Entering Seaside
Seaside, Florida
Seaside, Florida was founded by Robert and Daryl Davis in the 1979. Robert first came to the
beaches of South Walton as a young boy with his grandfather, for the company retreat. Many years later,
Robert inherited the 83 acres from his grandfather and set out to develop the town of Seaside, which many
people consider the birthplace of new urbanism. Time magazine called it “the most astounding design
achievement of its era and, one might hope, the most influential.” (“Best of the Decade,” Time, January 1, 1990)
Robert and Daryl Davis, along with close friends Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, architects from Miami,
studied the architecture of many southern cities and used them as the guideline for the homes currently in Seaside.
The concept of new urbanism was to develop a small town atmosphere, laying out streets and squares to make the community
accessible to all members of the family. The town was developed as a family-friendly gathering place where people can walk
and kids can ride their bikes, the feel of a small southern town.
The movie producers for blockbuster hit “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carey, were searching for the perfect
location for the movie town Seahaven, when the film’s visual consultant came across an article about the planned
community of Seaside. After visiting the town, Director Peter Weir, noted “It looked like it had been built
for our show. I knew we could enhance it to create the ideal setting for Seahaven.”
Seaside houses the largest collection in America of homes and town center buildings designed by internationally
recognized architects. The Seaside Interfaith Chapel rises above the town in the northernmost point. Recognized
for its architecture, the Chapel is fast becoming one of the most photographed places of worship in the United States.
With its 68-foot, simple bell tower soaring high above the trees, it is the highest building in Seaside.
One of the Nine Pavilions to the Beach
Beaches
Seaside is considered the crown jewel of the beaches of South Walton and sits at the highest point of the Gulf Coast
from Texas to Florida. Seaside sits overlooking the emerald water of the Gulf of Mexico with some of the whitest sand
in the world. At the beach end of each street is a pavilion, architecturally distinctive, that opens one of the most
beautiful beaches in America to families and their friends in Seaside.