Snubbed! 7 Florida towns left off 2023 Best Places to Live list
Mark H. BickelU.S. News & World Report released its annual "Best Places to Live in the U.S." on Tuesday.
The good news? A total of 14 Florida locations made the list, including two in the Top 10 − Sarasota (No. 5) and Naples (No. 6).
The not so good news? There are many attractive, quality places to live in Florida that got snubbed. Harumph!
We understand Florida is a big state and it would be impossible to include all of the gems. But here is our best shot at a "runners up" list for Best Places to Live in the U.S. These are seven places, in our opinion, that should have gotten on the podium.
1. Mount Dora is like taking a trip back in time
Mount Dora is a city in Central Florida. It's known for its antique shops and annual festivals. Downtown, the Modernism Museum displays modern furniture, and the Mount Dora History Museum is housed in a 1923 fire station. An extensive collection of classic cars, plus a replica of a 1940s gas station, are on display at the Museum of Speed. Northwest, bass-filled Lake Eustis has waterside restaurants. The Frog and Monkey Restaurant & Pub is a popular place to eat and drink.
2. Rosemary Beach focuses on 'New Urbanism'
Rosemary Beach is an unincorporated planned community in Walton County, located on a beach side road, CR 30A, on the Gulf Coast. Rosemary Beach is developed on land originally part of the older Inlet Beach neighborhood. Architecturally beautiful and lively, Rosemary Beach, this neo-traditional beach community mixes New Urbanism – the design style that places everything within a short walk of town center – and West Indies style with pristine beaches, a bustling town square, and award-winning restaurants.
3. Best place for shark teeth? Try Venice, Florida, a haven for collectors of fossilized shark teeth
Venice is a city on Florida's Gulf Coast. It's known for Venice Beach, with its offshore coral reef and Caspersen Beach, where shark teeth are often found. Multi-use trails hug the Intracoastal Waterway in Venetian Waterway Park. Other green spaces include Centennial Park, with its interactive fountain, and the Monty Andrews Arboretum at West Blalock Park. Oscar Scherer State Park is home to Florida scrub jays.
4. Marco Island is all about beaches, golf, fine dining and Instagrammable sunsets
Marco Island is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico off Southwest Florida, linked to the mainland by bridges south of the city of Naples. It’s home to resort hotels, beaches, marinas and golf courses, as well as a network of inland waterways. A long, sandy beach covers most of the west coast, with resort hotels in the south. Tigertail Beach Park has a tidal lagoon, popular for kayaking and paddleboarding.
5. Destin has some of the best beaches in the world
Destin is a city in northwest Florida, in the area known as the Panhandle. It's known for its Gulf of Mexico beaches and many golf courses, as well as the Destin Harbor Boardwalk. Nature trails pass through the dunes of Henderson Beach State Park in the south, where the coastline is dotted with pine and oak trees sheltering wildlife. To the west are the tall slides, waterfalls and pools of Big Kahuna’s water park.
6. Like fishing in Florida? Boca Grande is place where 'the fish are always biting'
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island in Southwest Florida. Gasparilla Island is a part of both Charlotte and Lee counties, while the actual village of Boca Grande, which is home to many seasonal and some yearround residents, is entirely in the Lee County portion of the island.
According to Visit Florida, Among Boca Grande's many charms is the Gasparilla Inn & Club, a hidden gem. Built in 1911 but maintained through renovations and updates, this luxurious resort preserves its old Florida charm.
7. Palm Beach is a playground for the rich and famous
Palm Beach is a town in South Florida, separated from the mainland by the Lake Worth Lagoon. It’s known for its glitzy estates and its beaches, including the long, sandy Palm Beach Municipal Beach. Worth Avenue is lined with upscale boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Art and antique furnishings are displayed at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, inside the hotel and railroad tycoon’s huge Gilded Age mansion.