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Venice was crowned the best destination for snowbirds, according to a study done by StorageCafe, a nationwide storage space marketplace.
Known as “The Shark Tooth Capital of the World,” it has garnered much love for Caspersen Beach, birdwatching, and its buzzing entertainment scene. Eight out of the top 10 cities were – maybe not so shockingly – in Florida.
The StorageCafe study looks at U.S. cities with populations bigger than 10,000 and analyzed 215 warm-weather cities. The analysis uses 18 “snowbirding” metrics, including beaches, golf courses, October-March average temperature, and available vacant housing.
What makes Venice the top destination?
Balmy weather, a high number of available housing units, golf courses, and a strong health sector are reasons Venice landed in the top spot, according to the study.
The full study is here:
Best Destinations For Snowbirds: Venice, FL, Takes The Crown With Top Contenders In TX And AZ
- Venice, FL, Vero Beach, FL, and Fort Pierce, FL, provide the best environment and amenities for snowbirds and zoombirds alike
- Mission, TX, and Apache Junction, AZ, stand out as increasingly appealing destinations for snwobirds, offering a low cost of living alongside a fantastic outdoor scene
- Florida remains the best state overall for snowbirds, with 42 cities in the top 100 list, only challenged by Texas
- The rise of remote work, which now involves 24 million Americans, may lead to a notable increase in snowbird populations as many seasonal nomads seek warmer winters.
*Venice, Florida, further cements its position as the best destination for snowbirds. Not only does it boast balmy weather throughout the entire winter season, but it excels in several other categories, including the share of housing units for seasonal use (87%), golf courses (it is the 5th best among the cities analyzed for golfers), as well as its health sector. There are nearly 36 doctors and clinicians and four medical organizations for every 1,000 residents.
While the local community still caters to baby boomers, the area has become increasingly appealing to younger people who seek top-notch amenities alongside fantastic beaches and sun. "In our area of Southwest Florida, we have noticed an increase in younger demographics embracing the snowbird lifestyle and much of it is due to the ability to work remotely," says Elizabeth Smith from That Florida Life. "In fact, most of the people we help are still working. They tend to be near retirement or are planning for retirement in the next 10 years or so," she added.
It goes without saying that beach life is the very best in Venice, with numerous options to choose from, including the spectacular Caspersen Beach and the pet-friendly South Brohard Beach. Opportunities for other pastimes such as birdwatching and fishing are equally easy to come by, and the city also enjoys an active cultural and entertainment scene. The Venice Theatre routinely features concerts, musicals and comedians, while Venice’s downtown features gorgeous historical buildings, dining out options and an arts center.
And as more young people flock to the city, it's becoming even more vibrant, which comes with positives but can also pose a few challenges. "On the plus side, local businesses are thriving during the winter season," says Smith. "Restaurants are buzzing with business, as are shops, and it's great for the local economy. There are also many more events, festivals and activities almost every week around town."
However, as she points out, "one downside is that traffic significantly increases. It can also get quite crowded around town with longer wait times at all the restaurants and busier at the stores and beaches. It can be a challenge for the community to balance this because where we live in Venice, Florida, there is such a dramatic increase in the population during snowbird season!"
A new Detwiler’s Farm Market will open in West Bradenton in December, the company announced Friday afternoon.
The popular local grocery store announced that it will opening its sixth location in the Sarasota and Manatee County area with the new West Bradenton store set to open Thursday, Dec. 14, at 8 a.m.
The store is located at 3500 53rd Ave. W. in Bradenton.
In addition to the farm fresh produce, meat and seafood, bakery and groceries that the store has come to be known for, this new location will also feature new departments for Detwiler’s, such as hot foods and fresh baked pizzas.
Detwiler’s is a family-owned and operated grocery chain founded in 2002.
The Bradenton location was first announced in February, when Benderson Development announced that Detwiler’s signed a 50,000-square-foot space in Marketplace West in the 3500 block of 53rd Avenue East.
Detwiler’s will join Dollar Tree, Petland, Fresca Pizza and Pasta and Mountain Comforts Coffee Café in the West Bradenton shopping center.
A Bradenton charter school is hoping for a “holiday miracle” to keep moving forward with plans to expand its footprint and create a better learning environment for students.
Visible Men Academy previously purchased four acres along 63rd Avenue East to build a school campus, but those plans are in jeopardy. The Title I school has missed a crucial deadline — twice — that puts it at risk of losing the opportunity.
Based on the purchase agreement, the land is set to be transferred back to Manatee County Government, which sold the land for $85,000 in 2015. Since then, the property’s value has increased to $408,000, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office.
The tuition-free, all-male public charter school serves about 70 children from low-income families, school leaders say. The land would allow Visible Men Academy to relocate on its own campus. It could also boost the school’s population to 400 kids, the principal said. While charter schools are considered public institutions, they are run privately.
Multiple street closures will occur on Saturday, Dec. 2 for the annual Downtown Sarasota Holiday Parade. The parade, which begins at 7 p.m., will start at Main Street and U.S. 301, continue west on Main Street and end at J.D. Hamel Park on Gulfstream Avenue.
Roads will reopen once the end of the parade reaches a two-block distance from each road closure. Vehicles not removed by the posted time will be towed at owners' expense.
Street closures will be in effect for the following times and locations. Vehicles parked on these streets after the times listed will be towed at the owners' expense.
It’s a warm and sunny Saturday morning – perfect for playing outside if you’re a kid – when I pull up behind the Girls Inc. building on Tuttle Avenue, where a group is gathered under an outdoor pavilion enjoying a free lunch and some Bob Marley reggae.
It’s the second session of the year for the Manasota Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALAH)’s “Freedom School,” which began providing free weekend lessons about Black culture and history to students in Sarasota and Manatee counties last year.
Modeled on the “freedom schools” that emerged during the civil rights movement to organize African Americans to achieve social, political and economic equality, these Saturday sessions – which began in 2022 as a pilot program at the North Sarasota library – aim to counter the effects of Florida HB 7 (the “Stop WOKE Act”), which restricts how race is discussed in schools and workplaces and has curtailed public school history curriculums.
“We saw what was coming out of Tallahassee and decided we needed to go on offense,” says Manasota ASALAH’s president, David Wilkins. “Florida has a law requiring the teaching of African American history and it has for more than 20 years. This is American history. It should not be an issue.”
Freedom School is open to any student regardless of race or background, from kindergarten through high school, but there are very few in attendance who are not Black. Wilkins says that’s something they’d love to change, but when (as another teachers says,) “most kids would rather have a needle stuck in their eye than come to school on a Saturday,” recruiting can be tough.
One of Manatee County’s last two dairies, Dakin Dairy Farms, 30771 Betts Road, has gone on the market.
The 350-acre operation is listed with SVN|Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate at an undisclosed asking price.
Owner Jerry Dakin, a former Florida Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year, said in a press release that after 22 years the farm needs to go to the next generation of farmers to meet the dairy’s full potential.
The Dakin Dairy Farm includes 3,100 head of dairy cattle with a processing plant on 350 acres and is on the agricultural marketplace to be sold as a working dairy farm.
When Dakin started the dairy with a couple hundred cows, he said he never imagined he could grow the farm to have several thousand head producing and processing products on-site delivered to markets with Dakin’s “Fresh From Florida” label.
The farm through became a destination for education and agrotourism, complete with a Farm Café.
Although the property is on the market, it is business as usual at the dairy, and Saunders said he hoped it would remain a dairy, should the property be sold.
But there would be nothing to prevent a future owner from seeking rezoning to allow other kinds of use.
The Gabbie Pettito story is very sad and there is a local connection.
‘Gabby Petito Act’ aims to strengthen police response to domestic violence in Florida
Two companion bills filed in the Florida legislature, named after Gabby Petito, aim to strengthen police response to domestic violence. The bills, collectively known as the Gabby Petito Act, would require law enforcement to complete a “lethality assessment form” when investigating suspected domestic violence.
Petito began dating Brian Laundrie in March 2019,and moved in with him and his parents in North Port, Florida. The couple worked at a Publix in North Port, where she was a pharmacy technician and he was in the grocery department. They quit their jobs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In late 2019 and early 2020, the couple embarked on a cross-country drive from New York to California. Along the way, they visited Las Vegas, Yosemite National Park, Pismo Beach, and other points of interest. In March 2020, Petito celebrated her 21st birthday in Nokomis, Florida. She and Laundrie visited Sope Creek, Georgia, in June 2020, and the two were engaged the following month.
In December 2020, Petito purchased a 2012 Ford Transit Connect van converted into a camper, in which the couple would take their next cross-country trip. To save money for the trip, she began working 50-hour weeks at Taco Bell and as a nutritionist while Laundrie took a job at an organic juice bar. Petito documented her life and travels on social media sites such as YouTube and Instagram, where she described her interests as "art, yoga, and veggies".
On June 17, 2021, Petito and Laundrie visited her native Blue Point for her brother's graduation ceremony. On July 2, 2021, they left Blue Point in the Ford Transit Connect van for their trip. Later that month, they visited Monument Rocks, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Mystic Hot Springs, and Canyonlands National Park.
Domestic disturbance incident
On August 12, 2021, a witness called 9-1-1 to report that a couple (later identified as Laundrie and Petito) were fighting in front of the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, Utah. The caller said they saw a man slap a woman, after which the man and woman ran up and down the sidewalk, then the man hit the woman again before they drove off together.
Another witness described the incident to police as looking like Petito and Laundrie were talking "aggressively" and that Petito "was punching him in the arm". The witness said it looked like Laundrie was trying to leave Petito behind and take her phone with him. Before they drove off together, she climbed into the driver's seat, moved over into the passenger's seat so he could drive, and asked him, "Why do you have to be so mean?"
Officers from the Moab City Police Department (MCPD) identified the van driving erratically near the entrance to Arches National Park and conducted a traffic stop. They found Petito crying heavily in the passenger's seat, with police body camera footage showing that she then told officers:
Last edited by wondermint2; 12-01-2023 at 04:30 PM..
I'm including this article below because it's the most detailed article I've seen on this topic - going into specific details of speakers and commissioners at Tuesday's Sarasota County Comission meeting.
Commissioner Moran makes motion to direct county staff to process Benderson policy proposals that would allow for high-rise hotels on Siesta Key
Fifteen Siesta Key residents, plus the leader of the Pine Shores Neighborhood Alliance, urged the Sarasota County Commission this week not to process any of the three proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments that would allow extra residential density on the barrier island in the form of new hotel and motel rooms.
One of those amendments — proposed by Benderson Development Co. of University Park — would mirror a 2021 ordinance that modified the county’s land-use and zoning regulations. That ordinance, approved on a 3-2 vote on Oct. 21, 2021, eliminated the counting of hotel and motel rooms for residential purposes throughout most of the county. The Benderson proposal calls for the amendment to affect only Siesta Key.
That was the sole proposed amendment that the commission majority approved for processing.
On a motion by Commissioner Michael Moran, seconded by Commissioner Neil Rainford and passed on a 3-1 vote, county Planning Division staff will proceed with processing that application, for potential future approval. Benderson already has indicated to the Planning staff that it wants to construct a hotel up to 85 feet tall on commercial property it owns on Ocean Boulevard in Siesta Village.
Yet, during the Open to the Public period at the start of the Nov. 28 commission meeting, David Wolter told the board members, “If you allow hotels in [Siesta Village], you will kill the Village. It’s the best half-mile in America. I moved here to live in that Village.”
Wolter added, “You’ll completely overtax the infrastructure. You will not be able to control the guests.”
Another speaker, Catherine Luckner, president of the Siesta Key Association (SKA), pointed out to the commissioners, “You are the people that we rely upon to really be our stewards. We elect you to represent us.” However, she continued, “I have been increasingly concerned that that’s no longer true,” except for Commissioner Mark Smith, she said.
'You're gonna ruin the village': Siesta Key residents push back against high-density hotel plan
Christian Ziegler, the head of Florida's Republican Party, is under criminal investigation following an allegation of sexual battery, the Sarasota County Police Department confirms to PEOPLE.
His accuser claims that she'd been in a consenting three-way sexual relationship with Christian and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, for some time leading up to the incident, according to the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
While Christian chairs the Florida GOP, Bridget sits on Sarasota County's school board and co-founded the far-right group Moms for Liberty, an organization that advocates against any mention of LGBTQ rights, race, ethnicity, critical race theory, or discrimination in school curriculum. Though no longer with Moms for Liberty, Bridget was one of the driving forces behind Florida's divisive "Don't Say Gay" legislation.
A heavily redacted report provided by the Sarasota PD reveals that an anonymous person accused Christian — whose name is concealed on the document — of sexual battery on Oct. 4 at a home in Sarasota. The word "raped" is included in the report, though its context is also redacted.
According to the report, an officer responded to the complaint on the same day it is alleged to have occurred.
The Florida Center for Government Accountability — which first broke the story — reports that a search warrant was executed on Christian's cell phone, and that he is alleged to "have secretly videotaped the sexual encounters between the couple and the woman," according to police sources.
The allegations are startling not just for their context but for the impact they could have on Florida politics, as the Zieglers have been integral in politicizing conversations around sex and sexual orientation. Both Christian, 40, and Bridget, 41, are close allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is now running for president, and his wife, Casey DeSantis.
This is the latest from the 'Letters to the Editor' column in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Earlier (before I knew more details) I had made the comment that this story might be fabricated because of political motivation.
Since then additional information was released that makes me believe there is merit to this story. 1) A police officer responded to the complaint on the same day it occurred (so often we see these kind of cases brought up years later when no police report was filed initially - but not in this instance). 2) a search warrant was issued on Christian Ziegler's phone and he is alleged to have secretly recorded the sexual encounters between him, his wife Bridget, and the yet to be named woman.
Bridget Ziegler must leave the Sarasota County School Board. Now.
Bridget Ziegler must be removed immediately from the Sarasota County School Board.
Her demonizing of the LGBTQIA+ community has made life more difficult for countless children.
Imagine you are the child of a gay or lesbian couple, and that you are not permitted to acknowledge your family in school. It is cruel and serves no purpose other than cruelty.
Ziegler's treatment of trans people is equally cruel.
Ziegler spearheaded the forced resignation of Brennan Asplen despite the former superintendent's "highly effective" rating and excellent leadership of the schools through the pandemic. This wasted precious financial resources and time better spent on real issues. It did not benefit the school system.
As the School Board chair, Ziegler allowed commenters at board meetings to mock and target Tom Edwards, who is an effective leader, because he is gay.
It was unconscionable.
Now there are allegations that Ziegler and her husband have been involved in a three-way relationship and that he sexually assaulted the third person. This accusation is under investigation by the Sarasota Police Department.
By retaining Bridget Ziegler, we are sending a clear message that human rights do not apply to everyone, only the powerful. Hypocrisy is acceptable.
This is not what most residents want our schools to stand for. Remove her immediately until this investigation is completed.
Last edited by wondermint2; 12-02-2023 at 05:13 AM..
On Sept. 12, almost exactly two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to the Sarasota County Commission, Commissioner Neil Rainford brought up an issue regarding the Planning Commission, on which he had served prior to joining the County Commission.
The long-time practice for that advisory board, Rainford told his colleagues, is to elect the chair and vice chair on the basis of what Rainford called the “next up” status of the members. In other words, as he explained it, the chair was the next most senior person on the commission after the person who was completing a year-long term as chair.
He felt it would be better, Rainford continued, to allow the Planning Commission members to elect their chairs and vice chairs from among themselves, instead of maintaining that practice.
When Cutsinger then looked to County Administrator Jonathan Lewis for comments, Lewis said that staff would have to prepare the appropriate document for the County Commission to approve, to adjust the governing procedures for that advisory board, so the process could be implemented as Rainford had proposed.
Then, after checking with his colleagues, Cutsinger told Lewis he had board consensus to pursue the necessary steps.
On the County Commission’s Nov. 14 meeting agenda, the election of Planning Commission members was listed as a public hearing with Presentation Upon Request. No board member sought staff comments on the issue, and no one had signed up to address it. Commissioner Smith made the motion to approve the ordinance, and Commissioner Joe Neunder seconded it. The motion passed on a 5-0 vote.
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