Ugly Florida Town Contest? I nominate Ocala... (Miami, Tampa: living in, restaurants)

[daedalo]

Today I drove from Fernandina Beach down 301 to Ocala. The only town I went through of any size was Starke, which is mainly supported by farms and the extensive prisons nearby. I got to Ocala early so I drove around town. I must say outside of Ocala are some gorgeous horse farms. But how in the world did the town of Ocala allow such a cancer of trashy development nearly everywhere? Ocala is, without a doubt, the ugliest city in central Florida. It is a testament to unchecked bottom of the barrel development and a total lack of planning. Zero landscape and signage planning except for an afterthought on one road for a quarter mile north of the CBD (Central Business District). There are a few fragmented areas of old downtown that are restored, but it is clear the downtown is struggling financially. With all the wealth around it, Ocala looks borderline 3rd world. Flat out junk development.

Again, the natural areas around Ocala are some of the prettiest in Florida while Ocala itself is a testament to a flea-market mindset run amok all over the landscape. Is there an uglier city in Florida?

[stargazer]

Geneva has the chance to be pretty but the VILLAGE as they want to be called, won't allow any sort of improvements, not even a local grocery store in town and I was told that personally by someone who said it wouldn't happen while they were alive. Just one blink light through the town flanked by 2 stores and then the rest is a shanty town.

[Racelady88]

Palmetto, or Palmgetto as the locals call it. Dirty, run down. Right next to I-75 and the water this could have been a nice area. Instead it is "The Hood".

[R Marshall]

First let me say, I do not live in Ocala, but do visit it frequently due to close family members living in the area. Do I think it is the most beautiful place in Florida. or is it perfectly set like Naples or Seaside (which both I find over planned and "Stepford-esque")...NO. But ugliest?... I think not. Though they do have urban/suburban decay, there are alot of very nice areas within the city limits. I have not traveled ALL of Florida so I can't pass judgement but I can say that I have seen some "ugly" in some of the most popular areas of Florida. Take for example....all of Daytona.....Tampa has alot of urban/suburban decay as well. I would not say these are the ugliest either. I suggest more extensive traveling in Florida with your eyes open before passing judgement on this town which has grown leaps and bounds since the early 90's. Maybe it is all of the southern Floridians moving in that it bringing all of the decay you saw.

[daedalo]

The reason I limited my discussion to "town" is the assumption, perhaps spurious, that in smaller places there is greater self-determination to shape that place, or have an impact on the character of a place by its residents. If a garden club initiates a beautification program in a town it can have an impact. In a "city" it is hardly a blip on the radar screen...Again if one can imagine the near pristine parklike setting of those rolling hills of central Florida, and then suddenly it is as if people intentionally wanted to construct commercial litter for its cheap sensory shock value, then that is the experience of driving into Ocala. For the visitor of Ocala not to be repulsed by this spectacle calls into question whether ones senses have been deprived and blunted to such an extent that nothing in the built landscape is good or bad for us in the face of the almighty sanctity of the profit motive that drives this dreadful blight.

[RAINBOWWAVES]

I say Fort Pierce...alot of ghetto there.

[lulu]

I think Ocala has beautiful areas & new developments, it all depends where one goes - just like any city in Florida. Even down here in S. FL we have places that go from one extreme to another. Ocala has an ambiance of what ole' Miami was like going from rural to semi-rural. Some of us Miamians' that were born here more than a few decades ago find a certain nostalgia there. That it's a happening partying beach scene? No. One is not going to find yacht clubs, fancy looking boutiques, nor European sounding restaurants, but it's got everything that one needs to be happy. It's a place w/lots of scenic horse farms amidst rolling green hills in some areas. It's population struck me as decent hard working middle class American families. In the newer S.W. area there are retired people from all over the U.S.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...and it all depends what we are looking for or what we consider beautiful. To me Ocala is beautiful, to others well...it might not be. If one visits I'd go when I went, late April-May - the temperature is perfect, no rains, no clouds in the sky...it will be picture perfect.

[SleepingDragon]

I just got down here from horrible Maryland and while passing
through Ocala, well.... I thought it was downright Bea-u-ti-mous!

[daedalo]

The predominant image of Ocala is what I'm speaking of, which in this area of Florida is very poor. I am not saying one cannot find some pretty places here, but unfortunately this has been cancelled out by the overall image of this place, and no, it is not the same as every other town in Florida. I am not comparing this to Maryland, or Joisey, just Florida. People should take responsibility for their place, if not, they should share the scorn.

[milano]

South florida is worse then the rest of Florida!!