Panama City In The News

PANAMA CITY — No stranger to walls throughout Bay County, artist Jessie Jennings last week applied his art to create a new mural in downtown Panama City.

PANAMA CITY — Picture this: A room filled by vibrant images of life as it is and as it could be imagined, displayed for patrons’ viewing pleasure and celebrating the work of North Florida photographers.

PANAMA CITY — It may be the most important day of the year for local artists and art lovers, and it’s certainly a milestone for Floriopolis, the arts and cultural center in historic St. Andrews.

PANAMA CITY Fla. (WMBB) — The Destination Panama City board has officially approved a bid to start construction on a new multi-use visitors center. After their former property was destroyed during Hurricane Michael, the team wanted to build something that both locals and tourists could use. The waterfront property will be located on West Beach Drive and include rooms available to the public, activity space near the water and local artwork.

PANAMA CITY — The St. Joe Co. and Panama City have executed a long-term land lease to bring a new hotel and restaurant to the city’s downtown waterfront district. Under the terms of the lease St. Joe will lease a city-owned parcel to develop, construct and operate a waterfront hotel and standalone restaurant on a portion of the Panama City Marina property fronting beautiful St. Andrews Bay.

PANAMA CITY — Songs and tunes will ring out from the sidewalks, front stoops and entries of venues in historic St. Andrews and downtown Panama City on Saturday as the annual Play Music on the Porch Day returns

PANAMA CITY — Nestled on Harrison Avenue, House of Henry envelops the historic fabric of downtown with all of the charm and camaraderie of an Irish pub.

“A lot of things we sourced from local antique shops and thrift stores,” said owner Bobby Beard. “The Jameson nightender machine came straight from Ireland.”

PANAMA CITY — The new Panama City restaurant is the first of 10 Slim Chickens locations planned for the Florida Panhandle. A custom guitar mural is featured in every restaurant to represent the local area.

PANAMA CITY — The handcrafted directional sign was a pleasant surprise Sunday morning when Jennifer Vigil arrived at work.

One glimpse at the sign, any visitor — or staycationer — will know that Destin is 42 miles one way, Mexico Beach is 26 miles another way, and, of course, Panama Canal (the pass that runs from the bay to the gulf) is 4 miles across the bay.

“We were so happy for this little gift,” said Vigil, president and CEO at Destination Panama City, 101 W. Beach Drive. “I still would love to know who did it.”

White sand beaches, calm Gulf waters and a laid-back lifestyle draw visitors to Florida’s Panhandle, and travelers arriving at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport find themselves between two very different but complementary cities with almost the same name: Panama City and Panama City Beach. Panama City, an area in the midst of rebuilding following a devastating 2018 hurricane, was given its name in the early 1900s in the hopes of spurring real estate development and international trade given its proximity to the Panama Canal, which was being constructed then. Nods to the city’s past are still felt through preserved historic buildings, an active port area and a small-town feel with local boutiques and enduring eateries.

Forbes talks with Lynda Self from Southern Kissed to discuss why she recommends Panama City, Florida as a great place to vacation in 2018. She thinks the food, sun and art make Panama City shine on a budget.

This year’s Burning of the Socks made an appearance in Budget Travel as a “trip-inspiring” piece of travel news. In addition to a sock burn, locals and visitors celebrated spring with the 21^st annual Blessing of the Fleet, a Fish Fry and with an array of German-made cars at the Porsche Armada.

Vinny & Bay’s Coffee and Eatery was featured in USA Today’s list of eggnog variations from across the country. With whipped cream, caramel and nutmeg, this drink is sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

USA Today describes Amavida Coffee and Tea’s festive Candy Cane Crush Latte with its minty combination of matcha, peppermint, cardamom and crushed candy cane.

Southern Kissed’s Lynda Self wrote about her weekend Panama City as well as the city’s overall dining scene including local restaurants Bayou Joe’s, Just the Cook and g. Foley’s. Self also interviews Honor Allen, the region’s local celebrity and country’s faster oyster shucker.