30A tour: rosemary beach

There’s a gorgeous sameness about the beaches of the Emerald Coast—just one mile after another of soft quartz sand running alongside an aquamarine shoreline that appears aglow, lit from within. The communities that populate this realm, however, are a different matter altogether. All they have in common is their distinctiveness from one another.

In 1995, Patrick Bienvenue brought life to Rosemary Beach as one of the several master-planned communities along 30A and has since received many accolades.

Located on the eastern-most point of Highway 30A, CNN recently named Rosemary Beach as one of America’s most romantic towns. Rosemary is a part of the New Urbanist movement, developed by architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Though Rosemary draws influence from West Indies and historic southern architecture for its residential homes, it’s streets are intended to have most traffic from pedestrians or cyclists per New Urbanist standards. The style features neutral, rustic, and moody color schemes on the exterior with shingle roofs. Inside, timeless coastal flair and minimalism dominate to give the feel of a constant sea breeze blowing through the home. The town square’s large green spaces host farmer’s markets, children’s entertainment, and outdoor concerts in the summer months.

The Chapel at the Beach is a popular wedding venue, as well as The Pearl Hotel. The boutique hotel is inspired by Cuban design, specifically through Ernest Hemingway’s eyes, and has an award-winning restaurant and spa with spectacular views of the ocean from every room. On Main Street, Old World European architecture lingers on mustard and rust-colored merchant buildings on one side and The Pearl on the other, with its classic black and white stripe awnings on the balconies of guest rooms.

Stay tuned for future additions of our community tour along 30A, where we’ll highlight a different community in feature articles.