SperlingViews - Destin, Florida

When I moved back to this area in Jr. High, Destin was still a sleepy little fishing village, catering to vacationers looking to fish in the Gulf of Mexico. It was still the 50s and 60s era place my folks remembered: small and southern, definitely not fancy or filled with 24-hour non-stop entertainment. Most people brought that with them when they came from cities around the southeast. It was changing, though. Throughout the 70s and 80s more and more high-rise condos sprouted up, but shared the harbor and beach with small Florida cottages and empty lots with sand dunes and scrub trees. That sleepy pace ended in the boom of the 90s. It is almost like developers have something against nature and affordable housing. Unfortunately, we locals caved in to the money and conveniences all the development brought. The beach is still beautiful, and we have great restaurants and exciting things to do for recreation, but we have lost our little village in the process. Still, if you must grow, I'm glad Destin still caters to families and remained on the "upscale" side of the spectrum.[read more...]

Add "Santa Rosa Beach" as a "City" in FL. . . since there are commentaries made by reidents and tourists about the beautiful town.[read more...]

I spent most of my life growing up in the Caribbean, I have to admit the beaches of Destin have to be the best I've seen.[read more...]

The beaches are beautiful,the water looks great;don't be fooled,the water is pretty badly polluted.If you get any kind of cut or abrasion on the beach,in the water,or especially on the fishing docks wash & disinfect immediately.I didn't,& two months down the road I'm still trying to get the swollen ulcer to heal.The original wound was a negligible abrasion on the beach.The speculation is that irresponsible boaters are dumping their toilets into the bay & gulf.The medical community in the Destin area is aware of the problem, and mentioned to me a drug resistent staph normally found in hospital settings thats turning up on the various fishing docks. I expect the local biz.people are keeping a pretty tight lid on this story for obvious reasons.[read more...]

Gorgeous, resort community; traffic is a very challenging issue, as well as property taxes and homeowners insurance.[read more...]

This is a growing beautiful beach comminity that is very safe. However, the job market thrives on real estate and construction.[read more...]

The quality of life here is lively I suppose. If you enjoy nightlife there are clubs you can go out to that are close by. The beaches are beautiful, the sugar-white sand gets splashed by emerald green water. In the summer the beaches are crowded and you can't drive on the roads because there are so many tourists. Stores stay open later in the summer and for holidays but then you are left with tired workers with neverending shifts. Foreigners come in for the summer to fill positions that would otherwise not get filled. They are very sweet people but sometimes you can't understand them, please have patience when shopping. In the winter we get all the snow birds traffic again becomes annoying. Destin in itself is a small town but has been invaded by tourists and the original boating homey feel has been washed away. This is a better place to visit than it is to live, yet when you visit all the locals just wish you away. I personally got tired of the party scene and hanging out at the beach...I am ready to find a new home.[read more...]

First, I'm not talking about Destin, per se, but that's the closest city I could select from the pull-down menu. Second, I respectfully disagree with the two postings that came before mine. 1. Every great "city" has a traffic problem. 2. Tourists do not flock to undesirable places. 3. The glut of high-rise condos can be found in Panama City Beach to our east and/or Destin to our west - but not here. The "Beaches of South Walton" include no one "city", but rather a collection of beach towns such as Seagrove, Seaside, Grayton, Seacrest, Dune Allen, Rosemary, Blue Mountain, most with the official post office designation of "Santa Rosa Beach" (not to be confused with Santa Rose County.) (And, no, Fort Walton Beach is not in Walton County. A little confusing, huh?!) The Beaches of South Walton are connected by 18 mile "Scenic Highway 30A". A broad range of factors make South Walton County one of the most unique and desirable places in all of Florida ... or the world for that matter: Natural Resources. This area offers what many consider to be the most beautiful landscape & seascape to be found anywhere. From the sugar white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico northward to the Spanish Moss & towering oaks on the meandering bayous & Choctawhachee Bay, the area is reputed to be one of the most "biodiverse" in North America. (That means a whole lot of different animal and plant species.) The aqua blue Gulf water here is second only to the Caribbean in clarity. Elevated Coastline. South Walton communities rest atop the highest elevations on the entire Gulf of Mexico, with some bluffs rising above 30 feet. This affords the area not only incredible beauty, but also invaluable protection against surging Gulf waters during tropical storms. Coastal Dune Lakes. Along the 18 miles of Highway 30A are no fewer than 14 pristine coastal lakes, fingers of which periodically open to the Gulf, creating continual variation in salinity - from fresh to brackish water. Similar lakes apparently exist only in Africa, but try driving there for a 3 day weekend. Protected Lands. Vast acreage (well over 60% of all land) in South Walton and several of the above mentioned coastal lakes will never be developed due to extensive land designation as State Park, Forest, Wildlife Management and Recreation areas. Premier Quality Communities. Seaside, Rosemary Beach, WaterColor, WaterSound, Alys Beach and numerous smaller developments implement design codes[read more...]

Expensive, low wages and tremendously crowded. Getting worse by the day.[read more...]