[theurbanfiles]

Towns that could be also likened to: Moab, Duluth, Missoula, etc.

What I'm talking about is this. A town (generally, not always, but generally, this keeps much of this vibe away if it's a big city, there are exceptions like Portland and Salt Lake City though), that is generally known as being a hub, possibly for hipsters, but also more likely for people that are outdoorsy coming as a destination from around the state or region. Now, I don't mean this as a knock, but people that just go out and lounge at the beach aren't exactly what I'm talking about. I'm talking more REI shopping, hiking, kayaking types. I know that Florida isn't known for this a lot in general, but if there was one place, where would it be? My nominee would be Tallahassee. The city itself has an excellent trail and bike system now for it's size, it is very wooded, and if you go more than 5 miles in either direction you feel you have left behind population entirely (pretty good zoning, considering it's nearly a 500k metro), and, it's close to some of the more dramatic hiking in the state (Torreya, Falling Waters, Florida Caverns, Blackwater River, etc.). Even the coastline up there is moderately more rugged (in that much of it is state preserves, or idyllic fishing towns like Apalachicola). It even does have a number of craft breweries and hipster areas (esp. Railroad Square) aided by the student population. I think Gainesville could possibly be considered also, however, I don't know if the trails/areas around it are quite as impressive. Is there anywhere else that could potentially be considered? I think that Miami in a sense serves as a jumping off point for the Everglades or Keys, though the size doesn't really give it that outdoors feel... Perhaps Homestead or Key Largo has some of that.

[SouthSota14]

St Pete? Unless you're only looking at towns away from the water. Tallahassee though? Well it is real south. Maybe you're looking for more of a "real south" city to compare it to. I heard people rave about Gainesville also. Maybe there.

[kyle19125]

Florida doesn't really have much of a population of the type of person you're alluding to and don't think any city has a real advantage over others in terms of a visible community of the hiking/climbing/kayaking type. There is a significant hunting and fishing community which is a completely different sub-sector and much more a Cabela's type than REI. If speaking to geography I would agree about Tallahassee and then perhaps Gainesville. From my experience Gainesville seems a bit more "REI type" than Tallahassee but again not where it's an apparent lifestyle for most with visual cues like lots of Subarus with bike/ski/kayak racks for instance. In summary there is no Asheville, Boone, Moab, Chattanooga, Missoula or Boulder in Florida...or most of the Southeast for that matter.

[theurbanfiles]

SouthSota: Saint Petersburg... I don't know if that's exactly REI type but it is hipster cultured. The coast sections there are undeniably nice, and they do have a few nature preserves. They definitely have a good bike culture in town. Urban Saint Petersburg and Orlando certainly have some Portlandia qualities, but the natural aesthetic is so different that I think it also alters away from that type of feel. It's not that people don't enjoy nature in FL, it's just that the way it is approached is entirely different. I do think Tallahassee and Gainesville are the big two if nothing else because of the scenery, those two would also seem to have the largest hiking culture in the state.

I tend to agree, yeah fishing and hunting are much more significant here, but yeah that's a very, very different group and feel. I agree with you that Gainesville has that feel more because of the population characteristics, but then Tallahassee has the nature so it's pretty likely one of those.

I also agree that nowhere in Florida is remotely like those places, though I'd like to think eventually the culture for the stuff down here like that could eventually match it. My dream city would be some combination of outdoorsy, mountainy, laid back vibe of escaping to nature (even modest hills are okay if mountains are within a few hours), combined with dense east coast style city system where you can walk or take transit as a lifestyle, all the history/culture, etc, perhaps if not having both, living on the edge of one or the other, with a reasonable COL. Pittsburgh would seem to check off those boxes, but I don't think there are many places like Pittsburgh in FL either LOL.

Florida certainly does have it's own unique charms and draws, though.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Florida doesn't really have much of a population of the type of person you're alluding to and don't think any city has a real advantage over others in terms of a visible community of the hiking/climbing/kayaking type. There is a significant hunting and fishing community which is a completely different sub-sector and much more a Cabela's type than REI. If speaking to geography I would agree about Tallahassee and then perhaps Gainesville. From my experience Gainesville seems a bit more "REI type" than Tallahassee but again not where it's an apparent lifestyle for most with visual cues like lots of Subarus with bike/ski/kayak racks for instance. In summary there is no Asheville, Boone, Moab, Chattanooga, Missoula or Boulder in Florida...or most of the Southeast for that matter.

What he said ^^^. Florida is just too different in weather, topography etc. to have an "Asheville". I guess I would have to say that Tallahassee would be the closest in feel to what you describe, OP.

[theurbanfiles]

True, thank you for your thoughts GP. A smaller place that would fit the billing, is White Springs. The Florida Trail runs right through it and it is probably the most significantly sized town (though still dinky) along the FT. It also borders on the most scenic sections of the FT, the Suwannee River, and it's significant bluffs and rapids, on either side. Here is a picture of the hotel that is closed there, but perhaps something will be done with it. https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/me...ford-hotel.jpg

I think it would be cool if someone opened up an inn/café/brewery there, but then again, you'd have to enough thru hiker business plus people coming in on weekends from other parts of the state. It's about 3 hours from where I'm at in Bradenton, and I think I'll try and spend a weekend there this October or November.

If I remain in Florida long term, I wouldn't move and live there full time (too small for me), but it's the type of place I'd get a fixie small house to have a little retreat there, potentially try and market it some to others from around the state. Sure, it's not nearly as dramatic as places further north, but I think there's a lot of people in Peninsular Florida that, if they knew what it had, would want to visit (myself among them after reading about the sections of trail, there's even parts where you have to use rope to pull yourself up over trail!). The waterfalls, geology, topography, greenery, even history here would seem to make this a nice, underrated spot (shh...)

[theurbanfiles]

Sorry, hope this isn't too off on a tangent, but this looks pretty freaking cool.

Why You've Never Heard of the Greatest Water Park in America - Chubbies Entertainment

[PDF]

Oh god, I couldn't stand Asheville when I was there. But I know many love it.

[Marble cake]

Just curious, PDF, why?

[PDF]

Originally Posted by Marble cake

Just curious, PDF, why?

It reminded me too much of FL. I had to go there for a week of work. While it had some impressive areas, it had just as many areas that were run down and made no sense. Lots of retirees and transplants. Also, as a young person I couldn't see myself living there...too small and the options aren't that great. Bad job market there as well. It's also very hard to get an apartment there...supply and demand is crazy. And after living in CA, the mountains of Asheville aren't that impressive. I couldn't wait to get out. But I love Charlotte and Raleigh and NC in general.