Pensacola is the westernmost city of the Florida Panhandle. It is also the county seat of Escambia county. It has an estimated population of 53,248 as of 2006. The city itself is a sea port on Pensacola Bay, an extension of the Gulf of Mexico. The first United States Naval Air Station is located southwest of Pensacola, and is home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Pensacola is also the home of the University of West Florida's main campus.
The suburban city is home to three colleges, ten high schools, and several libraries and hospitals. The area is mainly populated by single family residences with large lawns and sprawling families. The prominent religion of the area is Christianity, but there is a substantial Jewish community, whose roots stretch back to the 1850's.
There are several major holidays in Pensacola, which include: Memorial Day, the Fiesta of Five Flags, and Mardi Gras. The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, the Seafood Festival, Crawfish Festival, Florida Springfest, and the King Mackeral and Cobia Tournament are all large cultural events that draw in large crowds. These festivals are usually held at historic Seville Square, Fountain Park, and Bartram Park.
Several semiprofessional sports team call Pensacola home, including the Pensacola Lightning NAFL team, the Pensacola Power (National Women's Football Association), and the Pensacola Pelicans (American Association of Independent Baseball). Other cultural aspects of the city include it's music. The music scene of Pensacola is fairly active, especially in the Punk, Folk and Indie music scene. There is also a good portion of the population that harbors the gothic and industrial scene, as well as the hardcore metal genre.