When you choose to go to an in-state school you assume it won’t be that different than your hometown. But when you live in a state like Florida that takes eight hours to drive across (not including The Keys) you’d be surprised how different south Florida is from north Florida. When I moved up to Tally for school and for the first time saw a man wearing boots with spurs on them and it wasn’t a Halloween costume, I knew I was in for a culture shock. Don’t get me wrong, there are some pros to living here but there is also a long list of cons that leads me to believe that Tallahassee isn’t really a part of Florida at all and rather it should be classified as some extension of South Georgia. But without further ado here are the pros and cons of living in Tallahassee as told by a south Floridian:
Cons:
1. The hills:
As a naïve freshman I thought it would be nice to bike to class. Little did I know that the entire university is atop a hill and any bike ride I attempted would include a 10-minute uphill ride. Being an English major only exacerbated the issue as the entire English department is atop the infamous Diffenbaugh hill. Back home the biggest “hills” are bridges that lead to the beach and that trek was always worth it.
2. Puke. Everywhere. All the time:
Any day of the week you can walk down Gaines St. and find a reminder of someone’s mistakes from the night prior. I mean, it’s called College Town for a reason.
3. The drive-thrus:
In Tallahassee, after 10 p.m. there is no such thing as fast food, especially on the weekends. Every drive-thru within a three-mile radius of the university is packed (don’t even try the McDonald’s next to the strip) and you will probably save time at a sit-down restaurant.
4. The pollen:
This is a spring-specific con, but almost every day there is a very high pollen count in Tallahassee during the spring semester. One spring day I was walking on campus and I thought I spotted a tree on fire smoking but as I got closer I realized it was just the wind blowing an extreme amount of pollen out of the tree. In short, the pollen is out of hand and I’ve spent more on allergy medicine than books since I moved here.
5. No beaches:
I spent the first 18 years of my life living in a town with “beach” in the name, so I took it for granted. After moving away, I missed everything about it: swimming, snorkeling, the salty air and beach drives with my best friend listening to our favorite songs. I know that there are springs not too far away and FSU students have The Rez, but they just aren’t adequate replacements.
6. No 7/11:
This may be strictly a personal qualm but there isn’t a 7/11 within two hours of Tallahassee. No convenience store rivals the icy treat that is the Slurpee from 7/11 and you can’t change my mind. In south Florida, there is a 7/11 on every corner and even 7/11 gas station combos. Meanwhile, Tallahassee can’t manage a single store? I’m over it.
Courtesy: KTLA 5
Despite all of these cons, let’s end on a high note. To that end, here are some pros of living in Tallahassee:
1. Lack of traffic:
There is basically no traffic before 11 a.m. because the entire college population won’t wake up before then unless they’re forced to. If you’re an early riser you can drive all over town without being impeded by a barrage of bad drivers who are probably all Snapchatting while driving.
2. Nature:
In Tallahassee there are so many natural wonders just a short drive away. There is the Leon County Geological Sinks, Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, Apalachicola State Park, Lake Ella and so many more. South Florida is an extremely overdeveloped area that leaves little to no room for the natural ecosystems that originally existed there. The idea of woods is basically nonexistent. . . try going for a hike and you’ll probably end up walking two miles down a wooden boardwalk through throngs of noisy tourists.
Courtesy: Pinterest
3. The breakfast:
If you want breakfast in south Florida you usually have two choices: IHOP (or Denny’s if you’re into that) or an expensive beachfront breakfast restaurant. In Tallahassee, there are so many amazing breakfast places that won’t break the bank. There’s Jenny’s Lunchbox, Canopy Road Café, Maple Street Biscuit Company and so many more.
Courtesy: Maple Street Biscuit Company
4. Seasons exist:
In south Florida there are two seasons: hot and hotter. If we’re lucky there might be a two week long cold snap but we usually end up celebrating Christmas in 80-degree weather. In Tallahassee seasons actually exist. I saw the leaves change colors for the first time in my life and experienced some semblance of winter. It was exciting and troubling as most of my wardrobe consists of circle skirts and crop tops, but nothing a sweater can’t solve.