does anybody have pictures they can post of the venice area? (Sarasota: appointed, for sale)

[Djames9]

im really anxious as too see if where im headed to venice,fl is surrounded by swamps and crocodiles rampaging everywhere...

so does anyone have pics they can put on here about the surrounding scenery of this place.....example ......forests, swamps...possibly crocodiles, and ocean of course....lol..

thanks guys it would really reassure my confidence level... thanks

[SoFLGal]

Here's something I wrote about Venice--for some reason the pictures aren't showing up:

Venice

Venice, Florida is located in Sarasota County on the Gulf of Mexico. It is aptly named and has numerous canals that meander through the city. South of Sarasota and north of Port Charlotte, Venice is a charming city with a perfectly casual atmosphere, beautiful beaches and many amenities. Venice was designed by the well-known city planner John Nolen in the 1920s and is known for its Italian architecture and landscaped open spaces. Its charming demeanor is further enhanced by the local art festivals and parades and the intimate nature of its neighborhoods. Venice Avenue is a broad boulevard lined with palms and boutiques, fine restaurants and sidewalk cafes.

Venice has a quaint downtown district, a yacht club, theater, a library, art center, hospitals, schools, restaurants, parks and the most beautiful beaches in Florida. It is close to I-75 and to local airports and features many recreational and picnic areas, swimming, boating and fishing, as well as the all-important Floridian sport of golf. Venice even has it own small airport, primarily for private planes.

The Waterford Golf Club is a favorite of regular golfers and appeals to golfers of all skill levels. It is listed among the top twenty golf courses in southwest Florida. With twenty-seven holes of deep green fairways, water and hazards, you will never be bored playing on these three 9 -hole courses.

Venice beaches are known world-wide for fossil collecting and sharks teeth, and you will often see tourists and residents alike, combing the white sand for treasure. With its Mediterranean style buildings, date palms and languid, deep blue waters Venice will take you back in time to a simpler lifestyle. Hang out at the fishing pier and sample some of the local fare and have a cocktail at the Tiki Bar of the famous Sharky’s Restaurant, or linger by the South Jetty and watch the sunset as the surf rolls in over Venice Beach. In Venice you can hang out on fourteen beaches, spend an evening at the Venice Little Theater and visit the Venice Arts Center.

The Venice area is comprised of five communities - Venice, Nokomis, South Venice, Osprey and Laurel. Many homes in the Venice area reflect the Mediterranean architecture of the city of Venice. Here you can find moderately priced homes, condominiums, and grand upscale estate homes. It is home to young families, singles, seniors and winter residents.

Surrounding Venice are the gated communities of Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club, Calusa Lakes, Venetian Golf and River Club, Waterford Golf Club and Venice Golf and Country Club. Other neighborhoods include Bayshore Estates, Chestnut Creek, Eagle Point Club, Portofino, Myakka River Trail, Jacaranda West, Sawgrass and Stoneybrook of Venice.

South Venice Beach is just south of the city and has a community park, boat ramp and ferry service to a private beach. The community homeowner association is voluntary and the community owns 1,300 of deeded beach land and is not deed restricted. South Venice Beach is the largest neighborhood in Sarasota County with approximately 8,000 homes and home sites, nature trails, tennis, a clubhouse and a basketball court.

Venice Gardens is located within ten minutes of Venice beaches. The community has a voluntary homeowner association, a large sparkling pool and a community clubhouse. Some Venice Garden homes are located on the small lakes that dot the community. Many homes have private docks. This established community is a favorite of seniors and first-time buyers because of the amenities and the reasonable home prices.
Ventura Village is a gated community that features a large, lovely swimming pool and clubhouse, ponds, lighted walkways, wetland preserves and is only five minutes from the beach, marinas, shopping and dining. The community offers both paired villas and single-family homes.
Bay Street Villages is a new mixed-use condominium community with beautifully landscaped, well-maintained buildings, lake views, and landscaped walkways, all within walking distance to restaurants and shopping. This community is certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition and the U.S. Green Building Council.

In Venice and the surrounding communities, you can find any size home or condo, waterfront or golfing neighborhoods or small vacation homes.

[Djames9]

thanks for the information... it's ok that your pictures didn't show up..though... =) thanks again..

[loves2read]

google images venice, fl
venice fl - Google Image Search

[Racelady88]

Here are a couple of shots of the beach, off Harbor Dr. in Venice. Mind you, it is the dog beach....





As you can see, the sand is clean and the water is beautiful.

[colonelpoop]

Djames, how old are you?

Venice is a very sleepy beach town in the middle of nowhere. There are no swamps, few young people, the forests are not accessible (think lots of thick brush and sharp prickly plants), but there are plenty of alligators if that's your thing.

Venice is a depressing town to live in whether you're young or old. Even the old people complain that there are too many old people.

If you want to live in Southwest Florida, by all means move to Sarasota. There are beaches there, things to do, a thriving arts scene, and a healthy ratio of old and young people.

[NJDevil]

colonelpoop (great name) is pretty much telling it like it is. Venice has a rich population, a tourist population, and I'm not sure who makes up the rest. Sarasota has more variety as far as age groups and culture. And the best beach, by far, is Siesta.

When I think of Sarasota County in general, forests, swamps and alligators/crocs do not come to mind, so don't worry about them. I've been to plenty of parks in all those towns and I've never come across any gators.

[loves2read]

my daughter and SIL live in Venice and they are not rich, old, have never seen a gator, love the small town-laid back atmosphere--
do have issues with the snow birds who congest the town in winter and summer and the people who have horrible driving skills
we would love it if they moved back to DFW where she is from but dont see that happening if they have any choice--
they love where they live

[Smokinkitty]

Venice is very quiet! The beaches are quiet, not crowded. Not alot of eye candy. The best feature is the dog friendly beach, there are not many here in FL. There is some minimal action on the Venice Pier at dusk or into early evening as there are many who fish all day there. Some interesting folk-let's leave it at that! There is virtually no nightlife. What little there is-well they roll up the carpets by 9-10 pm. There may be a few bars. Biker bars that are usually mostly frequented on Sat/Sun afternoons. The restaraunts are fair at best. If you are in town, go to Nokomis to see Chef Rolf for the best fresh meal or go to SweetBay for groceries and cook it at home!

The downtown and area "On the Island" is quaint, but again quiet. There are a few antique stores, some specialty shops that are nice. The festivals are very small, well organized, but attended only by local individuals. There is a small (I would say less than 15 dealers) farm market downtown during the winter months, where they sell fresh vegetables, baked goods and there is a fresh seafood dealer. There was a man who sold excellent quality fresh potted herbs and Florida friendly plants at very reasonable prices last year. I do hope he returns!!! The Orchid Show is well attended and good quality. I was impressed.

The majority of people who live in Venice are retired. The average age of the residents in Venice are well OVER retirement age. This could be a nice area for those looking to start a family in the future-however, the economy here in FL is not very good right now. There are not many jobs, mainly service jobs with very low pay and a few professional positions.

I will let the real estate people on this site comment about the real estate situation here, as they know best. I will make a quick comment that the area in which I live (Venice Gardens and surrounds) there have been many homes for sale for well over 1 year, forclosure and auctions signs up. There are newer developments in the area that are very nicely appointed, but seem to be void of new building going on!

There are multiple old developments from the 1960's, 70's and maybe 80's that appear to have gone bust as there are subdivisons that never happened throughout the surrounding counties, with a few homes scattered througout a project, old decaying blacktop streets, with street signs even and alot of vegatation overgrowth. Kinda creepy to drive through them.

I do not understand why developers do not go in and try to redevelop these areas. Instead they seem to continue to plow over the flat lands, although they are not very pretty and full of palmetto scrub, but are also natural wetlands for beautiful birds, armadillos, racoons, pole cats, possums, vast species of amphibians, a few families of wild pigs and maybe a few small gators-if there is enough swamp left for them to survive in.

Who really wants to live in a pre planned community where all of the buildings are new, yes, pretty and uniform, but your choices are the same chain grocery stores, chain restaurants, chain coffee shops, chain drug stores and gas stations on every corner, the same chain sub shops devoid of any character! One can go to many of the larger FL cities to get this.

Venice is nice in it's own way. In some ways I like it here, less traffic, although FL drivers are the worst, they are notorious for not understanding the rules of the road. Most will drive 40 pmh in the left hand lane in an area that is 55 pmh or over and never move over to allow for faster traffic. Those people who were born and raised here will blame the old people from the north that they cannot drive, unfortunately, the people who are from FL, especially the younger drivers are the worst!!!

At least it is not a pre planned development like that I described above-there are a few of those about 30 minutes north in Sarasota for that! Sarasota is very nice. If one is looking for more expensive cultural activities, one should look there.

I think that is what Venice is missing-cutural yet affordable activities for the younger crowd looking to start a family.