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Florida's Multiple Personalities
Look, I'm going to be honest here. I'm not a big fan of Florida. I know lots of good folks live there and there are likely lots of good places to see I've never been, but the fact remains I have been to many of Florida's alleged "hot spots" and I have found them wanting. I spent a week in the Keys several years ago (cheesy!), I spent some days in Miami (scary!), and then of course, I've made a requisite visit to Orlando (the horror!) to visit Disney World. Please, help me out. What am I missing? OK, I am being unduly harsh. This fact became rather more obvious once I read this piece over at New York Magazine about Florida's many different personalities. It seems there's ample history, fishing, food, sports, outdoors activities and so on in the orange juice state. Pretty much everything a gadling reader could ever want.
Did I mention the kitsch? I said cheesiness, which is kind of the same thing. Kitsch is sort of intentional cheesiness. New Yorkers love kitsch, so perhaps that why they called out the "unapologetically tiki-tacky Mai-Kai bar," whatever that is (although judging from the picture, it doesn't look half bad). I'll bet it is absolutely great after about 16 drinks.
Anyway, to all you Floridians out there: I'm sorry if you feel hurt. I know I need to spend more time in your state. Someday I will. Maybe.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Susan Reis Oct 14th 2006 11:49PM
P.S. We had a bear in our yard several times last spring! SR
R Merriman Oct 15th 2006 12:08AM
I grew up in Florida, spent my youth in Ft Lauderdale, long before kitsch. The water was clear, the beaches pristine and life was good. We got rid of spring break to make room for a beautiful, well-planned city. You probably didn't make it here. South Beach in Miami has some of the most spectacular art deco architecture in the world. Miami proper has Vizcaya, a magnificent estate brought from Spain, piece by piece. The Everglades is the only type of eco system of its kind. Read Marjory Stoneman Douglas' 'River of Grass". Orlando isn't just about Disney. Bet you didn't get to downtown to see Lake Eola, or to charming College Park with its brick streets and friendly parks, or Winter Park with the thousands of oak trees and great shopping on Park Avenue. Or 45 minutes up Rt441 is the quaint village of Mt. Dora...very cool with a terrific antique boat show on Lake Dora, as well as world class art shows. And I'll bet you didn't take the time to take a small plane ride to view the thousands and thousands of lakes around Howie-in-the-Hills, and surrounding areas. St Augustine? Oldest city in the US. Siesta Key? Honeymoon Beach? Cedar Key? Blue Springs? Homossassa Springs? Cape Kennedy National Seashore? Any one of our lighthouses? Dry Tortugas? Bok Tower? I don't really think you were in Florida, at least not the REAL Florida. Come on down anytime...as someone else mentioned, we love visitors - they pay consumer taxes helping us maintain our roads and keeping the dreaded state tax at bay. We love to see folks such as you come, and we love it even more when you leave.
BahamaBlu Oct 15th 2006 12:11AM
Try Naples, Fl [fly in through Ft. Myers] Its nice & quiet with realllly nice beaches.
bobbie blum Oct 15th 2006 12:21AM
I am a life long resident of north Florida. We have so many things here I don't understand when people say Jacksonville has nothing. We have free festivals every weekend somewhere. Many are at our beautiful beaches. Fernandina is so quaint, how could you miss it. It is a state filled with riches you just have to stay away from the tourist traps. They are never what a town is really like. I have lived in Indiana, Long Island , Texas and always missed my home, my beaches and my weather.
JoBeth Oct 15th 2006 12:28AM
I loved our visit to Florida, and I loved the warm breezes and the palm trees. The beaches were incredible, and seeing the boats way off in the distance was a sight I will always remember. I have great memories of our vacation to Florida, and someday I hope to visit the lovely state again.
Nancy Oct 20th 2006 3:56PM
If you think the heat is bad in FL, try TX. And I'll bet our bugs could overwhelm your bugs any day. But, I must say, I love it here except in the winter. We have leaves that change and a long and beautiful spring and fall but winter is dreary. I guess no place is perfect but for variety, colorful people and a great "can do" attitude this is the place to be. I guess in the winter we can excape to FL with everybody else.
JoBeth Oct 15th 2006 12:33AM
Branson Missouri is Kitch?? What is kitch?? I live in Branson Missouri and I LOVE it!!! There is so much history in these hills, and the people here are wonderful. There is always something to do here, never a boring moment. I hope even more people come to see our beautiful state and it's people.
World Traveler Oct 15th 2006 1:18AM
You hit the nail on the head...I used to date someone from Miami and I never understood why they all walked around with a bug up their ass - like they were all 'hot' or something. If you you're a model -wannabe, a party queen or a drug head in denial, than that's the place to be - they feed off each other's ego. Eventually most grow up and leave after they figure out that life's not just one big drug fest or after they've spent up their life savings trying to act like they were wealthy like the few natives who are.
Fran Arnold, RN Oct 15th 2006 2:22AM
Almost exactly one year ago I found myself in Orlando with my then 3 year old Granddaughter. OMG! Scarey isn't the word. If you are not booked in Disneyworld Resort itself you are in for a big let down. Orlando is spread out over miles. There is a skeletal transit system and the cabs charge enormous amounts to take you into Disneyworld. Never mind that your Motel advertised being 2 miles from Disney, you can't get them on that..they are! Two miles! Two miles from the farthest most edge of undeveloped Disney property that ends up being a 15 minute taxi ride at expressway speeds. The Motels are very lacking for security. They're mixed in with Time Share baloney too.The privately owned ancient ATM's around give you $20 then charge your account $40. Food? Denny's was 1/3 more expensive there than in Chicago and they were the least expensive of all the Restaurants, though Ponderosa remained the best quality food for their price.
Disneyworld was wonderful, but ,please, for your own sake book a stay inside the Resort,not really more expensive when you add up the cost of "winging" it outside.
kathy Oct 15th 2006 2:14AM
Well I had a chance to move to Miami FL. The thought frightened me so bad I divorced my husband! Seriously!!! He was determined to live there and I was determined not to! I heard too many horror stories. My best friend spent a lot of time in Pompano Beach...she absolutely loves it. She lives here in VA and there as well. I enjoy my Blue Ridge Mountains too much and the only other place in the world that I would live outside my mountains is Western Tennessee. I lived there for 6 years and really did not want to leave and regret it. I have been all over the world but not to FL and I dont really think I want to go there. I cant stand the heat. I also like to experience all 4 seasons...not just one.
Linda Wedel Oct 29th 2006 11:15PM
GIANT BUGS! Enormous, flying cockroaches, bird-eating spiders, hideous things that crawl, fly and slither. Alligators. Rednecks. Heat. Humidity. Hurricanes. Sinkholes.
Nasty, nasty, nasty.
Scott Oct 15th 2006 2:14AM
(To be sung to the tune of, "Hooray for Hollywood")
Hooray for Flor-i-da, America's Only Sub-Tropical Pen-in-su-la!
ray jay Oct 15th 2006 1:07PM
another new yorker who thinks florida should be done his way .please tell all your friends and family how bad it is down here .you won,t break my heart by never returning .to those northerners that come here to be part of the local flavor i await your return.
and to margaret the taxes they pay is a fraction of the total fiscal budget .we don,t have a state income tax because it was written into the state consitution long before we were a tourist trap. we pay our taxes in many other ways. just look at your utilities bills and such .you will find you pay fees and reciept taxes and such .there are many hidden taxes you need to look for to understand them
Nancy Oct 15th 2006 2:52AM
As a 5th generation native Floridian, and very proud of it, trust me when I say.............if you don't like it here, just don't come! There is not one person here that wants to hear how wonderful everything is where you live and how awful things are here in Florida. There are too many people here now, and we certainly don't need anyone that isn't happy here poluting our air and water and building in what needs to remain wetlands and swamps!
Tiff Oct 15th 2006 3:13AM
For heaven's sake, most tourist destinations are not the highlight of any trip. The best vacations I've made, I've gone off the beaten path. As a Florida native now residing in New York, I can say that there are certainly elements to the state that I'm not fond of. However, there are a lot of amazing elements as well. For instance, St. Augustine is wonderful. True, it's a bit touristy, but not in a Disney-fied kind of way. And as for Orlando: There are so many amazing things to see in the city if you just bother to ask the locals. It has amazing museums, beautiful parks, and a very nice downtown, among other things. I've never been on a trip and not had a good time. Sure, there are the annoyances and contrived attractions that you wish you missed, but they're not exactly representative of the locations character. You have to go beyond those things to find it. Anyone who just takes their trips from a tour book obviously doesn't care enough to make the effort to enjoy a place. They're just looking for something to complain about. So, do us all a favor, and unless you can sight specific complaints about a given location (rather than these gross generalizations that you seem to think justify your attitude), just don't write anything. The world has enough bitterness and anger without pettiness like this contributing to it.
jen Oct 15th 2006 4:42AM
I prefer the rustic beauty of the panhandle over the peninsula. There is less commercialism and more naturalistic beauty. And don't forget that the people have a good dose of southern hospitality in the panhandle.
mara Oct 15th 2006 5:47AM
I lived there for 3 years. My family and I thought we had died and gone to hell, or to an eternal bootcamp. It is the most varied (read, "weird") place I have ever seen, and I have lived in many places all over the U.S. and abroad. Some good-hearted people there, true, but mostly displaced, extreme folks with an agenda--rednecks; religious zealots; pagans; hedonists; ostentatious wealthy (and lots of wealthy wannabes) from out-of-state; folks still fighting the Civil War (both sides); OJ--you name it, and they are all trying to co-exist in FL, but each faction living separately in its own little box...and did I mention the bugs and the constant sauna? I will leave the mosquitos for another chapter. As for finding the few little pockets of pleasure (finding little out-of-the-way corners, a beach, a canoe trip, etc.), it is just not worth the pain. My motto: "Get the good folks out and cut FL off and let it float away!"
Kevin the Flight Attendant Oct 15th 2006 5:52AM
Hey Florida Natives that cant stand the negative comments..... you all know that the humidity sucks.... the tourists are tacky and rude....all the New York transplants are also tacky and rude!!EVEN THE 2TON COCKROACHES have attitudes!! However, I must say, Ive been to all 50 states, and to Florida MANY times. While I would NEVER live in Florida, It does have beautiful beaches where the sand looks like sugar, and Key West is Heaven! (but, not PERFECT like Hawaii though!nothing beats a Hawaiian sunset.... aaaaaah PARADISE!) But dont get your panties in a wad over people expressing dislike about your native land.... I am a 3rd generation native of Los Angeles.... and ya think maybe I've heard a few bad comments about my beloved home town? roll with the punches and comments! the truth is CALIFORNIA is #1 ! ha ha ha.... let the GAMES BEGIN!
Sincerely, Kevin the Flight Attendant