Cynthia Conlon and Robert Conlon

[00:03] CYNTHIA CONLON: Hi, I'm Cynthia Conlon, 71 years old. Today's date is Wednesday, March 9, 2022. I am here in seaside, Florida, which is in the panhandle, the northwest part of Florida, just under Alabama. And my conversation partner is my husband, Robert Conlon, and he'll introduce himself now.

[00:25] ROBERT CONLON: I'm Bob Conlon. I'm 69. I'm here with Cindy in Seaside. She told you it was in the northwest corner of Florida, and we've been married for 38 years.

[00:39] CYNTHIA CONLON: And the date? The date?

[00:41] ROBERT CONLON: The date is March 9, 2022.

[00:45] CYNTHIA CONLON: Great. So I wanted to record here, first of all, because I found out the airstream was in Pensacola, and we were here, and that's so exciting, but because seaside in this area has become a huge part of our life. So when do you remember coming here the first time? Do you have a date?

[01:03] ROBERT CONLON: We came here the first time. My best guess is it was 1994. And what I think it was, Molly.

[01:10] CYNTHIA CONLON: Was three and under. What? For what?

[01:12] ROBERT CONLON: We came for spring vacation.

[01:14] CYNTHIA CONLON: Okay.

[01:15] ROBERT CONLON: We read about Sandestin in family Fun magazine, best place. Said it was the best beach to go for spring vacation. So we came down here to Sandestin and we liked it, but it was a little bit crowded. So we heard about this spectacular place, seaside, and we came over to visit Seaside and have been coming ever since 1994.

[01:39] CYNTHIA CONLON: So do the math. That's how many years?

[01:42] ROBERT CONLON: That is. 28 years.

[01:44] CYNTHIA CONLON: 28 years. Wow. And our oldest, well, you said maybe Molly was three or four.

[01:49] ROBERT CONLON: Molly was three, I believe.

[01:50] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah. So their whole. Pretty much her whole life has been coming to this place.

[01:55] ROBERT CONLON: Cause Molly's 31 today.

[01:57] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah. It's her birthday. That's right. So cool. So what I remember about that first trip was not liking where we stayed. We stayed not in seaside, but again, east of Pensacola, but not. Yeah. So what we discovered was huge high rises, lots of traffic, just not relaxing. Was that your recollection?

[02:19] ROBERT CONLON: Yes. And Molly got lost briefly.

[02:21] CYNTHIA CONLON: Oh, Molly got lost for a few minutes.

[02:23] ROBERT CONLON: She has to fall on our trip, too.

[02:24] CYNTHIA CONLON: That was depressing. Yes. So she put her swimsuit on and went right to the beach and didn't tell us, but we found her anyway. That was. Yeah. Horrifying. So we went to this place. This is interesting. So what do you remember? Did we drove over here one day, and what do you remember about that day?

[02:40] ROBERT CONLON: If anything, we got in the car and walked around the business and walked down to the beach and was just captivated by it.

[02:46] CYNTHIA CONLON: And there was somewhere to park. Isn't that funny? I mean, do you remember it being really crowded I guess that's the question.

[02:51] ROBERT CONLON: There were lots of cars on the road, but we could find parking, because.

[02:54] CYNTHIA CONLON: Now it's spring break. And you just looked up, did you see the hordes of high school kids? It's like a constant. Pray they don't go anywhere alone. There's groups of six to twelve that move as a unit up and down all the streets. It's so interesting, but I don't remember it being overwhelmingly crowded. I remember playing in the park and walking, and the beaches were available and all that. And it was just so stunning. I think the architecture. I don't know. I'm trying to think of what in particular. I remember playing on the playground and the kids running around and having this sense of freedom that was unique.

[03:28] ROBERT CONLON: And the colors are spectacular, the pastel colors of the houses. Unique also.

[03:35] CYNTHIA CONLON: And so we've come all these years, what do you think the biggest change has been in what we do here? And how. How seaside is different?

[03:44] ROBERT CONLON: I think it's gotten much more developed, much busier than it was when we first came here. And also much more expensive.

[03:53] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah, that's definitely true. I heard that they just raised the prices for all the tenants in the buildings downtown. 20%. That's why the wine bar is gone. That's why Willow is gone. That clothing store. Yeah, I was just hearing that, which is really crazy. So it was. It's the first community under this concept of new urbanism in the United States. The idea was sustainability, walkability, and adaptability. And I think those qualities are still there. Like the motor court, remember, was in rack and ruin. And there was actually a proposal to put a big hotel there. I just read about this, actually, and Robert Davis was appalled. And a lot of the people in Seaside were appalled. So Robert Davis reneged on the contract, didn't sell it. Did you know this? Then there was another person who wanted to do something. Same thing. And he thought it was going to change the character of Seaside, so he bought it back again. And that property, I mean, think about any place here that you could build something giant and make someone have a bigger revenue stream. So he had his son Micah take it over, and he did that project. He envisioned the court. So it's this one story structure with a big courtyard in the center. So there's so much room. It could have been totally different. Could have been a boutique hotel going up ten stories or something. So I just. The adaptability part, I mean, I keep thinking that they're still adapting to the vision of seaside, pretty much. Would you agree?

[05:21] ROBERT CONLON: Yes. I would agree.

[05:22] CYNTHIA CONLON: And Bud and allies. It started out as a shack on the ocean. The shack structure is still there. Do you realize that? I was seeing it the other day. Then they built the restaurant, then the deck, now they built around it. But in the center is still that shack that identifies how it started, which is kind of cool.

[05:39] ROBERT CONLON: Yes, it's wonderful. You can come and park and never use your car again.

[05:43] CYNTHIA CONLON: So you were just talking to a good friend of yours who might invest in Florida real estate, and he's never been here, correct, John?

[05:49] ROBERT CONLON: He's been close by. He's been Rosemary beach.

[05:51] CYNTHIA CONLON: Oh, he has. Ok. And what did he, did he have any impression about the area or was.

[05:57] ROBERT CONLON: He knows the area is gorgeous and relative to the rest of Florida, seemingly undeveloped with regard to high rises and population density. So he's going to come check it out.

[06:09] CYNTHIA CONLON: Oh, that's great. When we're here, we don't know sometime. So what's unique about it? I think people on, well, the whole area now is marketed as 30 a. So all these different communities which have slightly different identities have branded themselves. And I think the 30 a community is, I mean, they are so aware of what they have at Tooling Road, an unspoiled, gorgeous, pristine beach. I don't see them giving that up, do you? I mean, it's such a unique part of Florida.

[06:39] ROBERT CONLON: No, I agree.

[06:40] CYNTHIA CONLON: So the panhandle, you know, you're right. Under Alabama, there's this huge southern influence is what I notice is very different. The cuisine, you know, the grits and the things you just don't see on the menu at home. A lot of Louisiana, you know, Cayenne gumbo influence as well. So the cuisine is different. What else do you have? Think when you come here, we're from the Midwest, is so different or unique.

[07:04] ROBERT CONLON: It's a great blend of southern hospitality with also a New Orleans Cajun influence as well.

[07:11] CYNTHIA CONLON: But what else do you think is different? Well, the architecture is a very different vernacular.

[07:17] ROBERT CONLON: Yes.

[07:18] CYNTHIA CONLON: This, you know, the porches and the open air. I was reading that the first homes were built for $45,000 here, and that would be in 1981. So I don't know what a house cost in Wisconsin around then, but they were incredibly reasonably priced. And I also was reading that the construction was this batten board. It was this really simple construction so that there were craftsmen who could build it. Now in Seaside, the houses have become more elaborate and much more sophisticated, and they need a different level of craft in the building team. But they could put these up fast. And if people wanted a house. So Rosewalk was developed. It was the nine houses on the eastern end that was developed as a mini community, which you can tell now when you walk through. And they just let all the undergrowth go because they. It's just like they want it to be kind of hidden from the rest of seaside because they think that the rest of seaside has grown in a way that isn't consistent with some of those values. You know, the houses are just a lot bigger. A lot bigger. And the scale of things has changed so much. But it was a very simple architecture where the airflow, they were lifted up so there could be airflow underneath. There'd be screens and porches and fans. So there was great cross ventilation. There was natural vegetation. There weren't any lawns. There was lots of shade. And there was a porch where people were encouraged to chat. So that's the seaside. That's all unique. I mean, there's nothing like that where we live. In terms of the architecture, you have to get through the winter, you got to have insulation, you got to have basements. It's just a totally different form of architecture, of course. And then the seaside design is completely different in terms of cars being alien, the streets being much narrower than they would be in any other community. In the sidewalks being much wider, and bikes being the encouraged way to travel.

[09:20] ROBERT CONLON: Yeah. And I think it impacts the. The people who are here are just more outgoing and fun.

[09:24] CYNTHIA CONLON: Well, it's very interesting.

[09:26] ROBERT CONLON: It lends itself to that.

[09:27] CYNTHIA CONLON: Excuse me, we have a dog barking that I'm gonna treat you. Sorry. And seaside, that's another topic, though. Seaside. Talk about dogs and seaside while I'm opening this.

[09:43] ROBERT CONLON: The dogs are welcome anywhere. Dogs can come in restaurants, be there during meal. Dogs can go in the bookstore. Dogs can go virtually anywhere. They're welcome and allowed and welcomed. It's very dog friendly. They have water everywhere for the dogs. They have doggy disposal areas. It's dog friendly as any place should ever be.

[10:07] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah. So when you think about promoting a sense of community, which is one of the big goals of seaside, when you're out walking, you can't avoid people because every. The streets are so narrow and the houses are so close together. But when you have dogs, I mean, when you're walking a dog, man, everybody meets the other people with dogs. I mean, that's just. And the fact that I'm just thinking right now that that's so encouraged is really interesting. He probably didn't have that in his mind. Although the founder had a dog. That was Bud of Bud and Allie. Allie was the cat and Bud was the dog. So they also have a lot of cats that are here. I was reading because they help with the, not just the rodent population, but with a snake population. So the cats, or they get them neutered and then they let them run around and they. I've never seen a snake here ever. And that's probably why they take care.

[10:52] ROBERT CONLON: Of the rats, mice and snakes.

[10:55] CYNTHIA CONLON: Hope they don't get too many birds. There's a lot of birds. The birds are doing okay. So would you see spending more time here? How do you think being in seaside? Here's a question. I've been here longer. This is so funny. We're doing this today because you were here, then you left for three weeks, right? And now you're back. So I always ask you, what's it like to leave? And then what's it like to come back? And I always think of seaside as a place that when I'm not here, it doesn't exist. I mean, that's how I play it in my head. So when I leave, it's over. I mean, seaside, poof. But I'm here. So what's it like to come and go?

[11:29] ROBERT CONLON: It's a shock when you first leave.

[11:31] CYNTHIA CONLON: Like tell, I mean, use some words to.

[11:33] ROBERT CONLON: Well, I go home and go immediately back to a busy surgical practice. So it's from total relaxation to total intensity.

[11:41] CYNTHIA CONLON: But that could be anywhere that doesn't have seaside in it. I mean, from this place. How is it?

[11:46] ROBERT CONLON: Well, I think the difference is that I'm calmer and more relaxed here than probably anywhere else. So the contrast is greater because you.

[11:54] CYNTHIA CONLON: Never have to get in a car. I mean, our goal is to never get in the car. You have to go to the airport in the car. But there's all these people running by and by. You can, everything is designed to be within a five minute walk of anywhere. So you never, and pretty much every need is here.

[12:09] ROBERT CONLON: Right?

[12:09] CYNTHIA CONLON: Wouldn't you say you don't need to.

[12:11] ROBERT CONLON: Get in your car?

[12:11] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah, it's so, it's so unique. For me, the difference is, I mean, I hate driving, and, you know, I have a life where I have to help my daughter, who's 45 minutes, and then I teach at a university one day a week. That's an hour and a half. And it's the antithesis of here. I mean, it just, for me, just physically, the limitations and the dog who gets to walk, you know, an hour or an hour and a half a day. At home. That's not going to happen. It just, it's so, it's healthier, it's happier, it's calmer. It's just a, it's just a really special place. You have so many people. I just read 4 million people come to seaside a year. But maybe they mean the whole panhandle. I mean, I don't think they necessarily all flood into here.

[12:53] ROBERT CONLON: Yeah, I'm guessing that would be the case.

[12:55] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah. So seaside is just this. It's 80 acres that's in the middle of this panhandle. And I think it's just really interesting that it's resisted right and left. What's going on? I mean, it's. That hasn't changed since 1981. I don't think it's going to change.

[13:11] ROBERT CONLON: There are no high rises. There aren't going to be any high rises.

[13:13] CYNTHIA CONLON: No. And they, you know, I don't know they are going to do that tower. But it was the other day, I was walking at 05:00 I took the dog for a walk, and I did go to the beach because it was a yellow flag and it's been so windy. And I thought, oh, I'm just going to go down there when it's finally calm. And there were very few people. And we walked up and we stood in the pavilion exactly as the architects had plan, that you would stop and you would look at the ocean and you would pause and you can't not do it. I mean, you have to go up steps and then you have to go down steps unless you're running. You're gonna, of course, have this enforced pause. And it was so incredible. And I thought, this took me, it's most beautiful. It was the most beautiful sunset. It took me three minutes. I don't even know if it took three minutes. I was trying to think if I really counted it from the door to leave to walk up that pavilion. Yeah. And I was thinking of any other place on this panhandle, or certainly any Naples, you name it, Fort Myers in Florida. I mean, you would have to drive to the beach and get your permit or get your spot and, or be.

[14:18] ROBERT CONLON: Right on the lakefront, lay down the gulf front.

[14:21] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah, I mean, you're right there. You're right there. And all the visitors who come, you know, I love that area where there's that teak buffet area now, or what do you call it? It's a bar, right? It's pretty much a bar. And it's filled up all the time. And, you know, you can come and bring your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I mean, you have to purchase anything. You just get to sit there and soak up this ambiance and it's just so welcoming and open and it's just, I just. I like. I like being here, but as much as I like being here, I like sharing it. I like bringing people down here and seeing what happens to them when they're immersed in this experience, because it's a. All. Everything that happens here is so intentional. But you could, you don't necessarily know what's happening to you. You're just here. You just think, wow, it felt so good. I want to go back. And you don't really know why. Would you agree?

[15:13] ROBERT CONLON: I would agree. The light is unique.

[15:15] CYNTHIA CONLON: Oh, there's the light, too. It's very voltage, the cloudiest thing. But normally the artists are here in February and the artists were here, but there was only one event at the end, so. And the rep is going to open. But I would say that the cultural, the lack of those cultural activities, I did miss because that adds a whole other level to what happens here. So that was hopefully the rep has said they're opening, so they'll be open shortly. So are we coming back forever?

[15:44] ROBERT CONLON: We hope so. We don't plan to go anywhere else. So we love it here and we're going to keep coming.

[15:50] CYNTHIA CONLON: So that's kind of what I wanted to ask and get our stuff on record about suicide. So I want to thank you for taking the time. You just got up at, what, three in the morning or something to get here.

[16:02] ROBERT CONLON: It was all worth it.

[16:03] CYNTHIA CONLON: Yeah, well, it's hard to get here. That's the other thing. You know, it's not easy to get here, which makes it you have to set your intention. So thank you again for staying up when you probably want to take a nap after long travels.

[16:15] ROBERT CONLON: It's been my pleasure. It's well worth it.