Guide to Becoming a Local

You’re in Luck; You’re in Tallahassee

By Emma Witmer

Hi there, you must be new. This calls for an introduction. Welcome to Tallahassee, neighbor, or as we affectionately call her — Tally.

There’s a stack of flattened boxes 3-feet high at the curb in front of your new home. And now you’re looking at a list of to-do’s longer than an FSU graduation ceremony. It’s hard to know where to begin. Grab a glass of wine or sweet tea, and let’s figure this out together.

What’s that? Yes, sweet tea. You call it “tea with sugar?” Oh, you do have a lot to learn. Let us serve you as your guide to Florida’s capital city.

Whether you’re in search of great schools, a family doctor, scrumptious eats, things to do or you just need to get your water turned on, we’ve done your homework for you.

To begin with, you’re in luck. Tallahassee is rich in Southern hospitality. You’ll always find someone willing to lend a hand, share a smile or joke around in the grocery line. But don’t go hanging around the water cooler without brushing up on college sports. This is, after all, a football town.

But it’s much more than that.

Tallahassee is the hub of innovation, education, government, culture and commerce situated in the midst of beautiful topography that lies between the rolling Red Hills region, with its rich farmland, and the northern crest of the Woodville Karst Plain, a coastal lowland dotted with springs and transected by wild rivers.

Here in town, we tap into these natural assets with lush parks and greenways, fresh Gulf seafood and farmers markets. Stroll the manicured grounds at the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens. Whiz from tree to tree on zip lines and come face-to-face with black bears, red wolves and the Florida panther at the Tallahassee Museum. Or travel back in time to 1703 and break bread with Apalachee Native Americans and early Spanish settlers at Mission San Luis. When you are ready to escape the city, the area affords you lots of day-trip options. The historic St. Marks lighthouse, the salty city of Apalachicola and St. George Island’s beaches are all within a two-hour drive. The St. Marks, Ochlockonee, Wakulla and (my personal favorite) Wacissa rivers are perfect for kayaking and small boats. While the Ochlockonee attracts anglers pursuing bass and bream, the Wakulla is a good bet for catching a glimpse of our lovable manatees. The crisp, spring-fed waters of the Wacissa surrender arrowheads and fossils to those who know what to look for. Time to eat? Tallahassee’s locally owned restaurants have been inspired by cultures the world over. For Far Eastern cuisine, I recommend Lemongrass or Lucy Ho’s Azu. For my Greek/Lebanese fix, Sahara and Little Athens are go-to’s. When I’m craving carbs, Tour of Italy serves some of the best pasta in town. But you don’t have to take my word for it; consult the Facebook group “Tallahassee Foodies,” a community of upbeat locals who will point you in the right direction.

Tallahassee is home to two major universities. Florida State is highly regarded as a center of research and boasts outstanding programs in criminal justice, sports management, motion picture arts and more. Florida A&M, the only historically black school in the State University System of Florida, is home to a much lauded pharmacy school, a celebrated masters in business administration program and a nationally recognized marching band, the Marching 100.

Music and theater lovers frequent the amphitheater at Cascades Park for performances big and small. Tallahassee’s collection of delightful and eclectic juke joints includes Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack.

FSU School of Theatre′s Spamalot

No other place, from Pensacola to Jacksonville to Key West, embraces its arts, neighbors, nightlife, bike paths, history, college sports and canopy roads in such a way.

FSU Football

LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival

PHOTOS BY PURE 7 STUDIOS (FSU FOOTBALL), SAIGE ROBERTS (TRAIL RUNNING), DAVE BARFIELD / VISIT TALLAHASSEE (FSU SCHOOL OF THEATER, CANOEING) AND ROWLAND PUBLISHING PHOTO GALLERIES (LE MOYNE CHAIN OF PARKS) Trail Running

After a beer or two at Bird’s, extend your evening by heading to Midtown and sampling its humming nightlife.

Among the city’s festivals, Springtime Tallahassee — with its parades, music, food, markets and children’s events — is the grandest of them all.

The arts thrive in downtown Tallahassee. Murals and other types of public art line the streets. Check out the crafts and curios that vendors at the Saturday Downtown Marketplace have to offer. Take in the exhibits and enjoy the bird’s eye view at the Capitol’s 22nd-floor gallery; admire the work of local artists at the LeMoyne Arts Gallery; or become part of the Railroad Square Art District’s First Friday gatherings.

Or do nothing at all.

There are those days when nothing beats sitting in the shade of a live oak with another glass of sweet tea.

But first, let’s get that piano of yours moved. It looks like you could use some help.

Canoeing