Arcadia, Florida In 2025 - A Broken Town Getting Worse

[@echohotel4963]

My finest childhood memories are going to the Orange Blossom Bluegrass Festival every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend in Arcadia, FL. That was mostly in the 70's and early 80's. I disagree that having corporations like Publix and Starbucks coming in is an improvement. A bunch of stucco corporate boxes surrounded by parking lots offering shit jobs isn't going to make Arcadia a nicer place to live. Fortunately, snowbirds are afraid of alligators and agricultural workers, so they've mostly stayed away from places like Arcadia. Not for long.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

If it aint got a starbucks and a Publix i aint living there 😐

[@shanehester5317]

i lived there for awhile in the early 80s.it was a small friendly town with not really any crime.

[@8080pc]

Finally someone talking about the music. Ben concerned about that a long time. Ex Florida resident in Tucson where I was able to find work. Playing lots of old jazz records now. Keeping up with my home state 😊

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Rents are cheap in Tucson. Pretty setting too but people drive like idiots there

[@mcamman6193]

Also, that region of Florida gives me weird vibes. Like I don't know, I wanna say almost liminal space feels is the only way I can put it into words. Like Arcadia, Highlands County, areas of Polk County. It's like a bygone era of Florida that used to be great 30-50 years ago but has fallen apart and just feels depressing. Highway 70 out there feels like somewhere out in Rural Texas. Personally, out of all the small towns I've visited out there recently, Lake Placid wasn't in the worst shape, but it's probably the one that made me feel the saddest exploring it. Definitely one of the most depressing towns I've ever been to anywhere in Florida actually.

[@mcamman6193]

I visited Arcadia for the 2nd time in 2025. It scared me at first the first time I drove through it because it was at night, but driving through it at daytime, the downtown was beautiful. This was a month ago. And it seems like they got more outside investments for a small town, like a Wawa, a Publix, Popeyes, etc. But unfortunately, it also looks like the town is dying, despite the surrounding west coast of Florida growing around it. I visited there because I wanted to visit Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda over the holidays since I've never visited that area. It's gorgeous, especially Punta Gorda, but you can still see noticeable pine tree damage from Ian. I visited the mall off 41, which seems to be holding in but slowly dying, and I've heard stories about damages from the mall from Hurricanes like Charley and Ian. And Arcadia is also the unfortunate eye for a lot of these horrible hurricanes that pass through SW Florida and make their way up the state. An overall economically depressed town though. Some neighborhoods of Arcadia even look 3rd world in my opinion.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Not even paved roads, boarded up windows and chickens 🐓

[@mcamman6193]

​@@FLORIDAHOODVLOGSThat region of inland Florida gives me vibes that I don't even know how you can describe. Arcadia, all of Highlands County, several areas of Polk County. It's almost like liminal space vibes is the only way I can put it into words, but it just really doesn't have that happy Florida vibe. More like a bygone era of Florida when thing's used to be prosperous and happy in these little inland South Florida towns. The most perfect example in my opinion of that would be the town of Lake Placid. Very depressing place.

[@mcamman6193]

Arcadia also seems hellbent from being destroyed by hurricanes. Several areas look like a warzone.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Every hurricane goes up that route 😐

[@Mineshaft116]

Dude, I'm not a shill for this store, but next time you roll through downtown Arcadia, you need to hit up Rosé Café and Bakery for a breakfast burrito. They're so good it's ridiculous (the coffee's good, too) and I can't find anything like it in my coastal town. Especially for the price. There's also a really cool little book store in that strip of downtown.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

You bet 🌴☺️

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Looks incredible. Try “cattle dog” while in citrus county

[@russellseilhamer4552]

I lived in South Florida years ago. I lived in Palm Beach county. Everyone knows that from the coast to about 10 miles inland there’s lots of money but the same cannot be said for western Palm Beach county along Lake Okeechobee South Bay, Belle Glade, and Pahokee. Those places are only 30 miles west but a world away from eastern PB county and the worst road in FL I’ve ever been on is 441 north from Belle Glade to Pahokee. There’s a deep ditch on either side of the 2 lane road and no guard rails because it’s sugar cane county; flat and no trees anywhere but the road itself is crumbling, very bumpy almost like a dirt road. I think the locals take route 15 closer to the lake as an alternate route from Belle Glade to Pahokee

[@christieperry9221]

I believe once the street repairs finish, Arcadia is poised to grow exponentially.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Its been long overdue

[@jasonjpierrethevideoeditor2670]

How many times have you been through Arcadia

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Hundreds because its on 70x31 two major florida roads

[@DG-sn2js]

72 also!

[@pamelarogers7982]

The good thing about this country is if u don’t like it leave.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Can’t afford to leave. I would be in Spain if i was rich

[@clarenceolsen]

Ancient history about Arcadia August 28th 1987 the ray Brothers were burned out of their home because I had AIDS

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Hasn’t changed much

[@jdmather5755]

Took a canoe trip down the Peace River to Arcadia 50 years ago. Was a quiet little “old Florida” town back then. But so was Sarasota.

[@echohotel4963]

Orange Blossom Bluegrass Festival had me there twice a year 40--50 years ago. We always used inner tubes to float down. I was a kid then. It was held at the KOA next to the canoe outpost. Great times!

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Times change and not for the best

[@alanzamora6504]

Is that car in the thumbnail a Mercury Grand Marquis _ @Jose ‼️thank you ‼️thank you ‼️

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

Yes! Old school 😊

[@alanzamora6504]

@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS awesome 💯😎

[@richarddendall1121]

Stay out of Florida, I don't care what they are building, Still a crap hole. 😕

[@DG-sn2js]

I was told a story growing up in Nocatee in the 60’s by a store owner Mr Proctor. Mr Proctor loves to say why the area is a shit hole. It is due to all the crap (Yankee drivers) that flow through it!

[@GaryApple142416]

hey I saw me

[@davidmajer3652]

Now the rural folk are animalistic.

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

😊 these ones are. Ask the homeless females what they are worth to them

[@mrlawski1014]

Go check out Naples...

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

20 years there was enough angry karens for a lifetime

[@JamesRobert-p7i]

but this only happens in democrat states? lol

[@stephenbanks5860]

Much if the homeless in Florida come from blue states genius.

[@JamesRobert-p7i]

@@stephenbanks5860 it happens everywhere bozo!

[@Poordirtfarmer]

👁👍🏼

[@LamarMeans]

Wow 😮

[@alanzamora6504]

Ford Crown Victoria 🏆❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS]

😊😊😊

[@alanzamora6504]

@@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS thanks @Jose 💯🙏