Rosemary Beach is an unincorporated

planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

in Walton County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

on a beach side road, CR 30A, on the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coast, coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The list of U.S. states and territories by coastline, coastal states that have a shor ...

. Rosemary Beach is developed on land originally part of the older Inlet Beach neighborhood. The town was founded in 1995 by Patrick D. Bienvenue, President of Leucadia Financial Corporation, and was designed by

Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company DPZ CoDesign (DPZ) (formerly Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. and DPZ Partners) is an architecture and town planning firm based in Miami, Florida, founded in 1980 by the husband-and-wife team of Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. The firm is one o ...

. The town is approximately and, upon completion, included more than 400 home sites and a mixed-use town center with shops, restaurants, and activities. The population of Rosemary Beach is approximately 4,328. Rosemary Beach is named after Rosemary Milligan, a realtor and gas station owner, whose gas station was located where the Donut Hole is located today.

Location

Rosemary Beach is located on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

in southeastern Walton County. U.S. Route 98 and County Road 30A are the main roads that run through the community. Via US-98, Panama City Beach is 16 mi (26 km) southeast, and Miramar Beach is 24 mi (39 km) northwest. County Road 30A parallels the coast westward, leading northwest 8 mi (13 km) to Seaside. There are many more beach towns that are close to Rosemary Beach, including Alys Beach, Seacrest, Water Sound, Water Color, Seagrove, Grayton, Inlet, etc.

Design

Rosemary Beach is one of three planned communities on Florida's Gulf coast designed by Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. The other two are Seaside and Alys Beach. The three are examples of a style of urban planning known as

New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually i ...

. Rosemary Beach, designed in 1995, offers shops, restaurants, a hotel, and public green spaces. The design of the town reflects New Orleans’ French Quarter and European Colonial influences in the West Indies and Caribbean. Sustainable materials, natural color palettes, high ceilings for better air circulation, balconies, and easy access to the beach by foot are typical design features. The architecture of the homes in Rosemary resemble places like New Orleans, St. Augustine, Charleston S.C., and the West Indies. The houses along Rosemary Beach are close together and are all neutral colored.

Beach

Rosemary Beach beaches are only accessible to people who are staying in Rosemary at the time. To gain beach access, residents are required to have a code or a wristband to allow them to go to the beach. The water at this beach is warm, so many people can be found in the waves in the ocean along with walking or jogging down the beach, building sand castles, and reading. Vacationers can also rent different water activities, like kayaking or paddle boarding. Many residents rent out their houses for the summer.

Tourism

There are nature reserves located around the Rosemary area, like Eden Gardens State Park, Timpoochee Trail and Deer State Park, and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. There are hiking trails and different wildlife located in these areas. Camping is also available at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Tourism in Rosemary Beach has significantly spiked in the past few years. As tourists, the main form of transportation around the beach area is through biking. The temperature in Rosemary Beach during the summer ranges from a high of 90 degrees to a low of 75 degrees. During the winter months, the temperature ranges from a high of 66 degrees to a low of 45 degrees. Water activities are popular here, like kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing, parasailing, and many more excursions. Along with the water activities, there are Blue Dolphin Tours, where one can sightsee for dolphins on a two-hour boat ride excursion. There is also a sunset tour option. There are many places for shopping around the 30A area. Almost every store is walkable from any place one stays. There are many boutiques which offer swimwear, beachwear, toys, home décor, souvenirs, etc. Peddler's Pavilion is also a popular tourism spot for people in Rosemary Beach. There are many different places to eat, shop, and listen to live music.

References

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