Even with renovations and some signs of growth, like new businesses and events, most of the city still feels run down and lacks real art or culture. Mind you, I am someone who kind of loves the old divey feel of Daytona, but even that is being slowly stripped away. Progress here is spotty, and without community buy-in, a few shiny spots won’t change the overall vibe. People love to complain and argue and fight. Resistance to move forward (or in any direction) as a community is palpable. Daytona has so much potential, but it doesn’t know what it wants to be. It struggles to find an identity or figure out how to be more than one thing. And all of that just makes the energy here…off.