[jimdc58]

I've posted before about Tallahassee, and gotten pretty positive responses.

What is the worst thing about Tallahassee? Sometimes that is a good indicator of just how good things are (or aren't)?

[TriMT7]

The worst things about Tallahassee = traffic, the fact that you feel like you're living on an Island (disconnected from the rest of the world, with airfares at the Tallahassee airport being ridiculously high, and Jacksonville airport 2.5 hours away along awfully boring I-10) It's pretty run down on the Southwest side of town where it looks like a segregated area (a vestige of the "Old South"), and when session is in town, good luck trying to get a restaurant on the weekend!

[macguy]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

The worst things about Tallahassee = traffic, the fact that you feel like you're living on an Island (disconnected from the rest of the world, with airfares at the Tallahassee airport being ridiculously high, and Jacksonville airport 2.5 hours away along awfully boring I-10) It's pretty run down on the Southwest side of town where it looks like a segregated area (a vestige of the "Old South"), and when session is in town, good luck trying to get a restaurant on the weekend!

If that is the worst that can be said that sounds pretty good.

[alex3672]

Tallahassee is a great place to raise a family. If you are single, probably not the town.

Traffic is a concern, but my biggest concern is jobs. If you aren't working for the state or one of the colleges/schools you won't have much opportunity. Too much cheap labor is availible around here.

If you are looking to live here, I would stick to the east side of town going to monticello. Nice places to live. Also, Northwest Tallahassee toward Havana is nice.

[gumbyfly]

The worst things about Tallahassee are the same worst things everywhere - in a SMALL TOWN. Tallahassee is the largest city in the area, and has the state government, two major colleges, and a huge hospital. With all of the people and business here, you would think businesses would have the same customer relations as businesses in other comparable cities. This is where my biggest complaint is...

I have a Jeep Wrangler - one of the most common vehicles in the USA. I had to wait a week for brake pads from the local 5-star Jeep service center / dealership. I also had to wait for a trailer hitch and an oil cap from the same parts office. I wanted to upgrade my car stereo to an in-dash XM-capable radio, and the only one in town was one the store didn't have all the parts for (and had to order it). The car stuff is just the tip of the iceberg here... I normally wouldn't whine about the limited availability of commercial goods, but it has been very common in my limited time here (2 years).

Tallahassee's traffic is 'wierd' more than it is 'bad'. There are places in town that have three lanes of traffic that merge into one lane within 100 meters of going through a traffic light - which makes it a drag race for all three lanes who absolutely have to be first. There are areas of town with 55 MPH speed limits where the flow of traffic never gets above 45 MPH, and areas where the speed limit is 35 MPH and traffic is never slower than 60 MPH. Nobody will stop for a light turning red. The city has a 5-second delay before the next light turns green, and everyone seems to use all 5 of those seconds to run the red light. Using a turn signal is also not allowed within the city limits. These are very common practices all over the world, but to see all of them together in this tiny city is pretty strange. I have just learned to start driving without any consideration for other drivers so I would fit in.

Overall, the Tallahassee area is one of the great areas in the south to live in. All of its 'problems' are so minor compared to most oher similar cities. There are many good places to live in the area - depending on what you want and how much you can afford.

..and spring-breakers do not come to Tallahassee - they leave here to go somewhere else.

[MrTudo]

Originally Posted by macguy

If that is the worst that can be said that sounds pretty good.

Yup and as far as "vestiges of the Old South" the OP would do well to take a trip up to the "enlightened" North and find out what segregation is before commenting on the South.

The North IS segregated in most places.

Heck, I grew up in a little town in NJ that was known as Lilly of the Valley.

And it still is.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

Yup and as far as "vestiges of the Old South" the OP would do well to take a trip up to the "enlightened" North and find out what segregation is before commenting on the South.

The North IS segregated in most places.

Heck, I grew up in a little town in NJ that was known as Lilly of the Valley.

And it still is.

I assume since I was the one who made the "vestiges of the Old South" comment, you are directing your suggestion to me.

I was born in New Jersey, and there weren't any black kids in my school, or town, really. BUT, Tallahassee does have an element of that old Southern mentality, and it does not good to say it doesn't exist. There is a literal "other side of the tracks" and it's no coincidence that FAMU (a Historically black college) is smack in the middle of this area. Additionally, the good old boy network is also still pervasive behind the scenes. It's a separation that didn't exist in the city where I grew up on the Treasure Coast, in a "new" Florida city.

Indeed, the whole point of saying "vestige of Old South" slavery is because LEGAL segregation determined the boundaries of "black" and "white" sides of towns which may often still exist by default today. In the North, it was more of a "social" enforced segregation. But this isn't the place to discuss that.

But anyway, on balance Tallahassee benefits outweigh whatever the bads are.

[MrTudo]

There's always a "BUT". Hahahaha. Of course.

Perhaps we can call that the hypocricy of the North.

[GR82BAGATOR]

You mean other than F.S.U???? lol I have several friends that live there and all I hear are good things!

[megaseth7]

The distance from other larger cities. I think Jacksonville is like 2.5 hours away. Tampa is like six. There is not a direct interstate from Tallahassee to Atlanta, even though Atlanta is almost directly above Tallahassee...it just doesnt make sense...but then again I dont think most of the traffic would be traveling to Tallahassee anyways...you would just think the route wouldnt be so indirect.

There are quite a number of bumbs in Tallahassee but mostly just around FSU. I dont know if they shut the homeless shelter down yet but that is what keeps them there. Also if you have lived in Tallahassee quite a number of these homeless people are found murdered. One would suspect that the homeless have a much higher mortality rate but my hunch is that there is some sort of homeless serial killer. The rest of the crime rate isnt bad at all and if you live in Killarn its next to zero. I would move back to Tallahassee if it wasnt so complicated.