Attention new Sarasota - Bradenton area residents (Fort Lauderdale: squatters, live)

[PixiStix]

Originally Posted by mysticpenguin

Depending on how old you are, the Sarasota/Bradenton/Venice area is really kind of terribly boring. I'm sure I'll be stoned to death for saying this. If you loooooove the beach, sure! Go for it! But the median age is really high, the drivers are atrocious, there is not much to do compared to other parts of the country I've lived in, and the novelty wears off fast. If you used to vacation there, living there will ruin it for you. Siesta Key is really busy on weekends, especially in season, and traffic going to and from there is horrible. There are some nice beaches in Venice and Nokomis though. There are very few really good to great restaurants. If you have allergies, you're not going to want to participate in nearly any of the local activities, 90% of which are outdoors.

Personally I wish we'd kept this area as a vacation spot, not chosen it as a place to live.

Well, it doesn't sound like Sarasota was for you. Good thing you moved on to where you can be happy. I'd like to say that you cannot group Venice & Sarasota together. Very different in numerous ways. Yes, driving is often irritating here, no doubt. It's usually during season with all the out of state plates running around here. We came to FL knowing there is a larger elderly population (Sarasota is not alone in this). Not sure that should be a surprise to anyone. We moved to the area in our 30's with small children & we had no problem meeting people our age. Frankly, in the 6+ years we've been here, we enjoy the beach, swimming in the pool year round, boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, biking, running, fishing, neighborhood bbq's & parties, play dates for the kids, school sports & functions & having margaritas with friends in Siesta Key village, that I haven't really had time to notice how boring it is here...

[Sunshine Rules]

First, I will comment that yes I am a Realtor. But this reply has nothing to do with what I do for a living, my response is as a 30+ year resident of the Sarasota - Bradenton area, talking about my home town.

Whether some agree with the title or not, Sarasota IS known as Florida's Cultural coast and is considered by some to be the cultural center of the southeastern U.S. I didn't give it the title, others did. American Style Magazine in 2012 ranked Sarasota number 1 on it's annual list of the 25 best arts destinations with populations of 100,000 or less. Sarasota beat out cities such as Naples, FL and Ashville, NC.

I don't know of many other cities the size of Sarasota that are home to ballet, opera, orchestra, pops orchestra, museums, theatres, a performing arts center, a film festival, international arts festival and art centers.

Here is a list of the better known cultural related activities in our area:
Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota Film Society, Burns Court Cinema
Sarasota Ballet
West Coast Civic Ballet
Sarasota Arts & Cultural Alliance www.sarasotaarts.org
Van Wezel Performing Arts Center www.vanwezel.org
Asolo Repertory Theater www.asolo.org
Florida Studio Theatre, Palm Ave.
Manatee Players, Bradenton
Gulf Coast Writers Group & James Joyce Society of Sarasota
Anna Maria Island Historial Society Museum
John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Circus Museum & Ca d'Zan (the Ringling estate home on the bay)
Anna Maria Island Orchestra
Jazz Club of Sarasota
Sarasota Concert Association
Sarasota Opera www.sarasotaopera.org
Sarasota Orchestra
Sarasota Pops Orchestra
Venice Symphony
Neel Performing Arts Center, Bradenton
Art Center Sarasota
Art Center Manatee
Artists Guild of Anna Maria Island
Fine Arts Society of Sarasota
Longboat Key Center for the Arts
Towles Court Artist Colony
Village of the Arts, Bradenton

There are many other cultural/art related organizations in our area, I am only listing the larger and/or better known ones.

Sarasota is also home to:
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens - with more than 20,000 varieties of plants and my favorite, the butterfly garden;
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium - offering more than 100 species of marine life;
Historic Spanish Point - which has one of the best preserved Indian villages in FL;
Sarasota Jungle Gardens - gardens, nature trails and reptile/bird shows;
Oscar Scherer State Park - immediately south of Sarasota, offers over 15 miles of walking trails, picnic areas and canoe rentals;
Myakka River State Park - one of FL's largest state parks on the Myakka River where you can walk trails, bike, canoe, go on horseback, tram or boat, especially nice is the canopy walkway.

St. Armands Circle is a mixture of high end retail AND shops catering to the many tourists. You'll find fine dining, seafood & Mexican restaurants, ice cream shops and a few of the best known restaurants in Sarasota - The Columbian, Cafe L'Europe and Crab & Fin (love their shrimp nachos). St. Armands also plays host to a number of art shows, car shows and other events throughout the year. I especially enjoy the festivities that run between Thanksgiving and Christmas. St. Armands is not exclusive high end retail, if that is what some people's expectations were about.

I could mention the areas 20+ beaches, multitude of golf courses, 3 shopping malls (with a new, upscale mall opening on University Parkway in 2014) and 2 outlet malls, numerous businesses offering boat rentals, jet ski rentals, segway tours, kayak tours, paddle boats tours, airboat rides, sailing charters, sunset boat cruises, bike and walking trails. I also didn't go into any detail about what Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Siesta Key have to offer residents & visitors. If you like to get out and enjoy the outdoors, there are a variety of ways to do it here.


I guess my point is that I find it difficult to believe that Sarasota is boring or lacks cultural activities, especially for a town this size. Not only does the area offer all of the above, but each weekend (and especially thru the fall - spring months) you can find a long list of events, festivals and things to do. Many are free or at little cost.

Sarasota offers the opportunities to get out and do things, it is up to the individuals whether they wish to take advantage of those opportunities or not.

[photoman_6]

let it go, Sunshine. Some people will never be content and choose to bad mouth their world. Enjoy your life and screw the rest.

[Cardiff by the Sea]

I have concluded that Sarasota has a social Darwinism going on. People move to Sarasota electively. They choose to move to Sarasota. It is not like people move to Sarasota because they have to in order to get a high paying job or affordable housing.

Some people make a mistake in choosing Sarasota. It is not for them. They leave. The people who are like Sarasota stay. If over time, the unhappy self select out, then those who remain are the most positive about Sarasota, and the population becomes filled with more "happy to be here" people over time.

I think that is why most people on this forum think Sarasota is fabulous. They are representative of those who stay in Sarasota. That "Sarasota is great" view is the same attitude expressed by every single person I have asked on my visits to Sarasota. Sarasota is filled with Sarasota Lovers and the Sarasota Haters leave, or try to leave, and feel compelled to come to this forum and warn others not to make the same mistake they did.

The two groups (Lovers and Haters) live in totally different worlds and neither gets where the other is coming from.

[Frida7]

I agree with Shunshine rules, & Cardiff by the sea, and we're close enough to Tampa & Clearwater if you need more excitement or nightlife. Miami is a day trip, 3hrs drive. I can understand some complaints, but not boredom, unless you're too broke to go anywhere or do anything, in which case, you're going to be bored pretty much anywhere.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Frida7

I agree with Shunshine rules, & Cardiff by the sea, and we're close enough to Tampa & Clearwater if you need more excitement or nightlife. Miami is a day trip, 3hrs drive. I can understand some complaints, but not boredom, unless you're too broke to go anywhere or do anything, in which case, you're going to be bored pretty much anywhere.

I agree with Frida, Cardiff and Sunshine. For many of us, there is no better place to live. Hubby and I have very few complaints here.

[EauNo]

>>>I have concluded that Sarasota has a social Darwinism going on. People move to Sarasota electively. They choose to move to Sarasota. It is not like people move to Sarasota because they have to in order to get a high paying job or affordable housing. <<<<<




I think this is exactly correct. The "draw" to Sarasota-Manatee is not (generally) a corporate move for example or to find a "cheap place to buy a house". I fact that's crazy to even contemplate that. I lived in LaJolla and the same thing could be said about it, or Naples, or Fisher Island, or even Jupiter. Some people have this false notion that everyone is entitled to "live on or near the beach", and live LIFE if "sun and fun" with no conditions attached, and when the are shocked into reality, they become disenchanted..or hyper-critical. SRQ is not for everyone, nor should it be. No city is perfect but believe me, there are tons of worse places that I have lived and worked in, and could not wait to leave to return to the Tampa Bay region, and I have lived in St Pete, Boca, Clwtr-Island estates, TPA, Mana-SRQ. You think SRQ has problems (which it does, but minor by comparison), try living and working in a dump like Memphis TN (Nashville is quite nice)...or Jackson MS....orbad history cities like Birmingham AL.
By comparison, SW FL in total (all the way to Bonita, Ft Myers even) is a "relative paradise" when you examine other great cities in the nation..and I've lived all over. If it's not your thing, or too expensive, then pack up your 10 year old SUV you drove south down 75 in the mid-90s and find your rainbow elsewhere, and tons of people who got "priced out" are doing just that, and they are now rejoicing about the so-called attraction of places like nawth Ga, East TN, and of course a favorite mention : NawthKarrylina. Good for them. Say goodbye!

[EauNo]

Another mention:

I never hear SRQ-Mana residents get besides themselves when others say they don't like the area,, or the climate, or the schools, or the traffic, etc etc ..the residents don't bristle and foam at the mouth if outsiders or new residents or former residents find fault with SRQ-Mana, the locals simply say "good luck" and "hope you find another great place to live and enjoy"

With few exceptions, most people don't really "try to sell Sarasota-Manatee"...why ? no one has to (unless they work for the Chamber or real estate firms). This area has "sold itself" to throngs of people across the nation, Canada, and Europe (anyone notice the uptick in the Russian population lately ?). Of course there has been an economic shakeout..that happens, but SRQ is a very very resilient kind of place. Anybody notice what's happening along University with Benderson ?? Heck, much larger cities don't have a Saks, an Off-Fifth, Norstrom Rack, and ton of other regional shopping giants....look at the giant new home construction along Lockwood north of Whitfield....lots sold, houses sold, ANOTHER Publix plaza at sr70/lockwood....sold coachhomes by Neal on 70, expansive Neal community on lockwood(and the entire corner up to Honore), all new homes sold at University Groves, most all new homes sold at adjacent DR Horton at University Groves, new coach homes by Horton being built just behind Univ Groves/Nshade, Massive commercial buildings being built at n 301/between Tallavast and 63d - new development at 63d and Proctor intersect (near the Cascades)..

Gee and this is all within a FIVE MILE radius all within southern Manatee County (yes, this is NOT Bradenton, folks, and it's NOT Sarasota County either, but certainly sort of on the "line")

Lots of businesses are moving to southern Manatee/University corridor- Saks is leaving the south Trail, HalfShell restaurant is leaving Main Street Sarasota for University as well, Sarasota Memorial Hospital has a huge facility on University/Honore/Desoto

For a "depressed economy", Sarasota-Manatee "ain't doing bad" whatsoever.

[beninfl]

EauNo, (funny name, Oh No!)

This that you just posted is the reason I bought my house in 2004 on University / Lockwood. The community is called Woodridge Oaks, very small 62 home U shaped street. It touches the Cascades. There was already a ton in the area, close to SRQ, close to beaches, close to I75, close to 5 grocery stores 2 movie theaters and all the restaurants you can dream of.

Having looked at Google Maps at all the new that has popped up, and remembering Google Maps is only updated every year or two for their Ariel views, the amount of "new" is amazing there. Its such a dense population of homes with Lakewood Ranch and all the SR70/University construction the area had to have everything pop up to fill the needs of residents.

In my opinion, for what my purposes are, its the most desireable area in the area.

Aah yes and close to poker at the dog track. :-)

[EauNo]

Originally Posted by beninfl

EauNo, (funny name, Oh No!)

This that you just posted is the reason I bought my house in 2004 on University / Lockwood. The community is called Woodridge Oaks, very small 62 home U shaped street. It touches the Cascades. There was already a ton in the area, close to SRQ, close to beaches, close to I75, close to 5 grocery stores 2 movie theaters and all the restaurants you can dream of.

Having looked at Google Maps at all the new that has popped up, and remembering Google Maps is only updated every year or two for their Ariel views, the amount of "new" is amazing there. Its such a dense population of homes with Lakewood Ranch and all the SR70/University construction the area had to have everything pop up to fill the needs of residents.

In my opinion, for what my purposes are, its the most desireable area in the area.

Aah yes and close to poker at the dog track. :-)

yep, I know the smallish but very nice development...started to buy one of two foreclosures in there, on on the left just coming in...another across from the very nice Persian family (blk Benz/mini)....so you know I know what I'm talking about, right ? ;p ....(they ran the shell station across from 7 eleven)

Years and years ago,, Lockwood stopped at Oak Run/ right after LazyLobster and frankly I should have never sold 2 townhouses in that older condo complex on the west side of the street (you blink and you'll miss them...really) I could kick myself because of my low low cost basis !

As I said, I've lived all over, and SRQ-Mana is not for everyone ! nor is Hollywood, near North-Chi, Fifth Avenue, or Hilton Head. I've lived in places I consider dumps as well (heck I like ATL, but I'm not living there again, nor Chi-town). Try living in east Texas, Jackson Mississippi, Memphis, TN, and cities that have lost character like New Orleans, or backward cities like Birmingham or Montgomery. Heck, I'd rather freeze my butt off in West DesMoines, or SPM.

Few people in SRQ msa get all wrapped around the axle with hate, and name-calling, when someone says they don't think much of Sarasota. They generally don't become that personally defensive when someone says negative things about the city or area - most smarter people just say "fine...that's your take on things...and I hope you find a better place to live and enjoy " !! Some of these idiots on blogs such as this become TRULY angered about something uttered (negative) about "their city" ..which I find very stupid and odd in the scheme of things. Some take criticisms waaay too much like it is intended as a personal affront. LOL....heck, who cares ? if you like Kentucky or Tennessee better, have at it ! you like Boca better than SWFL, then please do go enjoy it !--I'm not going ! LOL

I'm not hired as a blogger whose responsibility is to become a "booster" for any city. There is good and bad in every city, but the "bad" in Sarasota-Manatee is sometimes better than the "good" in a lot of other places in which to live, prosper and enjoy life, and that's what its about : Enjoying Life and being happy as much as you can.

BTW, "University Park" or "University" appears more like a "town" with its own identity more every year, than the proposed "town of LWR"....which I find sort of ironic. Frankly, I would not live on the eastern-deep portion to 75 for one reason : because of the "heat-island effect" it rains twice as much on that eastern side of the heated interstate during most seasons, than just 3-4 miles west down the Univ corridor ! one reason I held on to the Longwood prop !