Seaside made a walkable town part of Walton's beach story

Seaside changed how many people picture a Florida beach town.

The story begins before the town was built. In 1946, J.S. Smolian bought 80 acres near Seagrove Beach and held onto the land. His grandson, Robert Davis, later inherited the property in 1978. Davis and Daryl Rose began shaping Seaside as a place built around walking, biking, front porches, small streets, shops, and shared beach access.

Construction began in 1981 with two houses and one street. The early idea was not a wall of towers. It was a town that felt easy to move through. Over time, Seaside became closely tied to New Urbanist planning and to the look of 30A: cottages, paths, pavilions, town center life, and beach air moving through the streets.

For Walton County, Seaside is more than a vacation rental cluster. It is a design story sitting right beside the Gulf. If you visit, check parking, beach access, events, and local rules before going. Walking it slowly tells you more than driving through.