Any suggestions for a waterfront area with a younger median age? (Sarasota: HOA, house)

[StickyRice!]

Sooo, we were considering PGI, PC,CH, and surrounding...and looking at east North Port as well..of course I realize that there are a lot of retirees, but I had no idea that the median age for some of these areas is upper 60s and 70. I realize North Port is something like 40, but I was hoping for something waterfront or much closer to it than NP. It's not that I mind living amidst retirees, it's that I'm fairly sure they'd mind living around ME. We are in our 20's and have 3 young children. We tend to lean on the socially liberal side...we have tattoos and listen to and make music. We like to sit on our back porch and play acoustic guitar/banjo/mandolin and sing and laugh and drink a beer or 6. It'd be a large downer for me if I had to do so while watching my neighbors peek out their windows and grumble at us being young and obnoxious. lol
Are there any other areas that have a younger median age or even neighborhoods within these cities where our lifestyle would be more acceptable to our neighbors? I don't mind more rural areas...in fact that'd be ideal because I'd love to have a vegetable garden. If, perhaps, there is a more rural area (say...within 40 minutes of PG/PC/CH area) but still reasonable distance to a decent beach...that'd also be pretty nice. Regardless of the median age.
We are visiting in mid-December to get a first-hand feel for the areas, and I've been studying maps and areas and reading and googling like a mad-woman, but nothing compares to first-hand experience of the locals. thanks in advance =)

[TamRE]

I would recommend looking at homes in Gulf Cove or South Gulf Cove in Englewood. They both have a mixture of singles, families, and retirees. They are convenient to the beach and have boatable canals. You certainly would be able to sit on your back lanai, listen to some music, and even have a garden. See the descriptions below. I would be happy to send you some listings in these areas.

South Gulf Cove is an incomparable community just off Florida Route 771 south of Sarasota, between Port Charlotte and Boca Grande. Convenient to golf, shopping, fishing, beaches and every imaginable amenity, South Gulf Cove is just minutes away from Gasparilla Island and Boca Grande. With a private, community boat dock and ramp plus direct access through a lock, residents can slip in and out of the neighborhood and spend a few relaxing hours in Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. Here you’ll find sailboat friendly areas with no bridges in the way.

Not so long ago, the South Gulf Cove area was deemed to be out of the way, but new retail and infrastructure development is now only minutes away. Today’s South Gulf Cove residents do not have to sacrifice privacy and a casual lifestyle for the conveniences they love. They can enjoy retail shopping, unique boutiques, movies and museums and they have full access to schools and medical facilities.

Golfers will love the neighborhood for its four nearby golf courses – Long Marsh, Palm, Oakland Hills and Cape Haze, and water lovers will enjoy the local beaches, boating, water and jet skiing, kayaking and canoeing.

South Gulf Cove is a deed restricted community with a rich canal system comprised of approximately 55 miles of wide, navigable canals. All of the canals converge into Interceptor Lagoon and from there head into the Myakka River and on to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. Many properties have bridge-free sailboat access to the harbor.

With 15,000 home sites, 4,000 of which are on the waterfront, South Gulf Cove comprises nearly one-third of the canals in Charlotte County. All waterfront homes have sea walls and a natural shoreline and there is a community Yacht Club. Fisherman can angle for both fresh water and salt water fish in this area, and all properties have access to the water, either from waterfront lots or from the community boat ramp.

Because this area has only recently become popular, there are still many choices and available home sites. The South Gulf Cove homeowner association is voluntary, though most residents are very active in the community and work hard to preserve quality of life and their natural surroundings. Most homes are less than ten years old and there are still plenty of vacant home sits on which you can conceive and build your dream home. The South Gulf Cove community is an upscale Florida waterfront community with reasonably priced properties.

With a variety of homes in many sizes, there is something to fit every lifestyle, including singles, couples and families. Prospective residents of South Gulf Cove will be pleased to know that future waterfront development will be actively monitored for ecological impact.

Close by South Gulf Cove is simply Gulf Cove, another General Development community that borders the Myakka River and has a community boat ramp. You’re just ten minutes from the mall in Port Charlotte or from shopping in Englewood. More expensive homes hover along the canals on the river, but moderate prices are still available farther from the water. Most of Gulf Cove has city water available.

If you are looking for an upscale, casual Florida lifestyle with a price tag that won’t break the bank, you have come to the right place -South Gulf Cove. Don’t wait to explore the possibilities. Property is going fast and the prices will not stay this low for very long.

Let me know if you would like additional information.

[StickyRice!]

While Gulf Cove sounds lovely, I don't dig the words "deed restricted" and "upscale"... While I don't want to live in the ghetto, I also don't want to live in any place classified as upscale, and I definitely don't want a deed-restricted area. Thanks, though, for the information. =)

[Harbor Hopper]

Don't worry, those descriptions may have been used many years ago for advertising, but they are no longer valid today. Neither GC or SGC are "upscale". Both have been hit hard by the recession, as has the rest of FL. You might have a gorgeous, newer, manicured 3,000 sq ft home next to a "dump" or an overgrown vacant lot.
I live on the water in PC. We are mid 30s with a small child. We love to hang out on the lanai by the pool with the TV or stereo on and have some drinks, but honestly, if my neighbors were getting hammered and having band practice outside, that would get very old really quick and we would certainly have problems. People pay more for their home and in taxes to be on the water. I don't think many people, old or young, would appreciate their serenity being bombarded by banjos. No offense intended whatsoever, but if you really want waterfront and privacy to do what you like, you might want to try more inland on one of the rivers.

[Messing About]

I would definately recommend you stay away from Deed Restricted and HOA areas.
Your lifestyle will not go over well there. Now, that being said:

We live on a canal in Port Charlotte and have neither of those things on our street. Do some people park cars in their yard and not take their trash cans in for days after collection? Sure, but I park my boat trailer on the side of the house and my boat on a lift out back on the canal.

Do the teenage kids down the block have a band that rehearses in their garage? Yes but they are courteous enough to stop when the sun goes down.

Some HOA's won't even let you put a professionally installed canopy/cover over your boat lift much less let you enjoy live music in your backyard. I would steer clear of them if I were advising you.

But I'd also encourage you to knock on doors of neighbors near any house where you consider making an offer. Ask your questions of your prospective new neighbors and gauge their response.

I have no neighbors on the backside of my canal and I love the privacy of being able to "refill the canal" at my whim. LOL. And oh yeah, my next door neighbors on one side are in their late 80s. I mow their lawn out of the goodness of my heart and they never complain about my music or me working on my boat while it's on the lift. The house on the otherside of me is a second home for a couple who come two weekends a month. Our best friends on the street are retired NY snow birds who come 3 times a year for a month. We enjoy cocktails with them when they are in town.

Make music, make more kids, do whatever you want within reason. Just do it quietly after 10PM and we'll all get along fine. So long as put taking your friggin trash can away!

[mrs.cool]

Good thing mr.cool's not bringing his band with him when we move down. he's not TOO noisy all by himself...well, except when he's working on the band's speakers...our neighbors here have never complained, but then, we live on 60 acres of woods...
There are a LOT of canals in PC, and it's pretty mellow there. I'd look there if I were you. That's where our property is too. Hey, maybe someday we can put a band together!!

[TamRE]

Originally Posted by StickyRice!

While Gulf Cove sounds lovely, I don't dig the words "deed restricted" and "upscale"... While I don't want to live in the ghetto, I also don't want to live in any place classified as upscale, and I definitely don't want a deed-restricted area. Thanks, though, for the information. =)

You said you were looking in PGI. That is deed restricted with canals. That is why I suggested South Gulf Cove and Gulf Cove. PGI is much more upscale than South Gulf Cove. I think you probably would do better finding something on a canal in Port Charlotte if you don’t want any kind of deed restrictions. However, there are county restrictions for what you can have on your property. You do have to follow county codes and zoning regulations. Try looking south of 41 in Port Charlotte near Edgewater, Ohara, and Pellam. There are some really nice homes along boatable canals. The area has a variety of older and newer homes with mixed type families as well. But there are quite a few nice streets. There are also some parks nearby. This area is closer to Charlotte Harbor.

[daFrogMan]

Sticky, don't rule out the retirees too much. Our neighbors are in their late 60's/ early 70's and party more than we. We are a CBS with hurricane windows and can hardly hear them when they are really loud. Usually around 11pm all is quiet. Now the drummer student across the canal is a different story. But, he stops practicing around dusk so no worries there.

Originally Posted by StickyRice!

Sooo, we were considering PGI, PC,CH, and surrounding...and looking at east North Port as well..of course I realize that there are a lot of retirees, but I had no idea that the median age for some of these areas is upper 60s and 70. I realize North Port is something like 40, but I was hoping for something waterfront or much closer to it than NP. It's not that I mind living amidst retirees, it's that I'm fairly sure they'd mind living around ME...........