Florida’s Gulf Coast is a weirdly dissociated place.
True, there’s a cohesiveness to it all, mainly in that the Gulf Coast is more laid-back and less preoccupied with appearances than Florida’s Atlantic Coast. It clings to the vestiges of Old Florida a bit tighter. Yet this cohesiveness begins to crack and the distinct personalities of each Gulf Coast sub-region emerge depending on where you veer off Interstate 75.
Much of this can be credited to Florida’s ages-old knack for self-promotion — after all, tourism is the Sunshine State’s top industry. Each individual “coast” boasts its own allure, its own socio-cultural identity.