Palm Coast Local Celebrates Earth Day 2025 at Washington Oaks

This past Saturday, Palm Coast Local was proud to spend the day at the Friends of Washington Oaks Earth Day Festival 2025, celebrating the beauty of nature and the vibrant spirit of our local community. read more

Palm Coast Local Ninth Business Insider Features Jonathan Mangano. A fairly new Palm Coast resident who has already made a niche for himself based on drive and detemination. Read about Jon and Mangano Plumbing.

There was a time when Palm Coast felt like a secret whispered only to a lucky few. The roads were lined with towering pines, and wildlife roamed freely. Sandhill cranes strutted across two-lane streets. Gopher tortoises made homes along the trails. The pace of life was gentle, almost dreamlike.

It felt like paradise.

Publix and Walmart have stood here for decades, quietly serving as the town's dependable cornerstones. But beyond them stretched vast wooded acres and winding roads that made you feel like you were always just a little bit off the map, in the best way.

That version of Palm Coast is fading.

Today, the town pulses with new energy. The population has tripled. Folks are arriving not just from New York and New Jersey, but from California, Michigan, and Illinois. New homes seem to rise overnight. Forests give way to developments. Quiet roads are now lined with turn lanes and traffic lights. The skyline—once a silhouette of swaying trees—is now interrupted by rooftops and signage.

Progress, they call it.

The other day, I struck up a conversation with a newcomer outside a familiar Publix parking lot. He was cheerful, sun-kissed, and carrying reusable bags—a recent transplant who had just bought a home nearby.

“This place is something else,” he said. “Even just driving around feels like a breath of fresh air.”

I smiled. “It is. Or at least, it was—just in a different kind of way. There used to be more open space, more quiet corners. The woods went on forever. You could go for a walk and feel like you were the only one in the world.”

He listened closely, nodding.

“I just hope,” I added, “as more people discover this place, we remember what made it special in the first place. The beauty. The quiet. The sense of community.”

There was a pause.

Then he smiled and said, “Well, maybe you came here for what you needed. And now I’m here doing the same. Maybe it’s our turn to take care of it.”

His words stayed with me.

There was no offense taken. Just understanding—and maybe a gentle reminder. Places like Palm Coast aren’t frozen in time. They grow. They change. But how they change… that’s up to us.

We can’t stop development. But we can shape it. We can speak up when a forest is being cleared. We can support local businesses over chain stores. We can plant trees, protect waterways, and welcome newcomers not just to a place, but to a shared purpose.

Because paradise isn’t just a landscape—it’s a way of living. And if we’re not careful, we might just pave over the very thing we came here to find.

So yes, they did pave paradise and put up a parking lot. But if we’re wise, we won’t let that be the end of the story.


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Darryl Boyer: A Life Committed to Others From foster care to community servant, this Palm Coast native walks with purpose and leads with compassion.

By A Forever Friend

Mega Millions Ticket Price Increases to $5 with Enhanced Prizes and Built-In Multiplier

Mega Millions players will see some major changes beginning with the next drawing on Tuesday, April 8. The price of a single ticket is increasing from $2 to $5, but the new cost comes with significant enhancements designed to offer more value, excitement, and chances to win.