If you move from a metropolitan area—or even metropolitan adjacent—to a small town, you're going to miss something. You'll miss being able to "run over to" certain stores, as in, "I'm going to run over to Pet Smart for a few minutes," and it really does just take a few minutes. You'll miss recycling pick-up and reliable FedX deliveries with drivers who don't get stuck in traffic for an hour and a half. You'll miss assuming an Uber driver is just around the corner or that one will be available for you at the airport.
This list can go on and on depending on your stage of life and can include the quality of public schools or the accessibility of the post office or the basic assumption that the populace is educated enough to accept vaccinations as real science and not some Bill Gates plot to take over the world.
One of the things I missed after moving to this small-town environment was the immediacy of culture. Where are the theaters? Where are the museums? Where are the orchestras and galleries?
Well, I haven't spotted any museums yet, but there are theaters here, although they don't attract Broadway productions like you would find in most major cities. There are two small companies—the Emerald Coast Theatre Company in Miramar Beach and The Repertory Theatre in Seaside.
There are also galleries, which I won't name because there are too many. Google them. Wait, I will name one—The Foster Gallery is the collective exhibit space for The Cultural Arts Alliance, and you should definitely go there to see great art by local artists.
And, to my surprise, there is an orchestra. Sinfonia Gulf Coast in Destin. It only performs a few times a year, and its performance hall is a church, but it's worth hearing. It is conducted by Demetrius Fuller, and judging by the age of the musicians, most of them are music majors at nearby universities. I'm only guessing, honestly, but it's a fair guess. Coming from an orchestra made up mostly of older people (myself among them), I couldn't help noticing how young these people are.
The orchestra has a well-developed education program, which includes a youth orchestra and children's programs like Link Up, which is a remarkable curriculum for students grades three through five from Carnegie Hall.
The Cultural Arts Alliance also hosts a song writer's festival every year, which draws amazing talent; and there is live music nearly everywhere where people gather.
So, if you move here from a place packed with cultural opportunities, you'll need to adjust your expectations on the subject. You'll need to plan a trip to New York to catch a few shows, or where ever you're accustomed to seeing large theater productions, and you'll have to set aside time for a museum visit on that trip. But you'll definitely find other things to see and do and hear closer to home.
#30A #EmeraldCoast #FloridaPanhandle
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