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Lifestyle - Recreation
Rockledge is a family oriented community. It has never been declared an "All-American City" although most locals feel it is.
Neither has Rockledge ever been written up in Esquire Magazine as the place "I love living in because and those may just be some of the reasons why Rockledge has never been over exposed, thank
 goodness, and perhaps that's why Rockledge is such a well kept secret. A small town atmosphere
with truly big city conveniences within a maximum of one hours' drive, community pride and natural beauty all combine to create a lifestyle which could best be described as a
"leisurely, but actively family oriented" environment, although we do love and appreciate our retirees and other seniors! Many civic and social clubs have varied programs for adults and
younger groups with organized facilities for public and private programs. A city/county-sponsored program is also available to adults and youngsters alike.
Trout are always biting somewhere along the Indian River. The speckled trout is pursued by more saltwater fishermen than any other saltwater fish according to the results of a statewide
survey conducted by government agencies. Not only are they good game fish with a lot of fight, but they are delicious to eat. During the summer months they are caught only in the flats and
grassy areas of the Indian River. In the fall they move into deeper waters, often over oyster beds. During the winter the fish bunch up in the channels. The most favored bait used year round
is live shrimp. You must remember, the trout has a tender mouth so when you hook him, take it easy, or you may lose him. You can use spinning gear, casting or tackle or fly casting tackle.
Regular fresh water equipment is generally heavy enough for most of the fish you will catch in the local waters. Among the many other activities in Rockledge
you may also swim, water ski, camp, boat, windsurf, golf, and fish. The city of Rockledge's other recreation facilities in the city that are open to the public are boys'
baseball fields, girls' softball fields, youth football, family exercise trail, soccer fields, tennis courts at two locations, public pool, public fishing dock, 2 golf courses, one
privately owned and open to members only (with memberships available for $3,500 each) and the other open to the public. Also a very active athletic program in our schools, of which
Rockledge High School, although one of the smaller in the county, has enjoyed distinction of being the "All-Sports" Champions! The Martin Anderson Senior Citizen Center is also located in
Rockledge. Seems that most people in Rockledge subscribe to the theory that strong bodies help build strong minds. The family oriented atmosphere of Rockledge
was once described by a newcomer as "The middle America I have always dreamed about, where the big deal on Saturday night is taking my family to the high school football game and cheering the
 local players on".
That statement is reminiscent of the time in 1978 when we first began observing identification on the clothing of very young and sometimes even preschool children proudly claiming "Class of '86,
'87, '89"! How many other places can you find so many little youngsters so proud of their surroundings; so happy to be a part of them; and having loftier ideas than to emulate
the "All American" teenage boys and girls before them. That's not a kind of community pride that is built over night, nor it is the type frequently found. You will, however, find it in Rockledge.
Almost every residential street in the city of Rockledge has sidewalks. It is a law! It is hoped that this, too, will help maintain the quality of life in Rockledge. Additionally, most
residential areas have overhead street lighting adequate enough to take a safe and comfortable stroll along the sidewalks. Usually not too long after getting settled into Rockledge and becoming
more aware and appreciative of the quality of life here, many residents begin to feel like they would like to put up a big wall around Rockledge, if not the entrance to the state, to insure
against losing the qualities they enjoy. However, most soon realize that it is impractical and they would not be living here today if residents before them had done the same. That's where the
Comprehensive Land Use Plan comes into action. It will insure that future growth will be smooth and well planned. We are going to have progress, the question is, will the progress be nice or will it
be ugly? The land use plan will insure that future growth is beneficial to Rockledge residents and will help us maintain the lifestyle we have come to enjoy so much. |