Changes at Seaside

[newyorker]

Just returned home from a great week at SOWAL--even with some bad weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, we're still awed by the beauty of this place.
Yet, after 15 years of coming down to the beach, there were changes that began to bother us.
First--what happened to Cafe Spiazzia?? What a huge hole the vacant restaurant space has left at Seaside...if this is partof the "master plan" for Seaside, then in our humble opinion, things don't bode well.There are now fewer retail shops in Seaside--with all of the little shops gone from the area around the amphitheater, there is less to do there. My fear is that 30A is becoming yet another type of gated community like the suburbs, and not an interesting and cool place to come to the beach. I live in a new urbanist community in Memphis--and our years at the gulf were one reason we chose to live in our Memphis community. We'll be back--but we do worry that the changes we're seeing are not ones that enhance and build community, but rather ones that say "go away unless you can afford a million dollar beach house."

[John R]

another restaurant will be opening in it's place. i'm sure an announcement will be forthcoming soon. seaside is definitely going through some changes...

[Smiling JOe]

the adjacent lot owner needed to have the walk-in cooler of Cafe Spiazza removed from his property, so owner of Cafe Sp. didn't renew the lease, and opened Hurricane Oyster Bar instead.

[TreeFrog]

I live in a new urbanist community in Memphis--and our years at the gulf were one reason we chose to live in our Memphis community.

So, how's life in Harbortown these days? (assuming that's where you are...)

Meanwhile, back on 30A, you're not the only one questioning the direction Seaside appears to be taking.

[shellak]

i believe dave rauschkolb, owner of bud and alley's, will be opening a pizza place in the cafe spiazza place.

[shellak]

i do agree with your feelings about changes in seaside. some of them were planned, unbeknownst to me, and others are occurring because of the waning economy. i don't know how any small shop owners pay the rents charged here. i remember in 1999-2000 when collaborations was all the rage in seagrove, and the grayton houses had wilhelmina's and lots of other great shops. the house of art was on defuniak street, and there were antique shops, even in seaside. i do miss that and want to see 30a preserve the quaintness of the area.

[Lisa_at_the_beach]

i do agree with your feelings about changes in seaside. some of them were planned, unbeknownst to me, and others are occurring because of the waning economy. i don't know how any small shop owners pay the rents charged here. i remember in 1999-2000 when collaborations was all the rage in seagrove, and the grayton houses had wilhelmina's and lots of other great shops. the house of art was on defuniak street, and there were antique shops, even in seaside. i do miss that and want to see 30a preserve the quaintness of the area.



Well the House of Art misses being on DeFuniak Street too!!! When they sold the building I had to find a place to move to.....so I'm now at the Shops of Grayton....I've too noticed clients/visitors/customers wondering where all the shopping went....

We're still here......!!!

[Allifunn]

Well the House of Art misses being on DeFuniak Street too!!! When they sold the building I had to find a place to move to.....so I'm now at the Shops of Grayton....I've too noticed clients/visitors/customers wondering where all the shopping went....

We're still here......!!!
And it is a fabulous place! :clap:

[greenroomsurfer]

Seaside used to be the only gig in town, now you have Water Color, Rosemary, etc. so there are more choices now. The same thing happens in any good ole unknown Beachtown. Remember Hilton Head St Augustine even Port St Joe?

[rapunzel]

I've also noticed a change in many of the shops. It just seems more homogeneous. It's like everything has the same or similar point of view. I guess when you get to a certain price point, it's not as conducive to risk.

I, too, miss the mix of bohemian and traditional, high end and funky that you used to find in Seaside. It's interesting to know that it's not just a side effect of living here and becoming too familiar. Thanks for the visitors' perspective. Hopefully the right people will be listening.

[Smiling JOe]

I noticed a security guard wearing a Hawaiian-looking Tommy Bahama style shirt the other day. That is so much more appropriate than the bright red, hey, look at me shirts they were wearing. Not all change is bad.

[TreeFrog]

I noticed a security guard wearing a Hawaiian-looking Tommy Bahama style shirt the other day. That is so much more appropriate than the bright red, hey, look at me shirts they were wearing. Not all change is bad.

Would "festive security guard" be a bit of a contradiction? :lolabove:

[Smiling JOe]

Anything is an improvement over the very militant looking black combat pants and red SS shirts.

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Yes, it's true I will be opening a new Pizza Restaurant in the Cafe Spiazzia location this fall; construction should start in a week or two. We will serve Pizza, Antipasto, Salads and grazing food. I have just returned from Rome, Naples and California on research trips in search of the best Pizza. We will be creating Naples style, thin crust pizza cooked in a wood burning oven with fresh ingredients; local and organic when available. We will have a full bar and plenty of TV's for Football season. The name? PIZZA BAR.

Dave Rauschkolb



Just returned home from a great week at SOWAL--even with some bad weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, we're still awed by the beauty of this place.
Yet, after 15 years of coming down to the beach, there were changes that began to bother us.
First--what happened to Cafe Spiazzia?? What a huge hole the vacant restaurant space has left at Seaside...if this is partof the "master plan" for Seaside, then in our humble opinion, things don't bode well.There are now fewer retail shops in Seaside--with all of the little shops gone from the area around the amphitheater, there is less to do there. My fear is that 30A is becoming yet another type of gated community like the suburbs, and not an interesting and cool place to come to the beach. I live in a new urbanist community in Memphis--and our years at the gulf were one reason we chose to live in our Memphis community. We'll be back--but we do worry that the changes we're seeing are not ones that enhance and build community, but rather ones that say "go away unless you can afford a million dollar beach house."

[sowalgayboi]

:lolabove:

Don't get to creative on the names, people might get confused. :funn:

[newyorker]

I'm delighted to hear that a "Pizza Bar" will open in the old Cafe Spiazzia location--in many ways, this is what Cafe Spiazzia started out to do, and then it got more upscale. (I can remember standing in line in my bathing suit and flip flops to get a slice of pizza--then over the course of a few years, formal table service was introduced and it got too chi-chi to sit in your bathing suit eating pizza.)
I still think that the retail (and restaurant) side of Seaside is getting too homogenious and upscale--with stuff I'm not particularly interested in buying. New Urbanism (and my community in Harbortown, Memphis exemplifies this) means a mix of housing that permits a diversity of income brackets. I love this--my neighborhood is wonderful.) I do hope Seaside can continue this. I know that Rosemary et al offer new and different opportunities, but they don't seem the same to me.
Now my real hope is that Sundog books continues to do well--that is a treasure of a bookstore, staffed by people who actually read!

[jdarg]

I'm delighted to hear that a "Pizza Bar" will open in the old Cafe Spiazzia location--in many ways, this is what Cafe Spiazzia started out to do, and then it got more upscale. (I can remember standing in line in my bathing suit and flip flops to get a slice of pizza--then over the course of a few years, formal table service was introduced and it got too chi-chi to sit in your bathing suit eating pizza.)
I still think that the retail (and restaurant) side of Seaside is getting too homogenious and upscale--with stuff I'm not particularly interested in buying. New Urbanism (and my community in Harbortown, Memphis exemplifies this) means a mix of housing that permits a diversity of income brackets. I love this--my neighborhood is wonderful.) I do hope Seaside can continue this. I know that Rosemary et al offer new and different opportunities, but they don't seem the same to me.
Now my real hope is that Sundog books continues to do well--that is a treasure of a bookstore, staffed by people who actually read!

Treasure is the perfect descriptive word for Sundogs!:wave:

[DD]

:wub:Sundog.

[kurt]

I'm delighted to hear that a "Pizza Bar" will open in the old Cafe Spiazzia location--in many ways, this is what Cafe Spiazzia started out to do, and then it got more upscale. (I can remember standing in line in my bathing suit and flip flops to get a slice of pizza--then over the course of a few years, formal table service was introduced and it got too chi-chi to sit in your bathing suit eating pizza.)
I still think that the retail (and restaurant) side of Seaside is getting too homogenious and upscale--with stuff I'm not particularly interested in buying. New Urbanism (and my community in Harbortown, Memphis exemplifies this) means a mix of housing that permits a diversity of income brackets. I love this--my neighborhood is wonderful.) I do hope Seaside can continue this. I know that Rosemary et al offer new and different opportunities, but they don't seem the same to me.
Now my real hope is that Sundog books continues to do well--that is a treasure of a bookstore, staffed by people who actually read!

Nice post. Dave does a great job and deserves success in his 3rd Seaside eatery. He knows what the people like.

I believe we have Robert Davis to thank for keeping Seaside merchant spaces from being completely occupied by chains. It would have been easier for him to accept the name recognition, consistency, and big money from a place like Starbucks instead of Amavida, which by the way has a better product and more professionalism than any Starbucks I've ever seen (plus great food and live music).

Sundog & Central Square Records, Fired UP, Bud & Alley's, Modica Market and many other local shops owned by our neighbors deserve our business. They may be mostly the territory of tourists in the Summer but they need our business in the off season. Shop & dine local!!!

[Harlan]

cafe spiazza had some pretty awesome pizza, Im glad to see that void being filled.