About Sumalee and Sanford-Centric

Hi there! I'm Sumalee, a single gal living, working, and playing on First St. in Historic Sanford. You may know me as the Gidget of Sanford or the First Street Fox (and if you don't, please start using those names until they catch on.) I began Sanford-Centric as a way of sharing the downtown lifestyle, including where we live, drink, dine, and shop as a community.

But really, who are you?

I come from a (for lack of a better term) super bohemian family. We (my parents, my little brother Sada, and myself) moved to Sanford when I was about eleven, into the back of a bookstore on Commercial St. Despite strange circumstances, we felt at home in the Downtown Sanford community and were lucky enough to move into the entire upper story of the Hotchkiss Block, located at the southwest corner of First St. and Palmetto Ave. 

Growing up in a small town was great, but when I turned 18, I was dying to get out of Sanford. I went to school in New Jersey for a year, traveled a bit and did all the other silly things young people do, and finally returned to Sanford in March of 2013.

And damn. What a change!

Sanford is now a kick-ass place to live, and grows more awesome by the minute. Now, I find myself once again living on First St. (across the street from my old place!), working at the Willow Tree (and on occasion at the Imperial and Washburn Imports), and meeting amazing and eclectic people every day.

What does Sanford-Centric mean?

When I get up everyday, I know I'm in Sanford. I can hear cars rumble slowly down the brick roads and I can look out my window and see a street full of beautiful historic architecture. When I walk downstairs, I walk fifty feet to my very favorite coffee shop, where my very favorite people are likely hanging out. When it's time for work, I can mosey down the sidewalk to the restaurant two minutes before I have to be there (but I'm usually pushing it because I can't usually get there without running into someone I know!). At night, I can pick up imported cheese and house roasted meat from around the corner before a cocktail party down the block. If I go out by myself, there is always someone I trust around to walk me home.

Being Sanford-Centric means centering one's life around Sanford. It means appreciating the amenities and advantages of living in a unique town that is continually renewing itself. It means contributing to a community of eccentric personalities that come from all walks of life but have one thing in common, Sanford.

Living a Sanford-Centric life is about living here, now. And I'm enjoying every minute!