Panama City Beach Future

I know to many of you upon reading the phase "Panama City Beach" immediately think "eeeeewwww!" But try putting that aside for just a moment and read on.

I've come across an interesting article from Clearwater Beach (Florida)--that I'll link below. I found it interesting how the current situation at Clearwater mirrors PCB. Clearwater is mulling over the economic fallout its city may experience from the real estate boom over the next several years. Key among them is the razing of multiple "mom & pop" hotels and businesses to be replaced by "upscale" condos and shops--many of which have never come to fruition.

From its beginning, Clearwater, like PCB, was a beach vacation area for blue collar workers and their families--with all the "stigma" of such attached. Now both beach towns, in an effort to transform into "upscale" vacation locales, have wiped out reasonably-priced accommodations and attractions. Problem is, the condo boom has gone bust leaving Clearwater in limbo...it's no longer welcoming to the folks who made it a vibrant family tourist destination, and, because of it's "low-brow" stigma (that "eeeewwwwww" you're thinking) and many half-baked "upscale" projects, it will not attract the "well-heeled and wealthy" target audience it set out to attract when it originally put the plans on paper.

Will Clearwater and PCB end up in "tourist limbo?" What will the first summer after the boom (2007) hold in store economically for PCB?

Clearwater Beach Article

I know to many of you upon reading the phase "Panama City Beach" immediately think "eeeeewwww!" But try putting that aside for just a moment and read on.

I've come across an interesting article from Clearwater Beach (Florida)--that I'll link below. I found it interesting how the current situation at Clearwater mirrors PCB. Clearwater is mulling over the economic fallout its city may experience from the real estate boom over the next several years. Key among them is the razing of multiple "mom & pop" hotels and businesses to be replaced by "upscale" condos and shops--many of which have never come to fruition.

From its beginning, Clearwater, like PCB, was a beach vacation area for blue collar workers and their families--with all the "stigma" of such attached. Now both beach towns, in an effort to transform into "upscale" vacation locales, have wiped out reasonably-priced accommodations and attractions. Problem is, the condo boom has gone bust leaving Clearwater in limbo...it's no longer welcoming to the folks who made it a vibrant family tourist destination, and, because of it's "low-brow" stigma (that "eeeewwwwww" you're thinking) and many half-baked "upscale" projects, it will not attract the "well-heeled and wealthy" target audience it set out to attract when it originally put the plans on paper.

Will Clearwater and PCB end up in "tourist limbo?" What will the first summer after the boom (2007) hold in store economically for PCB?

Clearwater Beach Article

Personally, I will take rednecks any day over yankees and foreigners. 😀

I like all people, but most Southerners will say "hi" and talk to you like you are old friends without even thinking about it.

It is one of the charming qualities about the Panhandle vs. more southern parts of Florida.

Personally, I will take rednecks any day over yankees and foreigners. 😀

I like all people, but most Southerners will say "hi" and talk to you like you are old friends without even thinking about it.

It is one of the charming qualities about the Panhandle vs. more southern parts of Florida.

Not to mention the weenie bikinis the euro guys seem to favor:lol:

Shelly is "right on."

When my wife and I go to the coast, all we want is
a "base of operations:" i.e. a simple motel room. A
small "dorm-style" refrig. and a microwave would be
nice. We don't go to sit in someone's personal condo
looking at their personal belongings. Certainly don't
need (and don't want to pay for) 2 or 3 bathrooms
and way more square footage than is called for.
The goal is to spend as little time in the accomodations
(and as much time in the Gulf) as possible.

A condo can be a good deal for a family/group of
several people (especially if one would rather spend
one's time cooking meals than playing on the beach)
but it's a lousy deal for us.

Although with the glut
of small condos on the rental market, that situation
just might invert.

I don't have a problem with a well-maintained 1950's
motel any more than I have a problem with my well-maintained
1950's house.

I find the Waffle House menu to be somewhat poorly done
but have no problem with Waffle House itself. I see little
need to pay a premium in the pursuit of ostentation.

Personally, I see Waffle House as an "upscale" alternative
to McDonalds.

Capricious

I like Waffle house. But I also like the very best place to stay as well.

One way to hold on to the old PCB would be to start wearing blue jean cutoffs...70's style.




What do you mean "start?"

I never stopped.




Capricious

ok, back in the 80's, before we had the boat, we used to stay at the best western del coronado in pcb - the thing was built like a a brick #$@%-house with 2 foot thick, solid filled, hand stuccoed, mason-built cement block walls, italian terrazzo tile floors, and thick sandwich-metal doors that were totally soundproof even in the middle of spring break with every car stereo thumping - it directly jutted out onto the beach - your room door opened literally into the beach sand - and the building itself was about 20-30 (or maybe more) years old but it didn't show it as they kept it up very well, plus we could stay a whole week for what one night cost at 'somebody else's house' that wasn't even on the beach - every room had a microwave and a fridge and signed audobon palm studies - best memories of staying on land ever - now its gone (and they had a hell of a time trying to demolish it too - last time down you could see even from the ocean side that it had been gutted but had withstood the wrecking ball or whatever they were using) - and (to be) replaced by a million story concrete block covered in crap sculpted drivit with tiny rooms, oh sorry, condo's, where the synthetic granite countertops probably will reflect the same old pastel puke-yellow-orange and pastel green and pastel blue and pastel purple thats all the imagination of a penny loafer'd decorator - they can so totally have all of their fancy bs - i miss my old del

ok, back in the 80's, before we had the boat, we used to stay at the best western del coronado in pcb - the thing was built like a a brick #$@%-house with 2 foot thick, solid filled, hand stuccoed, mason-built cement block walls, italian terrazzo tile floors, and thick sandwich-metal doors that were totally soundproof even in the middle of spring break with every car stereo thumping - it directly jutted out onto the beach - your room door opened literally into the beach sand - and the building itself was about 20-30 (or maybe more) years old but it didn't show it as they kept it up very well, plus we could stay a whole week for what one night cost at 'somebody else's house' that wasn't even on the beach - every room had a microwave and a fridge and signed audobon palm studies - best memories of staying on land ever - now its gone (and they had a hell of a time trying to demolish it too - last time down you could see even from the ocean side that it had been gutted but had withstood the wrecking ball or whatever they were using) - and (to be) replaced by a million story concrete block covered in crap sculpted drivit with tiny rooms, oh sorry, condo's, where the synthetic granite countertops probably will reflect the same old pastel puke-yellow-orange and pastel green and pastel blue and pastel purple thats all the imagination of a penny loafer'd decorator - they can so totally have all of their fancy bs - i miss my old del