SouthWood: Where Southern Charm Meets Convenience

Sitting in the southeastern corridor of Capital Circle, SouthWood is a far cry from the bland, cookie cutter suburbia of yesteryear. 

A 3,300-acre master-planned community developed by The St. Joe Company, SouthWood’s designers made every effort to maintain an easy living style throughout the area. By incorporating the land’s majestic oak trees, shallow lakes and grassy knolls into an innovative design for an “all-inclusive” neighborhood, the growing development has painted a fresh, yet familiar, face on new Tallahassee. 

The amenities don’t hurt, either. SouthWood residents have access to two pools (one for exercise, the other for family fun), five nature trails, a tennis court and community center, plus an award-winning golf course and restaurant. The SouthWood House and guest cottages are located in the heart of the community, just east of Central Park, and are a perfect location for hosting special events. 

The land itself has a rich, interesting history. Artifacts found onsite, including arrowheads and shards of pottery, are believed to be from Apalachee Indian and Mission Period Spanish establishments. According to Abraham Prado, St. Joe’s director of development for the capital region, four archaeological sites, along with four habitat preserves, have been put into place to protect the integrity of the land and native wildlife. 

“Of the roughly 3,300 acres that make SouthWood, about a third of that is put aside for some sort of green aspect,” said Prado. “Whether that’s the golf course, the parks or just conservation areas, we do try to make a conscious effort to try and maintain as much of what was here as possible now that we’ve started development. A big component of that is our Central Park Lake that features a trail and is used for all sorts of community activities.”

Over the past decade, Doug Barton, owner of Barton Construction, and his team have designed nearly 20 homes in SouthWood. 

What they’ve witnessed is nothing short of a miraculous transformation.

“We started construction on our first home in 2003 in what seemed to be a pasture of rolling hills and live oaks,” said Barton. “Now there are only a few locations available to build.”

For Barton, whose 2012 Parade of Homes-winning house was located in SouthWood, the true visionaries of the community are individuals like Mark Tarmey, the SouthWood Town Center architect. 

“We knew from the onset that this community would be a success by the way St. Joe formatted the subdivision,” said Barton on why he pushed for his company to get involved. “By creating a community with many amenities, diverse value range and housing types while maintaining a strict adherence to timeless architecture, SouthWood has been and will always be a place people will want to reside.”

Part of SouthWood’s allure is the variety of its inhabitants. As one of the few neighborhoods in Tallahassee that truly accommodates every type of resident — from apartment renters, to townhome dwellers, to custom home owners — the area’s population is eclectic in every sense of the word. A truth that is illustrated perfectly by the community’s nearby restaurant choices: Angelette’s Cajun Kitchen, Hasu Sushi & Grill, The Wharf Express, GraZie’s Artisan Pizza & Pasta and the SouthWood Golf Club’s Restaurant.

For onlookers and neighborhood visitors, it’s a refreshing change of pace.

“I have had a wonderful experience being a part of this community,” said Jason Naumann, one of SouthWood’s leading real estate agents and owner of The Naumann Group. “Its friendly, laid-back, neighborly atmosphere is not only nostalgic, but contagious.”