Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you are thinking of moving to Sarasota or any of the surrounding areas, READ THIS FIRST!
Yes, this used to be a very nice place to live; almost paradise. The fact of the matter is that it is now super-overcrowded (not just from snowbirds anymore) and what is making that even worse is two-fold: the quality of people moving to the area is lower and the constant building of new apartments and new communities for years to come is compounding the problems almost daily. I will break it all down for you below with indisputable facts:
Traffic:
Traffic had already been terrible for years, but in more recent years it has become intolerable. This is NOT a city like NYC, so nobody should be comparing it to NYC and saying "it's not that bad". In NYC, everything is closer together and you can walk to your destinations easily in many cases. Sarasota is not like that in any way, so driving a car to get to your destination is unavoidable in most cases. Not only can it take 15 minutes to drive a mile in a 35 mph zone, I have seen others on this site post 1.5 hours to go 5 miles in some areas!
Red Lights:
This is not an exaggeration; once you get one red light, you will get 90% of the next red lights if you do around the speed limit. I am not lying when I say that it really feels like they are purposely timed so that people get almost every light. Any current residents don't believe me? Pay attention on your next drive- the lights will literally turn red right before you get to them as if they were timed to. In fact, I can even point out several locations where if you get one red light, you are guaranteed to get the next red light every time- try turning left onto Bee Ridge Rd from Cattlemen Rd to go toward the ramp for 75- you will get that next light every time! And don't forget about the random red lights when there are literally no cars in the other lanes of the intersections- you will sit there for no reason while no other cars are anywhere around and/or the traffic opposite of you will get the green light plus green arrow even if no cars are turning, so you wait again for nothing. The counties are adding many roundabouts now which helps in some cases, but it seems that half the drivers are not savvy and stop anyway- which does not help the traffic much and also causes more accidents.
Quality of People/Crime:
It used to be such a nice area where everyone said hi to each other or were at least polite, but things have changed dramatically in recent times due to the influx of lower quality people- specifically more "thugs" are moving here on a regular basis, it seems. Here are 2 true examples of negative things that happened just this past week which are most definitely attributed to the things pointed out above: We live in a quiet community where there was never any police presence needed or known crime issues- but we were woken up to gunfire nearby at 3am last week. In another instance, normally people who are sitting at an intersection and not going when it is clear will go if you give them a polite horn honk, but the other day, I had to honk at someone not moving and they opened their car door and yelled profanities and almost seemed like they were going to get out and start a fight, as if I was the one being inconsiderate. These might not seem like a big deal to you if you are from a more "city" environment, but this is not how it used to be here and it is only getting worse. There is definitely more gun crime and violent crime in other areas than before, as well.
Not Enough Restaurants/Parking:
Again, this might seem trivial to people from bustling cities, but this is not a bustling city. There is almost always a wait time to get seated at any restaurant- and I am not talking 5-10 minutes; it is normally 30-120 minutes unless you are able to call ahead or join a wait-list, which not all places offer and you still have to wait once you check in at arrival. Then once you arrive, plan on driving around for 10 minutes waiting for a parking spot to open up. Any current residents don't agree? Go to the UTC area literally any day of the week for dinner. It's gotten so bad that unless we can make reservations, we try not to go out anymore. Not to mention that since the pandemic, worker shortages are super high, so many establishments cannot meet the demand of all the new customers.
Apartments/Close-Together Homes/Communal Restaurant Seating:
Do you want to buy a NEW home with almost no property? Would you like to live so close to your neighbors that they can look into your windows while you change? Do you enjoy sitting in a restaurant with other customers literally sitting on the same bench seat 2 feet away so you can hear every word they say and smell their stinky food? If you answered "Yes" to any or all of these questions, then Welcome to Sarasota! Not only are there an insane amount of apartments cramming as many people as possible into small spaces, but any new single-family home communities are putting houses so close together that you have no privacy. And then when you want to go out to eat and get away from everyone, you get to put up with crazy traffic, non-stop red lights and then get seated on communal benches in restaurants where you are literally eating inches away from perfect strangers. Or they even put you at a table with strangers! Don't believe me? Go to First Watch where they have a table that you would think is for large parties but they just put random people together. That is just one example. Again, this is NOT NYC and it should not be this way here.
Are these reasons not enough for you? How about red tide so bad that you can't even go to the beaches for big chunks of time each year? The cost of homes/apartments have gone up crazy high- good for homeowners, bad for new residents moving here! Hurricanes; humidity; mosquitos, no jobs... There really is no reason to consider this area any more.
One more thing: There are always people who post comments replying to posts like this saying "it's not that bad" or "then why don't you move if you don't like it?" DON'T listen to them- they are either part of the problem or have no idea. I will not be monitoring this post or responding to comments, so those people can hold their breath. All the things that I stated are indisputable facts, so no need to argue with anyone who wants to portray things otherwise, which would in fact be completely untrue.
Hmm I actually just checked to see if anyone responded to my post even though I said I would not be monitoring it. Yeah, like clockwork, some "people" (trying to be nice here) try to put a negative spin on my post but offer no facts or real arguments to back anything up. To reply to those insinuations; I am NOT a previous poster using a new account under a different name and I am NOT in the mortgage or insurance business. So these users who have posted comments are clearly not people that should be trusted since they make unfounded claims and will clearly say anything to rile up people. Why are they they trying to paint me in a negative light? What possible reason could they have? Oh, they must WANT more people to move to the area to make things even worse.
By the way, it actually makes ZERO sense for someone in the mortgage or insurance business to deter people from moving into their area because that would cost them clients. Another clear indication that this person is not to be trusted and should not be read.
FACT: Any "senior member" or otherwise in the Sarasota area who does not agree with my post is part of the problem and will misguide people. I use FACTS to back up what I am saying. Today, more than ever, facts are important. I can easily back up everything in my post with facts, so anyone who says anything otherwise is being less than honest.
I cannot disagree with what Shekkie posted up there ^^^...it is mostly fact....might be his finest post ever.
He's frustrated by the extremely heavy tourist/snowbird season we are having, recurring Red Tide (its severe right now), & trying to travel by car anywhere in this forum area...but especially in the City of Sarasota, or just outside the city limits.
The traffic lights ARE purposely timed to stop all traffic at nearly every light so nobody can speed, & they dont have to spend any money enforcing speed limits. The amount of time, productivity, & gas burned by this is maddening. Your effective rate of travel is ~20 mph...like Manhattan.
The frustration magnifies for those of us who have lived here for decades. I've lived here off & on for 40 years, & I think Shekkie has lived here even longer, & w/o leaving for years at a time, like I have. His perspective deserves some respect.
To Northerners who are used to traffic gridlock, high density living, & increasing cost of living, this area will not seem so bad. To us long timers, its
I think the population density the local politicians sold out to is gross negligence. That is the root cause for every issue Shekkie lists.
I honestly don't know what a "Shekkie" is, so not sure what some of these posters are talking about. But I can say that all anyone needs to do is demand facts when someone tells them something so you don't just take their word for it because they "seem" like they know what they are talking about. Also, you can question peoples motivations to get a better idea of why they say what they say; I clearly do not want my home to get worse by more people moving here, but what about anyone who posts opposing views to my post? They must certainly gain something by saying it's not that bad and having more people move here, wouldn't you say? Ask them for facts before you take them at their word.
I have no.problem with Shekkie's opinion. Just stop the BS of multiple user names, add some links to.prove your opinion, and all.is well.
There is no.doubt that the area has grown too quickly to suit a lot of peoples' tastes and I understand long timers' frustration about the changes. But I dont know how you put the proverbial genie back.in the bottle. The area isnt going to.become less crowded than.now barring a Cat 5 hurricane.
If Shekkie wants to be pissed at someone, blame the politicians. They sold out the natives. The newcomers are just following the advertising.
I have no.problem with Shekkie's opinion. Just stop the BS of multiple user names, add some links to.prove your opinion, and all.is well.
There is no.doubt that the area has grown too quickly to suit a lot of peoples' tastes and I understand long timers' frustration about the changes. But I dont know how you put the proverbial genie back.in the bottle. The area isnt going to.become less crowded than.now barring a Cat 5 hurricane.
If Shekkie wants to be pissed at someone, blame the politicians. They sold out the natives. The newcomers are just following the advertising.
I agree...its the local politicians fault over the past 40 yrs....not the newcomers'.
Developers are going to seek to maximize profits, so I don't blame them so much...except the corrupt ones.
Its the politicians jobs to preserve a liveable & enjoyable environment to work, live, & play, & they failed.
Their failure to preserve more beachside public views for all to enjoy, is right at the top of their blunders.
Anyone driving along the beachside roads, should be able to see the Gulf imho. Building height, how close together they are, & the number of 5+ story beachside buildings there are, is a violation of public trust...& is irreverseable.
Building setbacks from the high tide mark are dangerous, & takes the views away from the public. I dont think anything should be built w/in 440 yards of the high tide line, except public restrooms, walkways, bike trails, & parking areas....not just a few dotted public beaches; like we have now.
No private property should be in that 440 yard wide public & wildlife area.
Population density is way too high in SRQ, & all along the beaches....or roads are inadequate...it's one, or the other. If they got 1 of the 2 right, we wouldn't have all the issues listed in the OP. They failed on both counts...density, & roads.
SW FLA is still better than SE FLA, but I don't know for how much longer. I lived in SE FLA during its destruction, & now I'm seeing a replay here.
We bought an older home on Venice Island three years ago and I can't wait for the summer - high temperatures, humidity and all that comes with the summer months.
Traffic and an incredibly high number of bicyclists on the road with cars makes "season" hard to enjoy. I stay close to home and enjoy my property but going anywhere, even for a simple lunch downtown, is too annoying. I have friends who live in some of the master planned communities in Venice and they've told me that a high percentage of the homes in their communities are only occupied during the winter months.
Even with the annoyances, there is no place else I'd rather be.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
