Cedar Key embodies old Florida as it helps people reconnect with the past: 'My soul has always been here'

CEDAR KEY, Fla. - To some people, "Old Florida" can be found in the small towns and back roads that crisscross the state. But, when you talk about a place that epitomizes that "Old Florida" feeling, all roads lead to Cedar Key.

As you drive down Highway 24 in Florida you may wonder why you are going that far until you come to the Number 4 Bridge. That’s where it’s exciting to see everything that you can see, according to Cedar Key locals. 

"My soul has always been here, but it took a long time for my body to catch up," one resident told FOX 13. 

Cedar Key gives visitors that "old Florida" feeling.

"This is the last best place in Florida. If you want an old Florida experience, you probably have to come to Cedar Key," another resident said. 

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When many people think of old Florida, they think of reconnecting and that’s why many people make the trip up to the Big Bend area of the Sunshine State. 

"There’s no traffic lights for 30 miles and then it’s Cedar Key. People want that. They’re sick of traffic and things and stores and shopping. They want to have a more calmer type of activity and a rest," City Commissioner Sue Colson shared. 

Cedar Key was settled in the 1840s and though it has grown, most people get around on golf carts.

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"I call it old Florida. It won’t change and we’re talking nine miles in the Gulf of Mexico. Basically, we’re surrounded by water and it’s just going to be a small town that it always is and what we’re trying to do is define our tourists and not let them define us," stated City Commissioner Susan Rosenthal. 

Residents of Cedar Key say they don’t produce things to draw tourists to them, instead, they define who they are and invite people to come and be a part of it. 

Cedar Key was settled almost 200 years ago. 

Agriculture is as much of a part of Cedar Key as tourism. 

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"After the net ban in the mid and late 90s, our people needed something to do on the water and they started raising shellfish – both clams and oysters. The economic impact has been about $50 million a year," explained Cedar Key Mayor Heath Davis. The folks that work in the restaurants they sell the seafood, so we are all connected."

Shellfish brings in about $50 million a year to Cedar Key's economy. 

Residents say the key to helping people who move to the area or visit it, is education. The locals teach the newbies about architecture and agriculture so that change can be beneficial. 

"That is really the challenge of the day," Davis said. "How to manage the change in a way that preserves everything that we love while taking on the reality that tomorrow is going to look different from today." 

For more information on visiting Cedar Key, click here.