AROUND THE USA

Pensacola, Florida, has beautiful beaches and a nice lifestyle

Pensacola, Florida, is an interesting, friendly place to live and a popular place to visit. We think you should give it serious consideration for either purpose.

We lived in Pensacola (1996-99) long enough to learn about its strengths, traditions and weaknesses. We respect it as a community, but we think it fails to achieve its potential. Someone considering it as a new home could do a lot worse, though, and as a vacation destination Pensacola has major virtues.

• Overview
• Geopolitical Landscape
• Brownsville Revival
• The Economy
• Historical Sites
• Arts, Culture & Media
• Dining
• Lodging
• Living in Pensacola
• Conclusion
• Other Links

Click here to send e-mail to us [webmaster@hermitage.com]

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Pensacola was friendly, more diverse than we expected and darned convenient as a place to live. Pensacola encompasses a lot of ideological extremes that occasionally land it in the national headlines, but we found Pensacola to be more balanced and reasonable than one would expect from its occasional forays into the media spotlight.

Pensacola has good restaurants, surprising cultural opportunities, interesting historical sites and beautiful beaches, miles of them protected from commercial development.

Overview

Taken all together, we found Pensacola to be a pleasant place to live.

But one rarely deals with Pensacola as a unified community. It's highly stratified and socially segregated, creating a collection of mini-communities that share some resources and a city name.

Among the major elements, in no particular order:

Military	Pensacola Naval Air Station and nearby Eglin Air Force Base epitomize the military presence here -- airplanes. Everyone lives near an airfield. Military personnel, typically off-duty, are omnipresent. Cooperation between military officials and civic leaders on community issues is exemplary and beneficial.
The Beach	Removed from Pensacola by two long bridges, Pensacola Beach enjoys a "don't worry; be happy" attitude, as long as the weather and government policy keep the tourist dollars flowing.
Religious Right	Centered on Pensacola Christian College, a community of right-wing activists exerts substantial influence in local affairs.
Retirees	Hey, this is the Sunbelt. Cash the Social Security check and crank up the RV, Mildred. Let's head South. A major component: military retirees who like the blend of low living costs, balmy weather and access to military facilities such as golf courses, medical care and the commissary.
Cosmopolitans	Mostly from elsewhere, often affiliated with a college, a hospital or an out-of-town corporation and often too disengaged from the community.
Native Pensacolians	This group too often reflects the mediocre education system, is too insular intellectually and is more focused on who's the big fish in the local pond rather than on enlarging the pond.
African-Americans	Consistent with most of the South, overt institutional racism is gone, but stereotypes, scars and lack of understanding remain. Too many whites aren't sensitive enough to subtle racism, and too many blacks are prone to cry "racist" when things don't go their way.

Geopolitical Landscape

The Pensacola metropolitan area includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties -- Florida's western-most counties stretching north to south from Alabama to the Gulf of Mexico.

Pensacola is the county seat of Escambia County, but a large portion of the urban growth is outside the city limits because Florida has weak annexation laws. Santa Rosa County is immediately east and has benefited from white flight, lower tax rates and cheaper real estate.

Pensacola Beach is technically an island -- a long sandbar. It's in Escambia County, but not in the City of Pensacola. Ironically, one passes through Santa Rosa County to reach the beach by car. If this seems confusing, you should study a map.

Pensacola is easily the most progressive of the three local governments. The historic downtown area is charming, economically healthy and relatively safe. City affairs are managed fairly responsibly and development isn't completely out of control.

Escambia County is influenced by Pensacola, but the majority of the county's residents live outside the city. This includes the vast rural areas north of Interstate 10 that are more akin to South Alabama than to a resort beach, and this rural bent is reflected in county government. The county often stumbles through situations that need sophistication, such as the millions of dollars it lost on unwise investments in derivatives in the early 1990s.

All of these political subdivisions overemphasize limiting taxes, meaning that many services -- especially schools -- are below average and the area tends toward mediocrity.

Florida doesn't have state or local income taxes, and the sales tax is moderate because food and medicine are exempt. Property taxes seem high, even compared to the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Florida law allows the creation of special property taxing districts, so some areas have mustered the resources to improve themselves. Downtown Pensacola is a good example.

The early-1990s adoption -- and 1997 extension -- of a countywide 1-cent sales tax to pay for infrastructure improvements is making a big difference in Escambia County. Drainage is being upgraded and dirt roads are being paved. Faced with a state mandate, the county is zoning the rural parts of the county, often to the objection of locals who believe they should be able to do anything they darned well like on the land that they own.

Surprisingly -- and by a narrow margin -- Escambia County voters approved in October 1997 an additional 1/2 percent sales tax increase to pay for capital improvements to schools.

Although ostensibly committed to low taxes, the local governments are quick to line up at the trough for state and federal dollars, as if that money arrives from heaven. We suppose that the Christian Coalition believes it does.

The area generally enjoys low crime rates.

Mobile, Alabama, seems nearby if one looks at a map, but the cities don't share much more than their broadcast stations and beach orientation.

Brownsville Revival

The ongoing revival at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola has received international news coverage.

In November 1997, The Pensacola News Journal (daily newspaper) published a five-part series detailing lies and chicanery at the heart of the revival.

Among the highlights of the series:

High-pressure tactics for donations are accompanied by pledges that the ledger books are open for inspection and that most money goes to charities and missions. In fact, the books aren't open and, at most, 2 percent of the money goes to charity. Terse financial statements released by the church seem to contradict filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

The preachers leading the revival have spent heavily to fund an opulent lifestyle, including expansive homes, tailored suits, a luxurious motor coach -- and a new toupee for pastor John Kilpatrick.

The revivalist at the center of the event, Steve Hill, fabricated stories of his background, including arrests, a vagabond lifestyle and an alleged heroin addiction.

Claims that the revival was a spontaneous event are contradicted by months of planning that preceded the first night.

Reports of miraculous events that launched the revival aren't supported by the church's own videotape of the first revival meeting. The videotape shows the preachers imploring church members to act in certain ways and most of the congregation walking out before the service ends.

The church has done little or nothing to help hundreds of destitute and needy people who came to Pensacola anticipating a miracle.

Neither crime statistics nor anecdotal information from local law enforcement officials support the revival's contention that it cut crime.

The theological underpinnings of the revival are questioned by other Pentecostal theologians.

Every individual has the right to make a personal choice about religion. But if you're thinking about a visit to Pensacola because of miracles at the revival, you should know the biggest miracle is apparently the amount of cash they rake in every night.

The Economy

Highly dependent on tourism and military dollars, the city's economy has spawned relatively few local companies that export products to other parts of the nation. Some multinationals have facilities at Pensacola -- Champion paper and Solutia (formerly Monsanto), for example.

Unlike Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., or Delta Airlines in Atlanta, Pensacola hardly has any hometown companies with national reputations. They don't seem to think on that scale in Pensacola.

The cost of living is relatively low. Many of the groups that comprise the Pensacola area are known for frugality -- retirees, for instance. The beach community thrives on shoestring mom-and-pop businesses from T-shirt stores to restaurants. Inexpensive land and a willingness to settle for "good enough" inhibit the emergence of world-class anything except for the natural beaches and the Museum of Naval Aviation.

Opportunities for professional middle managers are very limited. Entrepreneurs abound, but mostly in retail and service industries. A lot of underemployed people -- particularly people who arrived because of a spouse's job -- would seem to represent vast, untapped potential as a skilled labor force.

Historical Sites

One of our pleasant surprises has been the rich heritage of Pensacola. If not for a brief period of abandonment four centuries ago, this would be the oldest city in the United States instead of St. Augustine, Florida.

Permanent settlement by the Spanish occurred in 1698 and flags of five nations have flown over the city: Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy and the United States. From its earliest days, the city has been important to the military of whichever country happened to hold it.

Andrew Jackson -- yes, one of our company's namesakes -- captured Pensacola for the United States from Britain at the end of the war of 1812. He established Escambia County and its system of government while he was here.

Three forts -- Pickens, Barrancas and McRae -- that were part of the original coastal defense of the United States are preserved. About the same time that the Yankees and Rebels were dusting it up in Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Confederates and Union troops were exchanging fire between forts Pickens and Barrancas. But the Union side quickly established dominance and controlled the city during the war. Pensacola has been a center of U.S. Navy aviation since World War I.

Historic Pensacola Village is downtown near Seville Square, a gentrified residential area. Dozens of historic buildings are downtown, many of them nicely preserved.

The National Museum of Naval Aviation -- free admission -- is popular, high-quality and growing. Blessed with aggressive support by the military retiree community and the Pentagon, it has an impressive collection of old aircraft plus a new IMAX theater. Besides the beach, it is arguably Pensacola's best attraction. In terms of military aircraft, we think it is better than the National Air & Space Museum in Washington.

Their 50-year history is brief compared to other parts of the community, but the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team is an integral part of the local scene. Pensacola exalts them the way other cities worship sports teams. Retail establishments have autographed commemorative photos at the front door. The Blues' two annual local shows draw crowds approaching 100,000.

Arts, Culture & Media

Another surprise for us has been the small but diverse cultural scene. Locally produced plays are regular events at the Pensacola Cultural Center, the historic Saenger Theatre and at local colleges.

A nice array of art galleries is augmented by the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, a juried arts show the first weekend of November. The Arts Festival is consistently top-notch and fun.

A full range of local night spots offers everything from country music to grunge. A surprising number of national touring acts appears at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Radio stations cover the typical gamut, and the Pensacola News Journal (seven-day newspaper) does a good job of covering all of these interests. The standard broadcast networks have local television stations, and cable television has about 60 stations with a typical mix of programming and premium services.

Recommended Restaurants

The restaurant scene is good, though not outstanding.

Clusters of restaurants are in northeast Pensacola, near Cordova and University malls, downtown and on the beach.

In Escambia County, where liquor by the drink is legal, some of the better establishments are too small for more than a beer-and-wine permit. Santa Rosa County doesn't permit liquor by the drink, which has stunted restaurant development there. Almost every place is casual, reflecting the tourism focus of the community.

We divide the choices between Beach and Inland; reliable choices are:

Pensacola Beach
Chan's	Seafood and heavy entrees; nice gulf view
Flounder's	Seafood; wide selection; grilled foods.
Jubilee	Seafood and heavy entrees; nice water view
Inland
Downtown
Dharma Blue	Creative cuisine; moderate portions; avant garde decor
Frank Bennett's	Upscale creative; wine and beer only
Jamie's	Upscale creative; wine and beer only
Madison's	Mid-range home-style cooking with a creative touch; wine and beer only
North
Angus	Steak & seafood; generous portions; excellent food
Jerry's Cajun Cafe	Excellent cajun food; very casual; new location
McGuire's	Fern bar fare in enormous portions
Semolina	Creative Italian; funky decor; uneven service
Skopelos	Creative seafood; great bay view; President & Mrs. Bush ate there in 1992
Familiar Chains
Bennigan's
Damon's
Darryl's
Hooters
Lone Star
Outback
Ruby Tuesday

Lodging

We have little experience with the lodging scene. Lots of name brands are here.

DK Hotels has a comprehensive online list of lodging options.

CityLink has a good lodging list.

• Overview
• Geopolitical Landscape
• Brownsville Revival
• The Economy
• Historical Sites
• Arts, Culture & Media
• Dining
• Lodging
• Living in Pensacola
• Conclusion
• Other Links

Click here to send e-mail to us [webmaster@hermitage.com]

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Living in Pensacola

The three big residential choices for someone moving to Pensacola are the beach, elsewhere in Escambia County or Santa Rosa County.

For some, the water is such a powerful draw that nothing else matters. They will be pleased with a broad selection from single-family dwellings to high-rise condos at the beach. The only problem is that they're all mixed together. "Poor-beach" concrete block houses on a pad are next door to expensive new homes on stilts (the hurricane-resistant way to build) and within a stone's throw of a hotel or condo.

Development is a pervasive issue on the beach with abundant proposals for high-rises and other high-density construction. Large expanses have been preserved by various agencies, so Pensacola Beach has some protection from rampant commercialism.

Beach residents don't own the land beneath them, even if they own the dwelling. The land is owned by Escambia County and managed by the slightly controversial Santa Rosa Island Authority, which leases the land to someone who wants to build. The consequential lack of property taxes keeps the cost of living down but distorts the tax picture for the rest of the county.

Inland, Pensacola residents enjoy better local services and do the lion's share of supporting many of the area's amenities. They have more zoning protection. The city doesn't have a separate school system; that is an Escambia County issue.

Pensacola has several historical residential areas with some beautifully restored homes -- Seville Square, East Hill and North Hill, in particular. As with many gentrified areas, the results can vary from block to block. But the trends are good in all three areas with more restorations occurring every year. Investment prospects are good for someone willing to buy one in bad shape and fix it up.

A good real estate agent is very helpful. We wouldn't buy a home without one.

Pensacola and Escambia County schools are consolidated; the quality of education varies by institution. Some very good public schools are available, but some lousy ones are, too. You should research and compare.

Neighborhoods

Commuting generally isn't a big issue in Pensacola, so you have more freedom to choose a home based on personal taste and affordability.

Thousands flock to the Beach where surf-side homes perch on piers and offer unobstructed views of the surf.

Others choose to live downtown in historic homes with restaurants next door and the office a short walk away. Several historic districts invite those with an affinity for gingerbread and restoration.

Lots of new homes have been built north toward the airport and the University of West Florida on Scenic Highway and also across the bay in Santa Rosa County.

Western neighborhoods are more convenient to most of the Navy facilities, and north of Ten Mile Road is currently pretty rural. The northern end of the county is projected to boom over the next 20 years, though.

In Santa Rosa County, the most affluent community is Gulf Breeze. Many middle- to upper-class families settle here, drawn by the water that surrounds this peninsula (it's between Pensacola and the beach) and schools. Gulf Breeze is just across a three-mile bridge from downtown Pensacola, so convenient commutes also are attractive. Other areas drawing many new residents in Santa Rosa County are the peninsula running east of Gulf Breeze to Navarre and the northern bedroom community of Pace.

After a tumultuous period in the 1990s, the school board has regained a sense of civility and purpose. The school system is still far from top-notch, however. Like it does in most places, crime follows poverty. In general, though, Pensacola has a fairly low crime rate that's been dropping in recent years. Neighborhoods are generally safe.

The State of Florida publishes the results of student achievement tests on the web. As of February 1998, these were the most recent results for Escambia County schools. The state Department of Education web site also has other information.

Hurricanes can be somewhat capricious, so it's risky to generalize. In 1995, Hurricane Erin did more damage inland, while Opal clobbered the beach. The beach is more exposed and is subject to storm surges, which can raise tides by several feet and wash houses away. Houses built on piers are much safer than houses built on concrete pads, which are illegal for new beach construction. Before 1995, it had been 70 years since a hurricane hit Pensacola directly.

Shopping, other than tourist junk, is centered around Cordova and University malls to the north with a strong boutique-and-restaurant district downtown. The airport is in the northeast

The University of West Florida is the city's top institution of higher education, but it's famous for mediocrity -- or worse. The narrow demographics of its student population have caused some to suggest that UWF stands for "University for White Folks." Pensacola Junior College is arguably superior academically.

Conclusion

We like Pensacola. Our preference is for a place with more variety and higher aspirations, but someone content with a simpler city that emphasizes low taxes and a fairly civil quality of life could be very happy here.

Good Links

Pensacola Visitors Information Center

Pensacola Area Community Guide

Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce

Pensacola News Journal's .Gulf Coast Gateway

City of Pensacola

Florida Super Site (Pensacola page)

The Perdido Experience -- Perdido Key is one of the area's beach communities

Pensacola is served by Amtrak's Orlando-Jacksonville-New Orleans-Los Angeles trains.

Yahoo! Weather Forecast for Pensacola.