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Real Estate & Homes in Tallahassee - Florida - Tallahassee, Florida homes and communities
Tallahassee
Tallahassee Background
With its change of seasons and temperate climate, rolling hills and stretches of pine flatwoods, and hardwood trees intermingled with palms, Tallahassee combines the best of Florida living with a touch of the Deep South's charm.
The state capital and home to Florida State University, Tallahassee enjoys an appeal long since lost to strip center development and the overburdened infrastructure experienced by many cities in Florida. Unlike the booming coastal cities and tourist-laden central Florida area, Tallahassee has experienced a more-controlled growth, allowing it to retain its slow Southern style and quiet uniqueness.
Tallahassee History
To many Floridians, one of life's great mysteries is how “remote” Tallahassee was selected as the state capital. Tallahassee is a four- to five-hour drive from Tampa and Orlando, and a nine-hour drive from Miami. Its airport is tiny, and the number of daily flights is limited. The answer lies in the state's unusual history and the growth pattern of its population. The Apalachee Indians, who roamed throughout Florida's Panhandle from 500 A.D. through the 1600s, were the area's first inhabitants. The Spanish were the first non-Indian settlers and established a small village at a site near the present State Capitol. The Spanish eventually were driven out by disease and skirmishes with the Indians.
“Tallahassee” is an Indian word meaning “old town” or “abandoned fields,” both good descriptions of the tiny village abandoned by the Spanish. In the early 1800s, Florida's population centers were St. Augustine and Pensacola. When Florida became a U.S. territory in 1822, there was quite a battle between these two towns to be selected as the capital of the territory. In 1825, the fledgling Florida Legislature, unaware that the future of Florida resided far to the south of the Panhandle, selected a midway point between St. Augustine and Pensacola as a compromise.
The new state capital was more like Dodge City than Florida's capital: Gunfights and lawlessness were part of daily life. However, a small police force and a burgeoning farming economy tempered the mayhem of the early days. Plantations and slavery marked the Southern roots of the area, and Tallahassee was the locus of strong Southern resistance to the Union troops.
Despite being the state capital, farming continued to dominate the Tallahassee economy into the 1950s. Over the years, Tallahassee has resisted numerous attempts to relocate the capital to a more southern location in Florida. To beautify the city, residents planted hundreds of dogwood and oak trees, and concerted efforts were made to ensure ample restaurants and hotel rooms were available for the legislators. In 1978, the new Capital Complex was dedicated, and residents were able to rest easier that the capital mantle would not be removed from the area's shoulders. Between 1950 and 2000, Tallahassee's population has grown sevenfold.
Tallahassee Fast Facts
Population: 255,500
Land area: 667 square miles
Median age: 29.5 years
Average minimum temperature: 55.9ºF
Average maximum temperature: 79.2ºF
Average annual rainfall: 62.38 inches
Median household income: $37,832
Cost of living: 109.4 on scale of 100
Median home price: $120,000, compared with national median of $183,800
Economy
Not surprisingly, Tallahassee's economy is service-based and is profoundly influenced by the state's budgetary constraints. Nearly one-third of all employees in Tallahassee are state, federal or local government employees. Another third are in service-related businesses. The remaining third have jobs in commerce, manufacturing, mining and construction. The largest employer is the State of Florida, followed by Florida State University and the Leon County Schools. Publix Supermarkets, Inc.; Sprint; and Casper’s Group McDonalds head the list of non-service leading employers.
The wealth of high-quality jobs has resulted in an unemployment rate of only 3.2%. Leon County's economy has grown steadily but slowly in the last two decades, but it remained fairly flat until the middle of 2003. Recently, both the retail and real estate indices show a strengthening, along with an upsurge in the population growth.
* Information provided by www.talchamber.com.
Activities
With more than 41 percent of its population having graduated from college (the lowest median age of any Florida city), and its emphasis upon services and education, Tallahassee leads the way in quality-of-life indices.
Because of the influence of the part-time resident legislators and the intellectual demands of Florida State University students and faculty, Tallahassee has an admirable array of arts and cultural events.
Arts and Culture
From watercolors to outdoor sculptures, Tallahassee's 28 galleries display a variety of artworks from local artists. Even the airport has an art gallery, announcing the city's emphasis on the arts to the many visitors to Tallahassee. There are 10 dance companies in the city, including the Tallahassee Ballet, the African Caribbean Dance Theater, and the Community School of the Performing Arts & Culture.
Theatrical offerings are plentiful as well. The Dixie Theater provides a live professional summer theater, a guest concert series, community theater and youth theater. The Theatre a la Carte is North Florida's premier musical theater company, and the Florida State University School of Theatre draws upon the student artists to create quality educational and theatrical entertainment.
There are at least 15 music venues and societies in the area — including the Florida State Opera, Tallahassee Civic Chorale and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra — and the Florida State University School of Music produces more than 420 events annually. Finally, Tallahassee reaps the benefits of the Florida State University School of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts, whose students produce hundreds of films each year. Many of these films have won national and international recognition.
Festivals and Events
Each February, Florida State University hosts Tallahassee: Seven Days of Opening Nights, an event that attracts internationally acclaimed performers in the arts. On a lighter, more colorful note, the annual Caribbean Carnival International features the food and music of the Caribbean islands. Tallahassee also hosts the Celtic Festival & Scottish Highland Games, a multi-day festival featuring traditional Celtic, Scottish and Irish music and games.
Another popular event takes place downtown each Saturday from March through November. The Downtown Marketplace features arts and crafts, live jazz, food, and other exhibits and attractions throughout the season. On the first Friday of each month, many of Tallahassee's museums and galleries stay open late, and the Gallery Hop Trolley provides transportation among them for a small fee.
Museums and Attractions
Tallahassee hosts a smorgasbord of museums and attractions. Leading the list is the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science, where one can enjoy a 52-acre zoo, aviary, animal exhibits and nature trails. There are several historical building museums, including the Lichgate on High Road, a fairy-tale cottage; the Knott House Museum, a restored 1928 home in the heart of the city; Pebble Hill Plantation, a restored plantation home and village; and the Old Capitol Museum, which contains the House and Senate chambers, Supreme Court, and governor's office restored to their 1902 appearance.
Other museums include the Black Archives Research Center and Museum, the Museum of Florida History, and the Museum of African American History and Culture. For the outdoor enthusiast, the Goodwood Museum and Gardens features an 1834 estate with more than 20 structures and gardens, and the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park features historic ornamental gardens.
Sports and Recreation
With the influence of Florida State University's nationally recognized athletic program, sports are a major part of Tallahassee's culture. FSU football is almost a religion in Northern Florida, and its basketball program is growing in popularity.
Tallahassee's Sports Council, a division of the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, was formed to attract and promote a wide variety of local, national and international sports events. Supported by hundreds of volunteers, the Sports Council has hosted dozens of major sporting events, including NCAA basketball and women's tennis championships, the Sunshine State Games, USA Cycling Masters National Championships, AAU Junior Olympic Games, and others. For the amateur, the sports offerings run the gamut from archery to windsurfing. Clubs and sports leagues abound for all ages throughout the year.
Nightlife and Restaurants
As might be expected, FSU students drive Tallahassee's vibrant nightlife. Any night of the week, music and laughter can be heard drifting into the streets at the many funky bars and nightclubs in and around Tallahassee. There also are plenty of upscale bars and restaurants within walking distance of the Capitol to cater to the visiting legislators, lobbyists and the well-heeled crowd.
Where is Tallahassee?
Written by Margaret Bowles exclusively for HomesParadise.com.
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