I lived in Talahassee for about six years. Not much to reccommend the place to a sailor. Summers are brutally hot since the seabreeze never seems to reach it - always seemed to be 3-5 degrees hotter than the surrounding area, with max humidity. I lived for a while on Lake Jackson, which has subsequently dried up (sinkhole, aka karst).
There is a great open cat fleet in Panama City to the west and south of town. Scott Beach is the current Commodore. They meet frequently and sail out of Carl Grey Park - a very good venue. The Hobie dealer down there is Brad Stevens - he has been working hard in recent years to get a 16 fleet going again. Other boats in the fleet include Nacra 20s, an Infusion, Hobie 20s, etc. Very open and inclusive atmosphere. Larry Hale and his Scout fleet is in nearby St. George. You'll have to drive to do any sailing, but the sailing that is along the Gulf Coast is pretty darn good.
There is some good kayaking/canoeing on the waterways west and south of town. There are several springs nearby which are cool and pleasant year-round. Good mountain biking (Tally is
very hilly with lots of wilderness areas). There is also a bike path that runs south from town all the way to the Gulf - an all-day activity, but really fun and a nice way to beat the heat. There are some really divey but delicious seafood joints down there - hit Posey's for sure... cold beer and really fresh fish and oysters.
A few good places to eat in town, but most of the nightlife is dominated by the college crowd. There are a very few places that offer more refined amenities aimed at the seasonal politicians. There is a smattering of good jazz bands, and fairly good supply of live garage-style rock and alternative music.
Traffic sucks - Tallahassee was built on seven hills like Rome. Connecting the hills is Capitol Circle, an incomplete loop around the town. Roads are perpetually in bad shape, and radially extend out from downtown and the capitol building. Makes rush hour a serious pain in the butt.
The entire region is pretty rich in history (as much as anywhere in the US can be). There were strong populations of Native Americans there and the archaeology is very interesting - the colonial period is well-documented and there are lots of interesting sites. If you're into antiques and the history of the state, there are great little towns just north of Tally that you'll enjoy. There are also cave complexes nearby, both to the east and west of town - again, great day-trips and good camping and mountain biking in the early spring or late fall.
There are good neighbourhoods all over, but are generally regarded to be on the north side of town, particularly up in the Killearn area.
Drop me a note if you want more rambling. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
