Pam Green was skeptical when her husband wanted to move to a place called Myakka City. He called it “God’s Country,” while she longed for the urban environment that she grew up in Sarasota. “I would burn the rubber off my vehicle trying to get into town,” Green said.
The couple has raised a family in the backdrop of Myakka’s rural, quiet and laid-back lifestyle. “Even though it is a big widespread area it has a community feeling,” she said. “Everybody really bands together for each other.” What many residents say about their town is its environment for raising children. Many couples tell stories of moving here to start a family. “I would say this is a community a lot of people would want to raise their families in,” said Darty Tootel, who has worked with the town’s community center for about 10 years. “People that want to slow down the pace a little bit.”
For children, there is less distraction. “When they have that freedom, that’s when they get into trouble,” she said. “It’s a little bit harder to have that freedom. I think we’re more involved in our kids and what they do as a whole.” Green owns the Myakka Country Clipper hair salon, a business that has succeeded, she said, because of its place in a strong community. “It helps me having a business here because I get to meet more and more people coming through the salon,” she said. “I just like the homey feeling that everybody has with each other.” This year, Myakka residents saw the final funding come through for their historic schoolhouse built in 1914.
The county approved $350,000 in impact fees to finish the restoration project that has been done in waves since 1992, when the 5,500 square-foot building was moved from its original location to make way for Myakka City Elementary. “I’m thrilled for our community,” said Ginki Miller, former executive director of the community center. “It’s going to open for us a door that we can’t imagine, having that space out there.” What worries residents is the continuing eastward push of development, notably the development of Lakewood Ranch. Other significant developments are even closer, including Panther Ridge and The Concession.
Green and other Myakka residents banded together this summer to form the Myakka City Action Committee to ensure the town’s desires are considered as growth inevitably moves eastward. Still, the bet her husband made to move to Myakka in 1984 has paid off. “I don’t know where I’d be if I wasn’t here,” Green said.
OUR PICKS
Restaurant: Myakka City Grocery Store, 37155 State Road 70 E., 322-1222. This store fixes up its own specialty, what residents call the best chicken in the area. Flavored just right with seasoning and flavor, they flock here for lunch, dinner or to answer the call of a craving.
Walk: Myakka River State Park, 361-6511. The park’s 50 miles of wetlands, prairies and woodlands are a main attraction for one of Florida’s oldest and largest parks. Visitors can camp, hike, fish, spot alligators or catch a sunset.
Hangout: Myakka Community Park, 10060 Wauchula Road, 322-8114. It’s a place for family, soccer matches, softball tournaments or a barbecue.
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