Just to clarify an important difference between Celebration, Florida and Seaside, Florida--
The Truman Show was filmed in the latter. I don't doubt that someone will film a movie in Celebration someday. Both towns have a stage set quality that seems a little unreal. Neither town has a "bad part" and I'm sure that there are ordinances that will keep it that way. Where are the auto repair shops, the homes for the cleaning crews and cooks? Where do you get gravel and ready-mix concrete? Where is the nearest Wal-Mart?
The website for Seaside proudly proclaims that the town is "More than a way of life, a way of living." I'm not exactly sure what that means. It looks like a nice place to visit. It reminds me in many ways of the Outer Banks, with more interesting looking architecture.
Interesting observations. The idea of the New Urban design school (which is what some journalist ended up calling this kind of development) was to go back to our old way of building towns. Think of Charleston and Williamsburg as old and Levittown and EverySubdivision USA as new. I LIKE the New Urban ideal. Small lots, houses close together, frontage on the curb. BUT as you point out, where are the mechanics shops? Whence the Wal-Mart? I know there is a Publix nearby but not IN THE TOWN, which was supposed to be the point. The point being that the town would be compact, pleasant, attractive to both eye and spirit and have all the crap people need to live their lives. We need to buy food. We need new light bulbs. We need to buy a quart of oil when our cars require it. WE NEED GAS STATIONS WHICH STOCK BEER AND BEEF JERKY! Seaside is beautiful. Almost idyllic. But not real. There ARE places which have copied the model and succeeded. Celebration comes close. There are places in Charleston which have pretty much done New Urban in the way the guys who dreamed up Seaside intended. I hope the trend to build compact, old-style American communities continues.
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