Environs
Living in Tallahassee
The city of Tallahassee is a combination of state capital and college town, with Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Tallahassee Community College all located here. Because it is the largest city (population ca. 200,000) for over 150 miles, Tallahassee is a social, cultural, and commercial center for surrounding area. The primary local employers are the state government and local universities. The city has an award-winning public parks system. Tallahassee is served by the Tallahassee Regional Airport, which is 10 minutes from the FSU campus with daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington DC, Miami, and elsewhere. For further information on the City of Tallahassee, see the Tallahassee Visitor Center website.
Among the things we like to do for fun are the following:
Arts—Tallahassee has a very active arts scene, centered on the nationally known visual and performing arts departments at FSU (Music, Dance, Art, Film, Opera), plus local arts organizations (e.g., Le Moyne Center for Visual Arts and 621 Gallery) and performance sites (e.g., The Moon, Bradfordville Blues Club, FSU Student Union, Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park). The result is that national and international performers and artists come throughout the year. A highlight of the arts year is the Seven Days of Opening Nights festival, and the First Friday Gallery Hop at the Railroad Square Art Park is popular.
Biking—Tallahassee has strong road and mountain biking resources, including the paved Tallahassee-St. Mark Historic Railroad State Trail, single-track trails in Tom Brown Park and Munson Hills, and the Capital City Cyclists organization.
Birding—excellent birding year round. There are organized birding activities through Apalachee Audubon Society and the Tallahassee Bird Club.
Canoeing (and tubing!) on the many spring-fed rivers including the Wakulla and others.
Climbing at the Tallahassee Rock Gym—see the EE grads climbing group facebook page.
Contra dancing and traditional music—Twice-monthly dances are held by the Tallahassee Community Friends of Old Time Dance, and there are regular music sessions (come to play or to listen) at The Warehouse, Finnegan’s Wake, and other venues.
Disc golf—on courses at Tom Brown and Jack McLean parks.
Eating! Tallahassee has a thriving local food scene, including farm-to-table restaurants, many local farms, food coops, farmer's markets, and CSAs.
Excellent fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Festivals—Tallahassee and the surrounding towns host many festivals which are great opportunities for local color. These include (really) the Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival, the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival, the St. Marks Stone Crab Festival, the St. Marks Monarch Butterfly Festival, Suwannee Springfest, and MagnoliaFest.
Hiking—see the many locations listed on the Protected Land page and by The Florida National Scenic Trail. Local organizations, such as the Magnolia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, host regular guided field trips.
Running and Triathlons—the Gulf Winds Track Club maintains an active training and racing schedule year-round.
Tennis—City leagues and a regular tennis clinic.
Ultimate—see Tallahassee Ultimate.
Volleyball—both indoor and sand volleyball leagues and informal games.