"Slices of 30A"

What's new at the beach this Spring Season? A little bit of everything! From new restaurants and shops to fun things to do, and great places to stay. Here's a breakdown of all the latest happenings:

Down Island Gulf Seafood Restaurant is one of South Walton’s few chef-owned and family-operated restaurants. It is the brainchild of Chef Brannon Janca, co-founder of Stinky’s Fish Camp. Down Island combines Chef Janca's passion for modern-casual dining and Gulf South cuisine to create a fun, creative and inviting atmosphere for visitors and locals alike. The menu features elevated regional favorites, including wood-fired seafood and raw bar selections. Chef Janca's wife Stefani is also a dietitian, so one can expect plenty of options for non-seafood…

Strong buyer demand in our South Walton real estate market continues to have a significant impact on the prevailing "Sellers’ Market".  These impacts include

• A continued lack of available properties to purchase.   
• A substantial overall market appreciation when compared with previous years.
• A significant increase in more buyers coming to the table with cash. 

Market Fact:  During the last three years roughly 40% of all sales in South Walton were cash transactions!

Is the time right for selling YOUR property right now?  The short answer is - maybe!  Just because we continue to remain in a "Seller's Market" along 30A and South Walton, those conditions don’t automatically translate to good timing for everyone’s situation.  There are…

When crossing the Hwy 331 Bridge in Santa Rosa Beach, (AKA: The Clyde B. Wells Bridge) have you noticed all the pilings in the distance on the east side and wondered what their story is?   They’re hard to miss as the large group of them actually spans a little over a mile long out in the Bay. The pilings provide a favorite perch and resting spot for the pelicans or cormorants who spend their days fishing the waters of the Choctawhatchee Bay.  

We've long heard local tales about the Bay Pilings and decided to do a little digging on our own to find out more about them.  While there's some genuine history to be found about the old pilings, there’s also some mystery, intrigue, and colorful stories surrounding them as well. 

According to the…

 Sculpture Rendering COMMON CHORD: Santa Rosa Beach Florida Artist Vince Tatum 

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) and South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) are proud to reveal the ten sculpture designs, including the museum’s first international selections, chosen by the jury for permanent exhibition in the fourth installation of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA).  Deployment of the 2022 UMA installation is slated for Summer.

Named in 2018 by TIME Magazine as one of 100 “World’s Greatest Places,” the UMA is presented as part of CAA’s Art In Public Spaces Program and augments SWARA’s mission of creating marine habitat and expanding fishery populations while…

In today’s blog post we take a look at the area’s easternmost community - Inlet Beach Florida. Considered the gateway to South Walton County and Scenic 30A, Inlet Beach encompasses a little more than 3.5 square miles. Bordered on the south by the gulf and beach, and on the north by Lake Powell, the largest Coastal Dune Lake in the Northern Hemisphere.  (Learn more here:  30A's Rare Coastal Dune Lakes.)

In the last few years, this formerly sleepy little area at the eastern entrance of Scenic 30A has experienced a surge of growth and popularity both commercially and in the development of new homes and businesses. There are now three main shopping and dining areas located within Inlet Beach 30Avenue, The Crossings at Inlet Beach, and Shops of Inlet…

It’s safe to say that as 2021 draws to a close, the 30A real estate market has been one for the record books. But more specifically, how do the numbers look for our current condominium market?

In today’s post, we have some surprising data that gives a very good perspective. We'll start first by giving a broad overview of our condominium market here at the beach. Most notable of all the numbers we looked at was that out of approximately 3,350+ condo units along 30A, there are only 57 units currently available for purchase!  

30A Condominium Profile

• 132 Condo complexes located along the 30A corridor between Dune Allen Beach and Inlet Beach
• 3,357 Total Available Units along 30A
• 2 High-Rise condominium buildings. Both located within Seagrove…

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we’re celebrating with a roundup of holiday meal happenings throughout South Walton. Whether you’re looking for a sit-down meal at one of our local restaurants or to-go meal options that can feed families big and small, there’s something for everyone in South Walton. 

Thanksgiving To-Go Meals

Cafe Thirty-A Thanksgiving Day To-Go

Cafe Thirty-A is offering Thanksgiving to-go. Call to place your order. Orders cost $300. Each order feeds six people. Menu available online. Pick up time is between 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 

• Website: cafethirtya.com

• Address: 3899 E. County Highway 30A, Seagrove Beach, Fla. 32459
• Phone: (850) 231-2166 (Extension 1)

Destin Ice Market 30A | Thanksgiving To-Go

We're excited to unveil a brand new, beautiful edition of  IN • REVIEW Magazine with you!   This time IN • REVIEW's Local Features Section includes the Cultural Arts Alliance's upcoming MONARCH ART TRAIL unveiling on Friday, November 12th +  coverage on a new local brewery & taproom, Owner & Gardening Tips, 30A Fall Event's Calendar, and more.

As we've done in previous editions of IN • REVIEW, we break down 30A Market Trends from a unique and different perspective. Statistics that you'll discover include a 42% increase in the number of homes sold in  Seagrove Beach; Cash sales accounted for  58% of the homes sold in Blue Mountain Beach.  And one of the most interesting data points revealed a whopping 65% jump in the median price of  Seagrove…

Serving Up Flavorful Beer for The Fun-Loving Crowd

Long-time local and private chef Hunter Davis and business partner Anne Margaret Harrison have teamed up combining the best of their business   experience, talents, and backgrounds to launch the area’s newest brewery and taproom, ODD PELICAN BEER CO. Davis and Harrison have gotten off to a solid start in the business by securing a SEASIDE® license to make and distribute an exclusive brew aptly named “Seaside Suds.” ODD PELICAN BEER CO currently offers three other specialty brews including “The SUMMIT,” “Black Creek Stout” and “SPECTACLE”.

 Hunter and Anne Margaret also have a shared passion for giving back to the community and supporting local non-profit organizations. Both are actively…

Northwest Florida is a part of the migratory pattern of the Monarch butterfly, and every fall tens of thousands of Monarchs can be seen enjoying an abundance of native wildflowers that thrive throughout Walton County. Since 1992, The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) has celebrated this yearly natural event with The Flutterby Festival, an annual children’s arts and science event.  

As an addition to this year’s festivities, The CAA is proud to announce the opening of another Art in Public Spaces initiative - Monarch Art Trail (MAT).  An outdoor sculpture project was created with support from The St. Joe Community Foundation. The official opening of the Monarch Art Trail takes place Friday, November 12th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm and…