Rural areas near Tallahassee? (Miami, Tampa: home builders, to buy, schools)

[movingmaybe]

There is a possibility we may be moving but are looking for a rural town...we need acreage for our horses but with close proximity to conveniences, schools, etc. I'm trying to do some preliminary research online but since I'm in NM now have no idea what places I should be looking into further. Hoping for something in the same direction as Wildwood Golf Course.

Any advice, suggestions, input welcome and TIA!

Also, what do you like about Tallahassee? I'm finding it hard to swallow giving up my beloved NM so I need motivation

[moving123456]

I wouldn't move there myself, but I have spent some time working there and really like all the hills and huge live oaks with spanish moss. Just going by the look of the area, you probably will not have a problem finding acreage and a rural feel without going very far out.

[TriMT7]

There is plenty of "land" to be had in the Tallahassee area, but the closer you are "to town," the more it's going to cost you.

Anything outside of Tallahassee proper is also going to be some pretty hardcore "old South" culture as well, so make sure that sort of thing is "for you."

[movingmaybe]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

There is plenty of "land" to be had in the Tallahassee area, but the closer you are "to town," the more it's going to cost you.

Anything outside of Tallahassee proper is also going to be some pretty hardcore "old South" culture as well, so make sure that sort of thing is "for you."

I don't want to put words in anyones mouth, do you mean as far as racism, etc? That is definitely not up my alley and of concern to me. How hardcore do you mean?

[movingmaybe]

Originally Posted by moving123456

I wouldn't move there myself, but I have spent some time working there and really like all the hills and huge live oaks with spanish moss. Just going by the look of the area, you probably will not have a problem finding acreage and a rural feel without going very far out.

If you don't mind, why wouldn't you want to live there? I have no idea about Tallahassee and would appreciate hearing the pros and cons of living there.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by movingmaybe

If you don't mind, why wouldn't you want to live there? I have no idea about Tallahassee and would appreciate hearing the pros and cons of living there.

I just like to be near a larger city with an international hub airport and pro sports teams. The area feels surprisingly rural for the population size, which can be a good or bad thing depending what you are looking for. It is also a little too "southern?(think alabama stereotype)" for me. I would say that it has more in common with Georgia or Alabama than other Florida cities. People with heavy southen accents still sell boiled peanuts and things like that at the side of random roads. I stopped to buy some of those boiled nuts once this past summer and they were not bad. It one of the hottest areas in Florida during the summer, I believe it is the only "big" city that gets over 100 degrees sometimes.

[deckardc]

Tallahassee is not anymore or less racist than any other city in the country. Racism is everywhere. I have heard more racial slurs verbalized in Washington DC than I have on the panhandle.

The panhandle of Florida is a little "Old South". That means it is more country than the rest of the state. It is more like Georgia or Alabama than Miami or Tampa. It is a predominantly white area and there is little international diversity. The natives in the area do have heavy southern accents. They also tend to be more religious and very conservative. There is a heavy military presence here so it is a big God, guns, and Country area. In the past several years, a lot of people from other areas of the country have moved here, either through the military or for the beaches, so the area is not as redneck as it once was. The panhandle used to be known as the Redneck Riviera but it is shedding that image. Many of the beach areas such as Destin, Navarre, Walton County, and Panama City Beach are re-inventing themselves as the type of upscale resorts that appeal to the upper-middle classes and the wealthy.

The areas north of the coast are more rural and there is plenty of open space. We pass by horse farms often. To be close to the Wildwood Country Club, you should look around Crawfordville or maybe St. Marks. Generally in Wakulla County. Other areas on the panhandle you might want to look at are Quincy, Marianna, Bonifay, DeFuniak Springs, Crestview, Baker, Milton, or Cantonment. These are the more rural areas north of the coastal cities but from these towns, you could easily be in a larger city or at the beach within 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Also, consider areas in the middle of the state like Lake City, Gainesville, and Ocala. There is quite a bit of open land over there as well.

Why pick Florida? What are you looking for other than rural areas and what is it about New Mexico that you are hesitant to leave?

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by movingmaybe

I don't want to put words in anyones mouth, do you mean as far as racism, etc? That is definitely not up my alley and of concern to me. How hardcore do you mean?

Living in Tallahassee itself you will see less of the old south mentality than outside the city limits. Think of Tallahassee as an Island of "blue" in a sea of "red" if that gives you some picture.

There are historic vestiges of racism in Tallahassee, and indeed, a very clearly delineated "other side of the tracks" where FAMU is located, but it IS more of a progressive college town, and i've never seen so many interracial couple combinations of all kinds than in Tallahassee.

Don't get the impression that it's 1960s Alabama though!


The pros of Tallahassee include the weather, the landscape, the award-winning parks, the trees everywhere. Housing and land prices are more expensive "in town" than elsewhere in North Florida, but it's a good place to raise kids. The cons are that it's 2+ hours to the nearest international airport and major city(jacksonville), and the beach is about an hour away. I felt "disconnected" from the rest of the world when I lived there, which can be good or bad, depending on what you're looking for.

I would say stay for a couple of days and check things out. Explore the whole city.

[gumbyfly]

I live in Crawfordville, which is a 15-minute drive south of Tallahassee (will be a suburb of Tallahassee in 15 years...). The best decision I made was to move here when I got a job in Tallahassee. The drive to work takes about 30 minutes (north side of town, through downtown morning traffic). They are steadily widening all of the roads in the Tallahassee area too.
Living to the south of Tallahassee is a better option than to the north, unless you will be making a lot of money. Homes just north of Tallahassee are usually around $300k to start, unless you buy an older home (1950's). Plus, the traffic coming in from the north into Tallahassee is a nightmare. It has taken me an hour to drive two miles north in rush-hour traffic on a Friday night. There are three main arteries south towards Crawfordville, and they are all about the same - two-lanes of 55mph traffic that will sometimes slow to 45mph at spots during rush hour. It is still fairly open and smooth though.
Crawfordville itself has all the amenities anyone could desire (Ace Hardware, WalMart, Winn Dixie, almost any flavor of restaurant, doctors, dentists, child care, etc...), and there are several of the better bars about ten minutes south of Crawfordville (live music, sports, dancing...).
The best thing about living in Crawfordville, is that it is not too terribly redneck anymore. Most of the population works in Tallahassee, and the farm areas have been parcelled off for home builders. It is right in the middle of a National Forest, though, which is great for getting back to nature. There are enough local swimming and recreation areas around Crawfordville to keep a teenager in swimwear almost year-round. The peace and quiet here is too good to be real. Add the typical North Florida great weather, and this is the place to be.

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I hope this helped.
Jim

[gumbyfly]

Also, I noticed you will be coming from New Mexico...

This is the deep south, but the mostly civilized deep south. There is racial division here, both by demographics and by income, and it seems to always be the topic du jour in the news. There are numerous renecks here too. Lots of 4-wheelers with lift kits and big tires, AND lots of pimped out Hyundais with the bass rumbling so loud it makes the cheap, faux tail fin rattle.
It is a college town. FAMU and FSU are crammed into the west-central part of the city. When the colleges let out for summer break, the city almost disappears.
The state government is here, and is pretty much the only game in town business-wise. When the state makes budget cuts, EVERYBODY makes budget cuts. There are a lot of minor protests on the capitol's lawn (about ten people is the average).
It may be the state capitol, but it is really small and not very advanced. Lots of flash-backs from the 80's here, with the lack of computer savvy and older technology at state offices and the major hospital.
On the plus side, there is a lot to do for those who enjoy the arts, and there are a lot of fine dining establishments (snooty eateries). There are two large malls, an annual fair (going on now), and lots of canopy roads for motorcycle enthusiats (like me).
I live in Crawfordville, which is only about 20 minutes from the beach (sandy ocean beaches), and five minutes from the river (kayaking with manatees, fishing, swimming...). It is a good place to live and raise a family.
jim