Small town living

[bradgator2]

I have found the best of all worlds in Ocala. Ocala is 80,000 people so all of the necessities are there and just about 1 of every major restaurant. I live in true horse country on the outskirts of town. My offices are 20 minutes away. There is truly zero traffic. Orlando, Jax, and Tampa are all 90 minutes away. There is no real crime here. Affordable housing and property taxes. UF is 45 minutes away. So many awesome springs to play in. Beach is just close enough. World class yet affordable golf (we are talking 15 bucks in the summer). My 2 biggest complaints are flying in/out and no real local food scene. We finally got a local brewery.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

You just referenced my childhood and one of the best parts.............great citrus and smoked mullet. Cedar Key in the 60s was a mecca for it. I swear dozens of houses had that little shed in the back smoking away. You could get a big one done to perfection for about a quarter back then.

Ted Peter's down in South Pasadena used to do good smoked mullet, but I haven't been there in years.

 

[Gatordiddy]

Ted Peter's down in South Pasadena used to do good smoked mullet, but I haven't been there in years.

My daughter went to Ted's about 3 weeks ago. I happened to be flying into Florida the day she was flying out and she left a few pieces of smoked mullet with my mother in law.
Oh lawdy- still so good - had the German potato salad with it.

 

[NVGator]

I have found the best of all worlds in Ocala. Ocala is 80,000 people so all of the necessities are there and just about 1 of every major restaurant. I live in true horse country on the outskirts of town. My offices are 20 minutes away. There is truly zero traffic. Orlando, Jax, and Tampa are all 90 minutes away. There is no real crime here. Affordable housing and property taxes. UF is 45 minutes away. So many awesome springs to play in. Beach is just close enough. World class yet affordable golf (we are talking 15 bucks in the summer). My 2 biggest complaints are flying in/out and no real local food scene. We finally got a local brewery.

If only there were mountains.

 

[Gatordiddy]

If only there were mountains.

"I wish we could all live in the mountains, at high altitude. That's where I see myself in five years. How about you?"

 

[bradgator2]

If only there were mountains.

That is a good point. Brings me back to Salem, Oregon then. About double the size of Ocala. The mountains were an hour east, the Pacific was an hour west. Although you needed a full wetsuit to surf. Absolutely stellar food, wine, beer scene. Every kind of orchard imaginable. Portland was an hour north. Housing was a little pricey, but not brutal. Traffic was heavy, but acceptable. Summer weather was truly out of this world. Winter weather was.... well... at least you could have top-notch skiing on the weekend on Mt Hood or Mt. Bachelor. It was a little hippi-ish, but not as bad as Eugene. We always said that if we hit lotto.... it would be summer home in that area and winter home where we are now.

 

[MidwestChomp]

I live in a 9000 person town. The big issue right now is an ordinance preventing people from idling their vehicles for more than 5 minutes.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

People here, since we are in the foothills, are enamored with Myrtle Beach. I've been once, it's a tourist hellhole. Of course, I grew up 2 miles down the road from Honeymoon Island.

Speaking of which, growing up off of Curlew Road that splits Palm Harbor and Dunedin to this day, I remember always hearing 18 wheelers pulling a 50' open trailer of oranges heading to what was then the Hood orange juice plant in Dunedin, long before 580, still Main Street in Dunedin, was an improved road like it is now, eastward out through what is now Countryside and into Oldsmar. Last I knew, that plant is still functioning down in Dunedin and Coca-Cola owned it, and still makes oj concentrate. Being that Coke has had the Minute Maid name for a long time and just bought the Simply Orange brand not too long ago, it makes sense.

 

[Gatordiddy]

People here, since we are in the foothills, are enamored with Myrtle Beach. I've been once, it's a tourist hellhole. Of course, I grew up 2 miles down the road from Honeymoon Island.

Speaking of which, growing up off of Curlew Road that splits Palm Harbor and Dunedin to this day, I remember always hearing 18 wheelers pulling a 50' open trailer of oranges heading to what was then the Hood orange juice plant in Dunedin, long before 580, still Main Street in Dunedin, was an improved road like it is now, eastward out through what is now Countryside and into Oldsmar. Last I knew, that plant is still functioning down in Dunedin and Coca-Cola owned it, and still makes oj concentrate. Being that Coke has had the Minute Maid name for a long time and just bought the Simply Orange brand not too long ago, it makes sense.

My Mom just left Dunedin (right off 580 and Patricia Avenue).
And we left a couple of years ago and lived off of Curlew and Belcher area.
Kids went to Palm Harbor U High School.

 

[GatorBart]

My Mom just left Dunedin (right off 580 and Patricia Avenue).
And we left a couple of years ago and lived off of Curlew and Belcher area.
Kids went to Palm Harbor U High School.

My Mom lived off Wilcox, right on the water for a couple of years in the early 90s. We used to go to Eddie's Bar & Grill across the street to shoot pool and have a couple of beers. Now Dunedin has some nice breweries that we venture down to when we visit my Mom who now lives in NPR.

 

[Gatordiddy]

My Mom lived off Wilcox, right on the water for a couple of years in the early 90s. We used to go to Eddie's Bar & Grill across the street to shoot pool and have a couple of beers. Now Dunedin has some nice breweries that we venture down to when we visit my Mom who now lives in NPR.

I have killed quite a few brain cells at Eddie's ... so has my daughter and her fiancee :)
In fact, her fiancee grew up near Eddie's.

Most recently I went to the Dunedin Brewery - good stuff there too. And good live music.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

It's hard to convince people that Pinellas County, up until the early 1980's, was mostly rural.

 

[GatorBart]

I have killed quite a few brain cells at Eddie's ... so has my daughter and her fiancee :)
In fact, her fiancee grew up near Eddie's.

Most recently I went to the Dunedin Brewery - good stuff there too. And good live music.

Fast Eddie's!
7th Sun has some decent beer - tiny little place though.
And The World of Beer is right there too and they always have some good taps.

 

[Gatordiddy]

Fast Eddie's!
7th Sun has some decent beer - tiny little place though.
And The World of Beer is right there too and they always have some good taps.

Tried to get into 7th sun last time I was down there... too crowded.
We went to Flanagan's on Main St instead...
Another good place - Clear Sky Draught Haus, corner of Main St and 580.