Best Beach Location to Retire (Tampa, Sarasota: for sale, rental, insurance)

[shmatbert]

Hi there- We are a couple in our mid 40s and currently live in Central Texas. We love the gulf coast of Florida and we have recently decided that we would like to live there when we semi-retire (8 - 10 years from now). We have vacationed in Anna Maria, Sarasota and Siesta Key and we liked each place but our favorite was Anna Maria. It is however, more expensive than we would like. When we retire, we really want to keep things simple.

After doing some research, I think there are a number of places we would be happy in between Manasota Key and Tampa but the choices are a little overwhelming. In our semi-retirement location we are looking for the following:
-walkable/bikeable to the beach, preferably a quieter beach
-walkable/bikeable to a few restaurants and a coffee shop
- 2 br, 2ba

Less important:
-place for a boat
-private pool or pool access

We plan to take a trip to explore more sometime this year but I'd like to narrow down our choices before we go. We enjoy a quiet vibe like Kauai or north AMI. Our budget is flexible but I'd love to keep it at $300k. And we can't decide between condo or single family, but we don't want to live around a bunch of high rise condos.

- Can you suggest some good locations?
- Can you recommend a local expert to help us with our decision?
We just need some help getting started.
Thanks very much!

[SoFLGal]

I was born in SW Florida and have lived on most of the keys from AMI down to Boca Grande. My hubby and I are also in our early 40's. I'll start at AMI and go down the coast and talk about a few spots you might have interest in.

Anna Maria-Anna Maria is a very laid back sleepy beach town and is one of the few towns that still has the "Old Florida" feel to it. I used to live out that way when I was a kid and my father started the Islander Newspaper, which was the first newspaper for Anna Maria Island. As a kid I attended Anna Maria Elementary and have fond memories of the school.

The original old city pier the Rod & Reel that's been there since 1910, is still there. There are a few little restaurants and small beachy stores but definitely not touristy. Here's the local chamber website: The Official Guide to Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria has a free trolley that shuttles people up and down the island. It runs from Coquina Beach to the south end of Anna Maria. Anna Maria is actually known as the "wedding capital of Florida". It also has a great arts and theater community.

From May through October in Florida, sea turtles come ashore to nest. Anna Maria Island is one of the many places in Florida that sea turtles nest on the beaches. Protection of the sea turtles is an important aspect of the island culture, and information and training is available for tourists and locals in abundance. Manatees are also frequent summer visitors at Anna Maria Island, and similarly, the Manatee is held in great reverence by islanders. A subspecies of the Indian Manatee, these herbivores call Anna Maria Island their summer vacation home.

The entire island is a bird sanctuary, and pelicans, multiple types of cranes and herons, wild parrots, sand pipers, hawks, vultures, seagulls, and crows share the island with humans.

Anna Maria Island is actually comprised of three cities-Anna Maria in the north, Holmes Beach in the middle and Bradenton Beach in the south.

Longboat Key - This 11 mile long barrier island offers a wealth of different waterfront residential options. I grew up on the northern most end in the village. I lived on LBK from 1972 (when I was born) until around 1980. I'll have to say it was the best time of my life. I lived in the village on the corner of Poinsettia and Hughes St. Many of the same people still live in the village as when I was a kid and I go back often to visit my friends there. The owners of the recently closed Carmen's Shoe store on St. Armand's Circle, The owners of Euphemia Haye Restaurant, the owners of Harry's Kitchen and many others still live in the village. It's a place where people move to and usually never leave.

I used to ride my bike down to the town dock and play in the water with my friends. We had a saltwater fish tank and we'd all take dip nets and scoop the bay for all kinds of critters. Then we'd head over to the Mar Vista Restaurant, next door and grab lunch. Back then it was called "The Pub" and was only a tiny bait shop. These days it's a fancy restaurant.

I spent a lot of time at Conrad Beach as a kid across GMD.

Lido Key – Featuring white sandy beaches that face the Gulf of Mexico, Lido Key is a barrier island with numerous home choices. Lido Key gets a bit congested during snowbird season and prices are probably above your range.

Bird Key – Situated south of the Ringling Causeway, Bird Key is between St. Armand’s Key and mainland. Like Lido Key, Bird Key gets congested in season and prices are a bit high.

Siesta Key-Pristine white sand beaches but it gets very, very crowded during season.

Casey Key – Casey Key eight mile barrier island stretching along the mainland from Sarasota to Venice, Florida. Siesta Key would be the next barrier island to the north.

This little known tropical paradise is accessed by an old slow turning pivot bridge at Blackburn Point Road on the north end and by the bridge from Albee Road through Nokomis on the south end.

Casey Key is almost entirely residential with very few commercial enterprises, just a few older motels at the south end. The white, sandy beaches along this ribbon of an island are narrow is many places since the whole island is maybe 300 yards wide in many spots. In fact, homes on the northern end usually have property from Gulf to Bay. About 450 homes dot the island. Casey Key Road winds it way down the entire length of the island.

At the end of the key is Nokomis Beach, a 22-acre free public beach with lifeguards, restrooms, parking, bait, showers, playground, boat ramp, picnic area.

Expect to spend over a million dollars and probably several million to live on Casey Key, Florida. Some of the highest priced homes ever to sell in Sarasota County were on Casey Key, Florida. The north end of the island has a gate which allows residents only to enter. Several well known celebrities maintain homes there.

Casey Key, Florida was named Casey Key Florida Homes for Sale for Captain John Charles Casey, a West Point graduate in the same era as General Robert E. Lee. He was assigned to Florida after the Seminole Wars to help move the Seminole Indians. While in Florida, Captain Casey mapped much of the area for the government, and in his honor, the key was named Casey Key, Florida. Before that it had been named Chaises Key.

Venice Beach-Venice 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, Florida 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.

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.

It's possible to find a small condo or home out on the island.

Manasota Key –Manasota Key is a barrier island off the southern Gulf Coast of Florida near the town of Englewood. Manasota Bridges from Sarasota County and Charlotte County provide easy access to Manasota Key. Here, visitors and residents can forget the cares of their busy world, and leave the crowds behind. A simple two-lane road runs the entire length of the island with beautiful white beaches on the Gulf side.

There are two sections of Manasota Key - the Sarasota County section is residential, and the Charlotte County section is residential with few businesses. Nestled at the far southern end of Manasota Key you will find Stump Pass Beach State Park. Local residents enjoy Manasota Beach, with 24 acres of white sand and dunes, boardwalks and bathhouses. This beautiful beach is equipped with fire pits and picnic tables and is rivaled only by Blind Pass Beach where visitors and residents swim, fish and hike. This is also a favorite nesting area for sea turtles to lay their eggs. Blind Pass provides a boat ramp area with access to the Intracoastal Waterway. Englewood Beach with its signature seashell sculpture is also on Manasota Key. Imagine having snorkeling, water skiing and diving all within your reach. The southern tip of Manasota Key has numerous short canals that provide convenient access to the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay via Stump Pass. This is a boater’s paradise, with plenty of opportunities for sports and deep sea fishing and pleasant weather year round. Nearby Englewood has plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment. On Manasota Key you can dig your toes in the sand, do a little beachcombing and watch the sea turtles, birds, rabbits, and lizards in their natural habitat or wander among the sea grape trees and lose yourself in the gentle breezes.

Manasota Key offers many types of properties and home styles to meet your needs. Only 1,500 people live on Manasota Key.

Palm Island (where I currently live)- Don Pedro Island, Florida – also known as Palm Island because of Palm Island Estates - is a barrier island in southwestern Florida, near Boca Grande, FL. Historic Don Pedro on Charlotte Harbor was once home to the Calusa Indian tribe, a native people who first began the fishing and hunting tradition, and to colorful pirates and explorers. On Don Pedro Island you’ll find Palm Island Estates, Colony Don Pedro, Bocilla Pointe and more. The island is accessible by ferry or private boat. This secluded area is the home and private sanctuary of a few fortunate residents. Residents and visitors enjoy the benefits of state parks and recreation areas. This beautiful gulf front property is neighbor to Knight Island, Little Gasparilla Island, Rotonda West and Cape Haze.

The island has twelve public dock slips, a large picnic shelter, boardwalks, a serene one mile stretch of white sand beach, picnic tables, grills and a restroom with shower. On the bay side is Don Pedro Island State Park is lined with mangrove trees and you can often spot loggerhead sea turtles while walking on the beach in the evening. If you are very observant, you may also see endangered animals like the gopher tortoise, West Indian manatees, eagles, and oystercatchers. Activities on the gulf side include swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, and shell collecting, and residents enjoy fine surf fishing, hiking and nature trails. The parks are located off the coast of Cape Haze and boaters will find Intracoastal Waterway directional signs to guide them to the park.

You won’t find any high rises on or around Don Pedro Island, Florida and most roads are unpaved, maintained packed sand thoroughfares. The ferry runs to Don Pedro Island and serves Palm Island on a convenient schedule, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There are no tourists or crowds in this sanctuary – no public restrooms, fast food restaurants or concession stands. Residents and visitors travel by golf cart, offering a hearty wave and smile to passersby. Palm Island is very laid back and "Old Florida" style.

So, I think your best bets for laid back island living are-AMI, Palm Island, Venice Beach and possibly Manasota Key.

I hope this helps!

[Restrain]

We are moving from DFW to Port Charlotte. 30 minutes to any of the beaches, large park with a beach about a mile from the house. Moved inland to avoid higher hurricane/windstorm costs which are significant, not to mention flood insurance.

Traffic along the beaches are a real PITA due to very narrow roads, etc.

Good luck with your move.

[La-La land]

AMI is nice the further north you go, but very expensive for a single family home, and hardly a condo to be found. Even 1950's 1100 sf homes can sell for $750k if they're a 7 iron from the gulf. To the south on AMI, you find Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, both basically rental towns, although that's not to say there isn't tons of nice spots to be had, and a bit cheaper too. It's also a fair jaunt into Bradenton proper from north AMI, but it is one lovely slice of retro beach Americana, and I'd be tickled to retire there.

[beninfl]

You want recommendations on where to live 8 to 10 years from now? Ask in 7 years. Things change all the time!

[shmatbert]

Thanks very much everyone! SoFLGal - I may be messaging you in the future. We love that part of the US and hope to be visiting often before our semi-retirement.