Tallahassee

Tallahassee looks and feels different than most of Florida, yet it serves proudly as the state's capital. How is it different? For one thing, the terrain includes rolling hills and hundreds of moss-draped live oak trees. For another, the city is the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River never occupied by Union troops. (During the Civil War, few of Florida's towns and cities even existed; some were merely outposts.) The Rebs beat back the Yankees at the Battle of Natural Bridge. You can visit the battle site, nine miles from the city, but wherever you go around town you'll detect some Southern quality: charming manners, a general tone of gentility and graciousness, slowness of speech. Tallahassee's promotional motto, "Florida with a Southern Accent," was probably written by a copywriter, but it surely contains a large kernel of truth.

This Old South city gets its unforgettable name from an Apalachee Indian word that translates variously as "old town," "abandoned villages" or "land of old fields" The names still fit--in one way or another. The "old town" part relates to its historic importance as Florida's capital combined with the preservation of so many of its old buildings. Even the trees are old: protected and attractive canopied roads include Miccosukie, Meridian (a.k.a. Thomasville Road), Old Bainbridge and Centerville. The "abandoned villages" translation rings true, too, when the university's archeologists show their amazing local finds. Two Florida locations and one in Virginia dispute Massachusetts' claim to hosting the first New World Thanksgiving. Tallahassee's claim differs: the town says it's the site of the first Christmas celebrated in the United States because Hernando de Soto and his troops camped here during the holiday season in 1539. As for "land of old fields," the 28-mile road between town and neighboring Thomasville, Ga., holds the country's highest concentration of original plantations--71 on 300,000 acres.

Home Sweet Home

Whether you're in the market for a plantation home or a modest cottage, you'll doubtless be able to find it someplace in or around Tallahassee. The Tallahassee Board of Realtors, says the housing market is both strong and diverse. In the immediate Tallahassee area, the median sale price of existing homes in 1999 was $117,800, up 3 percent from 1998. In most cases, it costs more to live in the region's biggest city than in the smaller towns or rural areas around it.

The town's northeast quadrant is currently the most popular area. Homes in that desirable section in the $100,000 to $125,000 price range are "moving like crazy," says the Tallahasse Board. A three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,500-square-foot house will sell for $100,000 and up. The same house might sell for $80,000 to $90,000 in the northwest section, for $70,000 to $75,000 in the southeast section. Airport and industrial areas dominate the southwest side, so not much residential property has been developed in that section.

Patio homes configured as two-bedroom, two-bath sell for $55,000 and up and appeal primarily to single parents or first-time home buyers. Larger units of three-bedrooms, two baths and one garage remain popular, especially with empty nesters, and sell for about $90,000. Zero lot line homes of about 1,500 to 1,600 square feet with garage appeal to those seeking low maintenance. Prices range from $100,000 to $130,000. New and existing homes are in good supply and are selling well, especially those priced below $200,000. Tallahassee properties priced above $200,000 are available but sell more slowly.

Prices in nearby, rural Gadsden County are definitely affordable; most houses fall in a range between $30,000 and $130,000, says the Gadsden County Board of Realtors.The median sales price is hovering in the $65,000 to $70,000 bracket for a three-bedroom, two-bath home of about 1,200 square feet. Larger homes or homes in highly desirable locations will cost more, of course. Existing homes in popular Burmah Heights range from $30,000 to over $100,000.

New houses are rather rare, but that is changing. Magnolia Village, in a subdivision called The Farms of Quincy, is located three miles north of town. It will feature cluster homes on approximately 1/2 acre lots with a landscaped common area. The village is expected to appeal to singles and retirees. Homes are individual and will range in size from slightly under 1,500 square feet to 1,920 square feet.

Vital Stats

(Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Leon and Gadsden counties)

Population: 259,380
Median age: 29.4
New citizens: 4,380 yearly
New job creation: 2.6 percent (1999)
Unemployment rate: 2.6 percent in August, 1999
Cost of living: 96.18 percent (U.S. average: 100 percent)
Per capita income: $22,300
Median household income: $35,111

Rain & Shine

Close to Georgia and Alabama, the Tallahassee area offers a mild climate with occasionally brisk days. The average annual temperature is 67 degrees Fahrenheit; the average January temperature is 52; and the average July temperature is 81. Like its Big Bend and Panhandle counterparts, the city enjoys its plentiful average annual rain of 65 inches, but is prepared for the occasional frosts and freezes that occur during North Florida winters. On rare occasions the capital city receives a light dusting of snow. Sweater weather describes Tallahassee's typical winter climate. Spring, summer and fall are delightful--especially spring with its dazzling show of wisteria, azalea and dogwood blooms.

Job Market

A comparatively young, highly educated and technologically astute work force makes Tallahassee a good place for business and a great place for workers, who can update skills and earn degrees locally. Tallahassee's E.Q. (Education Quotient) is quite high. Forty-one percent of the population 25 and older hold bachelor's degrees or higher. Florida State University (FSU) beat out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the site of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which opened in 1993. Although it hasn't generated many jobs yet, local leaders and area statisticians consider the mag lab a future source for many high-level, high-paying positions. The majority of the region's job force is white collar or professional, primarily because of numerous government and education positions available here.

Class Notes

Extensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend.

Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth.

For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."

Getting Around

You don't need to worry about parking if you take one of Taltran's 31 routes. When you arrive downtown, switch to the Old Town Trolley for free rides, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you need to leave town, the Tallahassee Regional Airport is serviced by six airlines that connect to major hub cities and beyond. If you prefer to stay earthbound, no problem. Tallahassee is served by Greyhound buses and Amtrak. In fact, you can get on the Sunset Limited in this capital city and ride cross-country to Los Angeles or south to Miami. If you prefer to be at the wheel yourself, driving to and from Tallahassee is a breeze. It's just off Interstate 10, and U.S. Highway 90. An alternate, scenic route is U.S. 27, a.k.a. Apalachee Parkway, which brings visitors from the south directly to the Capitol building.

Great Outdoors

Tallahassee is less than an hour from many Big Bend beaches on the Gulf Coast. And it's right next door to the immense Apalachicola National Forest and the smaller Silver Lake Recreation Area. Wakulla Springs, a few miles south of town, remain as clear and as mysterious as when Native Americans called them "mysteries of strange waters." And their source remains a mystery. Their existence, on the other hand, is far from secret. Creature from the Black Lagoon and Airport '77 used Wakulla for location shoots. Wildlife proliferates: alligators, turtles, limpkins, wood duck, green-backed herons, black-crowned night herons, osprey (a.k.a. fish hawks), snowy egrets and white-tailed deer populate the area around the springs.

Good Sports

Pro teams don't play here, but no one seems to care very much because the hometown collegiate teams are so awesome. This is a college town--and sports fans don't forget it. They love the 'Noles (FSU Seminoles) and the Rattlers from FAMU. They admire their bands; and adore their cheerleaders--athletes in their own right.

Individual sports enjoyed by many include golf, tennis, riding, hiking and biking. Hikers appreciate the nine-mile, figure-eight Lake Talquin-Fort Braden Trail, eight miles from town and the five-mile Leon Sinks Trail six miles from Capital Circle. Closer in, try the Elinor Klapp-Phipps (EKP) Park a few miles north on Meridian Road, adjacent to the Meridian Youth Sports Complex. Its multiuse trail welcomes hikers, bicyclists and equestrians with this caution: "Bikers yield to hikers and everybody yields to the horses." Another 3.5-mile, off-road trail is for mountain bikes only, and the 5-mile EKP Park Hiking Trail is intended for hikers. Cyclists make use of the 14-mile St. Mark's Trail, the result of a successful rails-to-trails conversion, but so do joggers, walkers and inline skaters. It begins fewer than five miles from the Capitol building.

Hot Times in the City

Tallahassee's C.Q. (cultural quotient) ranks high. The capital crowd and academic set make certain that its offerings meet their standards and please their families and friends, so there's wide-spread support for all cultural endeavors. The LeMoyne Art Foundation and the Museum of Art-Tallahassee and the FSU Museum of Fine Arts encourage visual beauty. FSU's Flying Circus, the Pas de Vie dance company and the Tallahassee Ballet add much to the county's cultural cornucopia. Tallahassee Little Theatre, Tallahassee Community Theatre, the Southern Shakespeare Festival and the Young Actors Theatre deliver dramatic excitement. Musical abundance includes the Tallahassee Symphony, the Tallahassee Community Chorus and the Monticello Opera House.

Kids enjoy Skate Inn Fun Center, Putt-Putt Golf & Games, Discovery Zone and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza, which adds games, characters and a variety show to its menu. Odyssey Science Center and its hands-on approach attract the younger set. Both youngsters and adults visit enthusiastically the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science (part museum, part zoo; formerly the Junior Museum). Native wildlife on its 52 natural acres, a Discovery Center with hands-on exhibits, an authentic 1880s Florida farm and numerous nature trails make this a place to learn, yearn, play and prowl. Another winner with all ages is Maclay State Gardens, with its historic home, 200 varieties of flowers, nature trails and places to swim and fish.

Downtown holds the New Capitol, the Old Capitol, the Governor's Mansion and so many historic buildings and homes that three major, self-guided walking tours have been developed, documented and publicized. Four fascinating driving tours receive applause from residents and tourists who appreciate moss-covered trees, canopied roads, rural views and historic sites. DeSoto, Lake Jackson Mounds and San Luis archeological sites are nearby, as are numerous antebellum plantations and museums of state history, banking history and African-American history. Gadsden County's Art Trail features memorable rural scenery, art galleries, artists' studios, historic homes and inns. Stops on this one-of-a-kind tour include antique-rich Havana.

Shop 'til You Drop

Historic downtown Tallahassee welcomes the eager shopper with an array of specialty shops and boutiques; neighboring Havana beckons locals and visitors. It's gained fame as a mecca for antique hunters and provides a pleasant shopping/browsing outing for city residents because it's only 18 miles north of the capital via U.S. Highway 27. For contemporary needs or wishes, try Governor's Square, the Tallahassee Mall, Parkway Center of Village Commons. If it's art you crave, visit Nice Picture Company, Nomads or Wanderings.

Nightlife

Upscale and popular, Chez Pierre's French cuisine and ambience recently relocated to a large house near the Thomasville Road (Meridian Road) quite close to the popular Paradise Grill. Yearning for an intimate, romantic evening out? The Melting Pot on North Monroe fills the bill. Understated sophistication characterizes the relaunched Angelo's, a hometown creation of mother and son, located in the Northampton Shopping Center. Silver Slipper received a 1997 Golden Spoon (Top 20) from Florida Trend. The magazine also named The Wharf, Chez Pierre and Andrew's Second Act to its Top 200.

Andrew's features live jazz, blues and contemporary music at its downtown location. Po Boys Creole Cafe provides another place to hear jazz. Live entertainment, an affordable wine list and a wide selection of beers makes Mustard Tree popular with local sophisticates. Live music draws many to Diamond Jim's lounge. Paradise Patio's large deck welcomes the thirsty, happy-hour crowd and offers entertainment Wednesday through Saturday. If you're hungry, go inside to the grill. Need a laugh? Stop by Comedy Zone at Dooley's Downunder. Shall we dance? Let's go to The Moon, a high-energy dance club with country night--Stetsons on the Moon--and contemporary--Dancing on the Moon--among its signature nights. To mingle with the college crowd, consider the Palace Saloon or any number of area sports bars.

College Scene

Lively describes the Tallahassee college scene. Florida State University's 30,000 students and its first-rate sports teams keep things hopping. Academically, FSU has made great strides in recent years. African-Americans provide the majority of the approximately 9,000 students enrolled at neighboring Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), famous for its marching band and its prominent alumni. Both institutions are four-year, coed state schools.

Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled full-time at Tallahassee Community College (TCC), a coed, two-year school that's part of the state's community college system. TCC offers A.A. and A.S. degrees. In Quincy, TCC Gadsden Center offers credit and noncredit courses. Lively VoTech and Keiser College of Technology's Tallahassee campus provide technical training for their students.

Just for Seniors

Sixty-plus citizens enjoy FSU and FAMU cultural and sporting activities, but they also patronize things planned just for their age group. In the city, the Senior Center on North Monroe hosts numerous recreational, social and educational activities. Fort Bradon's Community Center offers activities for seniors, as does Gadsden Senior Center in Quincy.

Leon County senior services include in-home and congregate meals, personal care, homemaker services, adult day care and home-based Alzheimer's Respite Care. Opportunities for volunteer work include the RSVP program, Foster Grandparents and the Senior Companion program, where seniors assist other seniors. For more information, call the Senior Helpline at 904/575-9694.

The Gadsden County Senior Citizens Association and the Senior Center in Quincy can be reached at 850/627-2223. Or if you're in Gadsden county, call 1-800/96ELDER for information and referral. Services offered include meals on wheels, congregate meals, homemaker services and personal care. Opportunities exist to give or receive help via the Senior Companion program.