Sea to Sky Realty . Weiss International » beach

Best Place to Live in Florida: Sarasota!

Bea Weiss, Real Estate Consultant, Attorney — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:18:21 +0000

Looking for a new place to call home? Florida Travel + Life picked Sarasota as #1 place to live in Florida!

Here is what they have to say about why Sarasota made the top of the list:

Sarasota has long lured the gifted and creative to its Gulf of Mexico shores. Perhaps it’s the turquoise-tinged water, the white-sand beaches or maybe those coastline-hugging barrier islands that inspire the imagination and even lead to reinvention. It happened to Californian Kathy Kittinger, a corporate executive turned photographer, who followed family here in 2005 and quickly piqued local curiosity as she converted the grounds of a bungalow in the Towles Court arts colony into her outdoor garden studio. “Everyone wanted to come in and stay,” she says. “Then they wanted to buy my accessories and furniture.” The Garden Room (a small, quaint cafe and gift shop) at Shoogie Boogies was born. “I never dreamed I’d be a photographer, let alone a cafe owner,” she says.

Dreams, however, are the stuff of Sarasota history. Its earliest pioneers arrived in the 1840s, tempted by water teeming with fish and prospects of cattle and citrus farming. Soon the city began enticing wealthy wintertime residents like John and Mable Ringling. The circus king of America was an avid land developer of the Sarasota Keys in the 1920s; the Ringlings were also passionate art collectors. Their bayside home, Cà d’Zan, and the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art remain city landmarks.

“Sarasota has always had a sought-after lifestyle,” says Michael Moulton, a realtor with Michael Saunders & Co. “Sarasota has the amenities and culture of a city of 1.5 million people [although it has just under 52,000 residents], and buyers get more bang for their buck here,” Moulton says. “We’re on the radar for anyone considering Florida as the place to retire or semiretire.” That was the case for noted author John Jakes, who made the transition from winter resident to full timer last December. “Sarasota’s professional theaters are first-rate and the quality of our opera house is incredible for a small city,” says Jakes, whose Civil War series was adapted into the 1980s TV miniseries North and South. “I always thought I’d end up here.”

Explore Sarasota and Her Islands
Sarasota’s five main barrier islands — Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird and Siesta — are called keys. Connected to downtown by the John Ringling Causeway, here wealthy, often famous, residents live nestled between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf beaches. Northernmost Longboat Key boasts prime real estate, reinforced by limited public beach access and the Longboat Key Club & Resort where annual and seasonal memberships are available to nonresidents. Longboat, Moulton explains, also has less traffic than Lido and Siesta, which have large public beaches.

Prices on Longboat have dipped as low as $350,000 for an older two-bedroom, two-bath Gulf-view condo; $3 million buys into newer mid-rise buildings En Provence and La Firenza. St. Armands and Lido keys, separated by a barely noticeable canal, offer a mix of older motels turned timeshares, bungalows, a handful of 1920s homes built during Ringling’s reign, and midcentury Sarasota School of Architecture masterpieces. At Lido’s southern tip, Ritz-Carlton Beach Residences start at $1.5 million. Homes on St. Armands Key rim the circle, a Ringling-created garden with Italian statuary that offers shops and restaurants like Café L’Europe, once the place to be seen, says Betsy Coolidge, whose visit 25 years ago led to her marrying one of its owners.

Bird Key, a man-made island between downtown and St. Armands, has a yacht club and just 510 homes — all single-family, and one-third of them on the bay or wide canals. Home to TV talk show host Jerry Springer, the key has nonwater properties that are half their former $1 million asking price. Many will fall to the raze-and-rebuild trend seen in Miami. Homes on the bay start around $3 million, says Moulton, who resides here.

Siesta Key is an island unto itself, literally and figuratively. “You’re going to get 25 to 30 percent more house on Siesta than Longboat for the same price,” Moulton says. Its northernmost access is a mile or so from the causeway, and its easygoing ambience is embodied by Siesta Key Village, with places like the Siesta Key Oyster Bar and Sunday drum circles on its powdery sands. Beach “experts” of all sorts have proclaimed Siesta Key’s beach one of the best in the country.

Bayfront communities in coveted locations just west of U.S. Highway 41 include “Harbor Acres’ McMansions and Cherokee Park, where a lot of Sarasota’s old money lives,” Moulton says. Both are close to Southside Village, home to tea boutique Spice Girls, Morton’s Gourmet Market and Libby’s Café + Bar. Sarasota’s downtown condos offer views of Sarasota Bay and range from $300,000 (usually in need of a major rehab) to $1 million-plus. “The typical downtown condo buyer is coming from a single-family home on the islands,” Moulton says. These residents can walk to Marina Jack or to the six-block downtown, where they find homegrown boutiques like Belle de Jour and plenty of restaurants, including newcomer Brasserie Belge.

The number of available homes is now at its lowest since 2008. “The overall market is just under six months inventory,” Moulton says, and some neighborhoods could soon experience an uptick in pricing, making Sarasota a good buy now.

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Best Beach on the Gulf Coast: Anna Maria Island

Bea Weiss, Real Estate Consultant, Attorney — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:24:56 +0000

Florida Travel + Life recently ranked our beaches on Anna Maria Island as some of the BEST around!

They feature Anna Maria Island as the place that offers an authentic taste of island living with best beaches for long beach walks, cute beach boutiques, chilled-out beach cafés, funky beach bars - and of course they are right!!!

Here’s the article:

Best Florida Beaches: Gulf Coast

Check out our annual guide to the best beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Grab a towel, lounge chair and your sexiest swimsuit, and then dive in.

Best For »
Beach-town devotees who want the works: long beach walks, cute beach boutiques, chilled-out beach cafés, funky beach bars. If you’re craving an authentic taste of island living, Anna Maria Island is the real deal. This seven-mile stretch of white sandy shores and crystal-clear water sparkles in the sun’s spotlight, yet not many know of this, shall we say, secret spot perched on the Gulf coast. The island revels in its small-town vibe, where building anything over two stories is a no-no. So expect lushly landscaped clapboard homes and quaint inns, plus a scattering of colorful beach-chic shops and eateries.

And the best thing? It’s only an hour or two from St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tampa and Orlando.

Like A Local »
The ideal way to experience Anna Maria is to rent your very own beach cottage. Trust us, great options abound here. First choice is naturally a place on the water, but no matter where you land, you are certainly never far from the Gulf or Tampa Bay. Wake to a sunrise over the Intracoastal Waterway from the private deck of Casa Bella (satorealestate.com), one of many rental homes, or just bird-watch while floating on your back in the house’s infinity pool. Even indoors it’s nature-centric. You’ll feel like you can reach through the living room’s window and touch the ripples in the bay from the comfy sofa — it’s literally right there.

Go South »
Anna Maria starts out as a wide maze of residential lanes in the north, tapering down to a single narrow road as you reach its southern tip, where one of the best beaches caps off the island. Coquina Beach is a gorgeous strip of easy-to-access public beach with wide, flat expanses of sand blending into quiet Gulf water. Our favorite spot is south of 13th Street, where it’s completely undev- eloped. Soft, shady pines line its eastern edge, and people snorkel around its mini limestone jetties where an occasional dolphin pokes its head out of the water. Boat enthusiasts hang at the southern- most point to watch sailboats of all sorts navigate through Longboat Pass. Bradenton Beach, the south end’s hub, is where to go to feast on strawberry jam crêpes, croissants and even French toast. Parisian chef Olivier Rose makes them at the cozy Island Creperie (941.778.1011). Take a peek at the jewelry and local artwork displayed on driftwood and dried sea grape leaves in Hive Creations (941.778.7432). The Historic Bridge Street Pier is where pelicans harass fishermen returning from a day on the water. It’s also home to the deceivingly ramshackle but friendly Joe’s Eats and Sweets (joeseatsandsweets.com), serving deliciously fresh banana splits.

Go North »
The City of Anna Maria anchors the northern end of the island. Tight sandy lanes lined with inns and eateries open up to boulevards where thick foliage obscures rows of houses. If you search hard enough, you’ll find Bean Point, the locals’ favorite beach. While Coquina Beach is super accessible on the southern end, Bean Point is a completely in-the-know secret spot tucked away at the island’s northern tip. Amid the sprawling mansions on North Shore Drive, there are a few hidden walkways. If you can find street parking, you’ll be treated to graceful dunes with clusters of yellow wildflowers and the softest white sand kissed by Caribbean-clear emerald waters. Wade out to a sand- bar for a view of the pristine beach that curves around the island and disappears into the distance. Pine Avenue, with galleries, boutiques and cafes, is perfect for strolling. Among the shops at the historic Green Village, an assemblage of newly restored Old Florida cottages, is Island Cabana (941.896.4946), where a collection of classic whitewashed pottery and vintage etchings of corals and pelicans tempt shoppers. Hop on one of the free old-fashioned trolleys heading back south. En route in Holmes Beach is the brand-new Eat Here (eathere-ami.com) restaurant, the casual sibling of the well-known upscale Beach Bistro. Art covers the walls, and tables overflow with plates of Cedar Key clams and Pelham frites — crispy fries with gravy — paired with Saison Athene beer from the Saint Somewhere Brewing Company in nearby Tarpon Springs.

Wrap The Day »
For the ultimate sunset experience, book a table at the all-new Bridge Street Bistro (941.782.1122). You’ll want to request one on the balcony facing the Gulf. The view from this third-story perch begins at palm trees blowing in the sea breeze and extends to the horizon. Hands down, the succulent Grassy Key grouper with a light, buttery lime sauce is the dish to order. Finish off your meal with the berry basket dessert. The almond-crust bowl filled with the freshest strawberries, raspberries and handmade cream is even better than the sunset.

Coquina Beach among best beaches for families

Bea Weiss, Real Estate Consultant, Attorney — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:40:57 +0000

Parents Magazine named Anna Maria Island one of the best beaches for families:

This beach, on the southern tip of Anna Marie Island, near Sarasota, is famous for “coquinas,” colorful mini seashells. “Every morning, there’s a row of shells on the shoreline for kids to scoop up,” says Debbie Meihls, executive manager of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Another activity: kayaking. You can rent one on the beach or sign up for a guided eco-tour; either way, you’re likely to see dolphins, manatees, and stingrays. Shady Australian pines, warm water (it averages 82°F year-round), and a 1½-mile paved nature trail also make Coquina fun.

If you are looking for a place in paradise, call us today @ 941.866.1666.

Siesta Key named #2 beach in the U.S.

Bea Weiss, Real Estate Consultant, Attorney — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:50:42 +0000

Today “Dr. Beach,” a.k.a. Stephen P. Leatherman, released his annual “best beaches” list.

Topping the list was Hanalei Bay. This remote, two-mile crescent-shaped beach on Kauai where the emerald mountains meet the sparkling sea was selected No. 1 on “Dr. Beach” Stephen P. Leatherman’s 2009 list of top 10 beaches, which was released Friday.

But the runner-up on Leatherman’s list was Siesta Beach in Sarasota, FL:

“With some of the finest, whitest sand in the world, this beach attracts sand collectors from all over. Siesta Beach has clear, warm waters that serve for ideal swimming. The beach is hundreds of yards wide in the shape of a crescent, due to anchoring of onshore rocks to the north and a unique underwater formation of coral rock and caves, providing for great snorkeling and scuba diving. This beach is great for volleyball and other types of recreational fitness.”

Siesta Key was followed by Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y., on Long Island; Coronado Beach in San Diego; Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii; Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y., on Long Island; Cape Hatteras in Outer Banks, N.C.; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Fla.; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Mass.; and Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, S.C.

Leatherman based his selections on 50 criteria, including water quality and temperature, cleanliness, weather, sand, safety and facilities. And Hanalei is his personal favorite “getaway beach” in Hawaii.

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