Seaside, Florida

Post office at the center of Seaside

Seaside is an unincorporated master-planned community on the Florida panhandle in Walton County, between Panama City Beach and Destin. Being one of the first New Urbanism style cities in America, the town has become the topic of slide lectures in architectural schools and in housing-industry magazines, and is visited by design professionals from all over the United States. The town rose to global fame as being the main filming location of the movie The Truman Show.

History

Seaside Chapel, a community landmark designed by Merrill, Pastor, & Colgan in 2001.

Seaside's roots can be traced to 1946, when the grandfather of future founder Robert S. Davis bought 80 acres of land along the shore of Northwest Florida as a summer retreat for his family. In 1979 Davis inherited the parcel from his grandfather, and set out to transform it into an old-fashioned beach town, replete with climate adapted, wood-framed cottages in the Florida Panhandle building tradition. Davis, his wife Daryl, and architectural partners Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk of Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DZP), toured the south studying small towns in order to create Seaside. The goal of Seaside was not only to create an old-fashioned beach town, but to create a social atmosphere that people enjoyed being in, and that is indubitably the creation of the Davis', Duany, and Plater-Zyberk. Every house in Seaside is colorful and different, ranging from styles such as Victorian, Neoclassical, Modern, Postmodern and Deconstructivism. Seaside includes buildings by architects such as Léon Krier, Robert A. M. Stern, Steven Holl, Machado and Silvetti Associates, Deborah Berke, Walter Chatham, Daniel Solomon, Jeff Margaretten, Alex Gorlin, Aldo Rossi, Michael McDonough, Samuel Mockbee, David Mohney, Steve Badanes, Walker Candler and David Coleman.

Activities

There are many activities that are available in Seaside. For sports interested people there are six tennis courts available staffed by a pro, three swimming pools, a world-class croquet lawn, a fitness center, catamaran rentals, nature walks, and Camp Seaside for children. Seaside also has a spa called Beach Ready Spa, where you can get massages such as Swedish, hot stone and deep tissue. You can also get facials, manicures, and pedicures. Another activity for kids is Camp Showtime. This is camp teaches about live theater, lessons on performance skills, team building, storytelling, and self esteem building. This is held at the local Seaside Repertory theatre. Kids also have the opportunity to learn surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, skimboarding, boogie boarding, and paddle boarding, at Kidz Beach and Surf and Skim Skool. They offer private and group lessons for all ages.

Events

30A Songwriters Festival

During the Annual 30A Songwriters Festival, produced by the Cultural Arts Association of Walton County, singer-songwriters from all over the U.S. perform in venues along Scenic Highway 30A and at a few venues in Seaside itself.

The Seaside Half Marathon and 5k Race

The Seaside Half Marathon and 5k Race is held each year in March, and attracts runners from all across the U.S. This is quickly becoming one of the region's premier running events. The 5K Run is limited to the first 800 people that register and the Half Marathon is limited to the first 2200 that register. The top three runners from each age group receive a prize, and every runner in the half marathon receives a medal upon completing the race. Participants are allowed to walk in either race.

Organizations and Institutions

Escape to Create

Escape to Create celebrates artists and serves community through Multi-Disciplinary Artist Residencies, Visiting Artists and Scholars, Arts and Cultural Programs, and Educational outreach. Escapetocreate.org

Seaside Farmers Market

On Saturday mornings the Seaside Farmers Market offers fresh local produce, dairy products, baked goods, and native plants. Demonstrations in cooking and gardening are also held on a regular basis.

Repertory Theater

The Repertory Theater (REP) was founded in the spring of 2001, and entertains more than 25,000 people every year. The plays are performed by the only professional theater company on the Emerald Coast, and include everything from family shows to sophisticated adult shows. High school students who live in the area can intern at the Seaside Repertory Theater. The children gain practical knowledge by working with the staff and get to be in charge of their own production.

Seaside Neighborhood School

In 1995 a group of parents and other community members from towns in Walton County, met and discussed how they could improve education within the county. Their discussions focused on making a densely populated school with grades six to eight. In 1996 Seaside Neighborhood School was established and became one of Florida's first charter schools. The school started out with just 50 students and one classroom, but in 1998 architect Richard Gibbs, designed the three white buildings that consist of the school today. In order to maintain the small enrollment of children that attend the school, a limited number of students are accepted into each grade. If enrollment exceeds the limit, students names are drawn randomly from a lottery. After the limit has been reached, they continue to pull out names which then creates a school year waiting list. If someone withdraws from the school then the first on the waiting list will be accepted. Children of an employees, Board Members, or siblings of current attendees of the school are automatically admitted.

External links

• Seaside website
• The Seaside Institute website