Discover Palatka

For the average American, North Central Florida is home to the Happiest Place on Earth. Perhaps to a college football junkie, this region of Florida is home to the Florida Gators or the University of Central Florida Knights. But about an hour and 45 minutes north of Orlando, and about an hour east of Gainesville, is the town of Palatka. No, Palatka does not house Disney World or over zealous college football teams. Instead, it’s the town located gracefully along the St. John’s River with a modest population of over 10,000 people, according to the 2010 census.

By no means is this river town the smallest populated city in Florida, but according to The Washington Post, an expert hired by the Florida League of Cities called the town Florida’s only “dying city.” The expert dubbed this title onto Palatka after researching to find the death and move-out rate higher than the birth and move-in rate of the city.

The title seemed appropriate in August, when the article was published and the town’s only J.C. Penney and Kmart recently shut down getting rid of many jobs in the city. Some community members who were already forced to leave the city to find work agreed that the town was quiet, but for public officials trying to keep Palatka pumping, there was still a heartbeat.

Though a game of bingo at Bingo Palace or dinner at Angel’s Diner, Florida’s “oldest diner,” is considered the best of Palatka’s dining and nightlife, according to the city’s website, city officials, community members and business owners all have their own agendas for keeping the town on its feet.

To read the article by The Washington Post, click here.