COMMENT BY
J. from Destin, FL
COMMENT ABOUT PLACE
Destin, FL
COMMENT
Development has been mixed
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.