(Green Hill) wrote in message om...
Dick, Ive been looking into Pensacola, and it seems more along the
lines in what im looking for than other florida areas. I did however
happen to read a few articles that talked about that it might get
really delvolped by theis "st.joe company". Also how would you
describe the west panhandle as far as delvoplment goes.

Best I can tell, most of the development seems to be within a couple
of miles of the coast. The St. Joe Company (St. Joe Paper Company) is
the largest single landowner in the state. The developent arm of the
company is Arvida. Arvida developments have been as responsible as
possible within the confines of a little urban sprawl. My office is
on a plot of land donated to the State of Florida by Arvida and is on
the edge of a new residential development in Tallahassee called
Southwood.

I know areas
need a certain amount of delelopment, or it seems the areas have avery
little as far as anemities. But there is a point i draw a line between
delvlopment that still preserves the area and delvlopment that ruins a
area turning it into a condo affair where every town looks the same.

When you get away from the coast, you may as well be in Southern
Alabama or Georgia.

I know this first hand living near pigeon forge/gatlinburg TN,(bad
delvopment, no planning, major, and i do mean major traffic
problems,....cough cough I cant see the mountains through the smog
kinda deal). I figure your a local to N. Florida. If anyone would know
you would how the coast is delvloping.

Having moved here from Knoxvegas in 1990, I know where you are coming
from. Stay away from Panama City. It is Pigeon Forge By The Sea.

Im not looking to move to
Florida to change it, I wont be buying into a condo deal or some big
planned area, most likely just a small older home(the older the
better), enjoy the wildlife, do some fishing, some beach combing.
Anyway any more insight on the st. joe situation or anything to do
with the coast would be much appreciated.

The strip of Gulf Coast from the St. Marks River to Alabama is blessed
with several parks that are protected from most of the evils of
development. Half of St. George Island is developed and the other
half is park. Cape San Blas is developed but also contains a great
park.

And as far as yahoos, rednecks, retirees, its hard to avoid that no
matter where you go, we have all those things here as well, thats not
why Im moving.

Not many retirees in the Panhandle and my experience with the local
pickumup drivers with the "Cowboy Up" or "Ain't Skeered" decals on the
windows has been pretty positive. If you are used to the East
Tennessee heat, you will do just fine down here.