Summer. I don't know the details but I think most of the work has been achieved for approval.
 

Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
Paula said:
I'm curious. Given all the new upscale high rises and Pier Park plans, do you think Panama City Beach will actually become a more upscale beach (assuming you like high-rises)? How will it differ from Destin?

What's the word on the west end of Panama City Beach (closest to 30A) which doesn't have high rises (yet?) and seems quite calm with some nice properties and developments.

Because we're at Seacrest Beach, we tend to drive out toward Panama City Beach rather than Destin when necessary (e.g., to get a cheap donut or oysters) and we are growing fond of some of the "dives" for very casual dining (that may become extinct soon) and are curious about whether all those high rises will actually get filled.

Panama City Beach is booming. I think it will be more like Gulf Shores than Destin, if there is a difference it's that Gulf Shores is bigger than Destin. All of Bay County is changing. I expect with the addition of the airport, it will become the largest city on the panhandle.
The area North of Back Beach Road to the bay is mostly St. Joe property, as well as most of the property North of the bay. It will all be developed in a decades-long plan.
Highway 79 will be 4-laned all the way to I-10 and will be filled in with golf course communities, office parks, light industrial and commercial parks, distribution centers.



The possum festival in Wausau will be a major televised event.
 

Paula

Beach Fanatic
Jan 25, 2005
3,747
442
Michigan but someday in SoWal as well
Only 10 minute drive from the airport to Seacrest and no additional (or at least not much) noise over South Walton? I'm so happy. Now if the airfares would decrease from Detroit to Panama City once there's a full-size airport, I think I'll even sob with delight (airfares are often close to $400, and almost always over $300 -- we paid about $350 for tickets to come to S. Walton in July -- this is tough to do often with a family of 4 and with 2 kids to eventually put through college).

Do you think it's worth investing in Panama City Beach property? (not that we can do so given we've already invested in S. Walton and, as I said, have a few kids to put through college someday and don't want to spend all of our time working).
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter