Area Information

Pensacola is a beautiful beach town in northwest Florida, at the tip of the Florida panhandle. Calling itself ?the upside of Florida. Pensacola is proud of its gorgeous vistas and downtown area that offers plenty of amenities, such as restaurants, shopping and arts and culture.

Pensacola has a rich heritage, which can be explored in the form of shipwrecks, archaeological dig sites and historic lighthouses. Home to the Pensacola Naval Air Station, the National Museum of Naval Aviation and Veterans Memorial Park, the city is also known as ?the Cradle of Naval Aviation." Renting in Pensacola gives you easy access to Perdido Key, another pretty beach town that?s a bit quieter and features one of the last untouched stretches of wilderness in the panhandle.

Commuting by car is the standard here, but beware the confusing street patterns (unusual curves and odd diagonals) and multiple street names. For example, State Road 296 (FL-SR 296) is known by six different names: Michigan Avenue, Beverly Parkway, Brent Lane, Bayou Boulevard and Perry Avenue. A map will definitely be helpful until you familiarize yourself with the area. You can also bike or catch an Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) bus.

Renting in Pensacola, FL

Apartments for rent in Pensacola are affordable. If you want the sand and surf of a beachside community without the sky-high rents of some of the more popular tourist cities, this could be a great fit for you.

• Pensacola Beach. Sugar-white sand, lots of restaurants, snorkeling and parasailing have made this beach one of TripAdvisor?s "Top 25 Beaches in the U.S."
• Big Lagoon State Park. A birdwatcher?s paradise with rare wetland birds and birds of prey.
• Pensacola Bay Center. This large civic center is a great place to catch big-name concerts; past acts include Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow and Kiss.
• Gulf Breeze Zoo. See over 900 animals and enjoy a walk-in bird aviary and a safari train ride.

The safari train at Gulf Breeze Zoo. Photo credit: Britt Reints / Flickr