Does a Rondondo Beach, Cali vibe exist in or near Sarasota? (Tampa: apartments, rent)

[CORNMAR]

I need honest and insightful input from locals around Sarasota county. I have a possible job offer that would start in mid August so I am pressed for time as far as all I want to research. We are an interracial couple with upscale tastes and thrive on areas that are "cool and vibrant"....cool as in areas that allow for outdoor activities centering around bike rides along/near beaches....but also have eating establishments with great views, energy, music and great people watching.....and an eclectic mix of diversity.....

We recently had the chance to enjoy the Rodondo Beach, California area....fell in love with beach side biking and impromtu "lets stop here for a margherita".....and ended up meeting/chatting with amazingly cool people and staying for hours, while people watching...very close to the pier, with great live music playing. It was Memorial Day weekend so the place was festive and hopping.....and is now my number one spot to move to one day. If I win the lottery, that is where you will find us, sipping margherita's watching sunsets


Can anyone recommend where to start my search for apartments....and eventually single family homes....with great schools, restaurants, beaches, arts events and more....etc??

[photoman_6]

yeah, if you mean Redondo Beach. I don't know of any Rondondo Beach in California.
As usual in this kind of quesstion, budget job requirements and other important info is missing.

[CORNMAR]

Will probably rent a 2BD apt or condo for first year, while shopping to purchase a ranch style single family home, or a 2-3 BD condo. Budget range will be between $250-$400. A community pool, nicely landscaped and common grilling area is what I have now in Scottsdale and am quite used to (its a relief not to have to take care of the upkeep of a pool, as I had when owned a home for several years in Houston)

Undecided at this point whether the pool situation is a priority. Just moving to an area with access to beautiful beaches is higher on the priority list.

Rodondo Beach exists in California, south of Santa Monica Beach/Pier. Very minimal actual sandy beach areas in Rodondo, but Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach just north have beautiful sandy beaches...as well as the bike trail that continues north and south for many many miles
What are the most scenic bike trail options near or close to Venice, and/or Sarasota

[upgrader]

Originally Posted by CORNMAR

Undecided at this point whether the pool situation is a priority. Just moving to an area with access to beautiful beaches is higher on the priority list.

Suggestion; consider making local pool access a priority. Maybe you don't want to care for one on your property, but if you're like me, given the Florida humidity, you really want a pool within walking distance.

The beaches are nice, but unless you are walking distance to a great beach like Siesta Key, you might miss the luxury of a quick plunge.

[AustinTraveler]

It's Redondo Beach and no, you will not find anything like that around Sarasota. Florida and California just have different vibes, different weather, different types of people. That's just the way it is, and this is the opinion of someone who grew up in Florida but now lives in California.

[photoman_6]

I'm guessing you omitted a zero in your budget. If not, good luck finding anything

[Spectrum1]

I can't think of any area that is analogous here in SRQ, but I lived in La Jolla, and really nothing here compares to that either. Florida is quite different honestly, but in your price range you might find a nice condo/flat/cluster on great places like Longboat key, but away from the beach there are all kinds of options in Lakewood Ranch for example, and LWR has a town center, main street, shops, restaurants etc. But this is NOT CA...lol...it's just different, not worse, just different. Forget the "vibe" of CA, we have our own "vibe". Downtown Sarasota has unbelievable condos and new stuff coming out of the ground, but 400k ain't gonna buy it in 90% of the cases.


Second, we don't care about making a big deal about "diversity". Most of us don't care if you're in an "interracial relationship"...unless you're dealing with
old folks 75 years old that are from Michigan or Kentucky. We don't care.


This community is not enamored with "cool", etc etc. This area of Sarasota/Manatee has never been running after "cool", albeit I thin it's cool, having lived across this great nation. This is not however some party town, and will never become so.


Arts events are EVERYWHERE, so that's not at issue...plays, the Van Wezel, Asolo theatre, The Black Troupe, Sarasota Opera, and the list goes on and on and on.......Polo, Exotic Festivals, International Sporting (Rowing, etc), IMG , Ringling Museum, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Lightning Hockey.....


Oh well....do you your own research...okay...no convincing necessary...LOL...there's a reason why the likes of Jerry Springer, Stephen King, Dick Vitale, Monica Seles, Michael Kors, and I choose to live here, but you must discover why for yourself. Even my old friend Condi flies in and out all the time........why maybe? it AIN'T CALIFORNIA

[Spectrum1]

Originally Posted by photoman_6

I'm guessing you omitted a zero in your budget. If not, good luck finding anything

Yeah I think it's understood that he meant 250,000 to 400,000, which his upper range is more than what your house probably is, as in 75k more based on your other posts....and you aren't exactly hitting out of the park, pal.

[Spectrum1]

Don't know if it's your typo, but no such place as ROdondo, okay

[Nancy in Nokomis]

No Cali vibe anywhere in Sarasota - mostly old people - and that's what is great about it -