Sarasota, Florida aka "Paradise"
In Sarasota, you can enjoy breathtaking sunsets, award winning beaches,
tropical plants, opera, ballet, theater, golf, terrific restaurants and
great shopping.
Sarasota offers a truly exceptional lifestyle with its beautiful
beaches, warm and inviting climate and not to mention diverse cultural
offerings. Sarasota offers many unique real estate choices ... from
large estates, beachfront residences, family homes, condominiums, golf
and country club communities, new homes and resort properties. There are
more than 1,000 subdivisions and condos to choose from in Sarasota
county.
Siesta
Key, FL
Beautiful Siesta Beach, with the world's whitest sand, is central
Sarasota's gateway to the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Siesta Key combines luxury with a relaxed vibe that appeals to visitors
and locals alike.
On the east side is Sarasota Bay as well as the intracoastal
waterway. Many of the condominiums located on the intracoastal offer
docks and marinas for boaters.
On
the islands west side is beautiful Siesta Beach - ranked number one in
the world by Doctor Beach, in 2011.
In the evenings, find yourself a nice spot on the beach and soak up
the picture perfect sunset as the sky turns shades of orange and red,
while the sun dips down below the horizon.
Of course, Siesta Key is more than just beach, sun and fun. The
island offers entertainment and dining in Siesta Key Village. There you
will also find dozens of unique shops and open air dining catering to
the casual island lifestyle.
Casual and beautiful, home to some of the world's best beaches,
Siesta Key is an ideal place to spend a sunny afternoon - or an extended
stay!
Some Things to do in Sarasota, Florida
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
Ocean adventures await year round at Mote Marine home to more than
100 marine species and exhibits showcasing the adjoining Mote Marine
Laboratory. See freaky frogfish, huge scuttling lobsters and other
denizens of Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast, including sandbar, nurse,
blacknose and bonnethead sharks. Guests can also see manatees and sea
turtles and more.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a truly old-school Florida attraction.
Founded in 1935, the 10-acre facility has managed to retain much of its
charm, and people continue to arrive daily to explore the botanical
gardens and to see the animals perform.
Marina Jack and the Sarasota Bayfront
Both are located in the heart of Sarasota. Sarasota Bayfront is a
great place to take a stroll and enjoy a view of the south end of
Sarasota Bay, the boats in the marina and the downtown area, along the
deep water harbor. It’s a nice park setting, with a place for kids to
play and a beautiful fountain to enjoy. The trolley runs nearby, which
is ready and able to get you to numerous local attractions.
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
The
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the state art museum of
Florida. It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable and John
Ringling for the people of Florida. Florida State University assumed
governance of the Museum in 2000.
Designated as the official state art museum for Florida, the
institution offers twenty-one galleries of European paintings as well as
Cypriot antiquities and Asian, American, and contemporary art. The
museum's art collection currently consists of more than 10,000 objects
that include a variety of paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints,
photographs, and decorative arts from ancient through contemporary
periods and from around the world.
More than 150,000 square feet have been added to the campus, which
includes the art museum, circus museum, and Ca' d'Zan, the Ringlings'
mansion, which has been restored, along with the historic Asolo Theater.
Entirely new are the Visitor Pavilion, the Education and Conservation
Complex, the Tibbals Learning Center, and Miniature Circus and the
Searing Wing, a 30,000-square-foot gallery for special exhibitions
attached to the art museum.
St. Armands Circle
St.
Armands Circle is an island shopping area removed from the hustle and
bustle of the mainland. Separated by two bridges over magnificent
Sarasota Bay, St. Armands Circle is unique in concept, history, and
beauty.
Set amidst a tropical paradise, St. Armands is an enchanting circle
of fine shops and gourmet restaurants. Renowned as a market place with a
continental flavor, it is a charming and graceful synthesis of past and
present. Lush tropical plantings, courtyards and patios, antique
statuary and contemporary architectural design skillfully contribute to
an international atmosphere of friendly warmth, enduring elegance, and
timeless style. Relax in the restaurants, explore the shops - from
trinkets to treasures, gourmet snacks to candlelight feasts, you'll find
it all on St. Armands Circle.
There are more than 130 stores on St. Armands Circle, that caters to
customers from all areas of the United States and many foreign
countries.
In 1893, Charles St. Amand, purchased three tracts of land totaling
131.89 acres for $21.71. He homesteaded the land, fishing in the waters
of the Gulf and Bay and, along with other early pioneers, raised produce
which he brought by boat to the market at City Pier in Sarasota. In
later land deeds, his name was misspelled "St. Armand" and this spelling
has persisted to the present day.
Visionary circus magnate John Ringling purchased the St. Armands Key
property in 1917 and planned a development which included residential
lots and a shopping center laid out in a circle. Because there was no
bridge to the key, Ringling engaged an old paddle-wheel steamboat, the
"Success," to service as a work boat. His crews labored at dredging
canals, building seawalls, and installing sidewalks and streets lined
with rose-colored curbs. In 1925, work began on a causeway to join St.
Armands Key to the mainland. Circus elephants were used to haul the huge
timbers from which the bridge and causeway were built.
One year later, amid much ceremony, both the John Ringling Causeway
and Ringling Estates development opened to the public, with John
Ringling himself leading a parade across the causeway and his Circus
Band playing from a bandstand in the center of the Circle. Every hour
there was free bus service from downtown to St. Armands for prospective
buyers and sightseers.
John Ringling's influence is still evident today in the planning and
design of streets radiating from the the circle at the island's hub and
the Italian statuary from his personal collection strategically placed
around the key. This shopping circle looks very much as Ringling
originally envisioned it, with the palm lined medians, park-like
setting, and tropical plantings he intended.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Set
along Sarasota's beautiful bayfront, the landmark Van Wezel Performing
Arts Hall has been entertaining audiences with a variety of music,
dance, theater and comedy for more than 35 years.
Built in 1968 with
funds from a city bond referendum and a bequest from philanthropists
Lewis and Eugenia Van Wezel, the Van Wezel opened its doors in 1970 with
a production of Fiddler on the Roof. Since then, the Hall has welcomed a
broad range of performers and shows, including world-class symphonies,
both classical and modern dance companies, jazz artists, pop legends,
Comedy and Broadway.
With its renovation in 2000, the Hall contains 25,000 more square
feet than before, meaning larger lobbies and Grand Foyer, more
restrooms, a new stagehouse, the latest in sound and lighting systems,
and an Education Center.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens consists of 7 acres of
extensive botanical gardens dedicated to research and collections of
epiphytes, especially orchids and bromeliads, and their canopy
ecosystems. They are located on the grounds of the former home of Marie
and William Selby at 811 South Palm Avenue, in the heart of Sarasota,
Florida, USA, and open to the public during business hours every day
except Christmas.
Towles Court Artist Colony
At Towles Court Artist Colony you will find all styles and mediums of
art from realism to abstract. A colorful collection of "Old Florida"
bungalows that house galleries and studios as well as cafes.
Ceramics, jewelry, photography, painting, prints or art glass -
you'll find it at Towles Court in either gift shops, art galleries or in
an artist's studio.
Galleries offer free admission, and there's often dancing in the
streets with live drumming and musical performances. Stroll through
Towles Court and visit the many galleries, boutiques, jewelry and
antique stores.
Towles Court “ Sarasota's hidden treasure”: Located
three blocks south of Main Street between Washington Blvd and Osprey
Avenue.
Sarasota Opera House
I
n
1960 a group called the Asolo Opera Guild was formed to present the
touring Turnau Opera in chamber-sized productions in the historic 320
seat Asolo Theater on the grounds of Sarasota's Ringling Museum of Art.
In 1973 the company began mounting its own productions. Recognizing the
need for a theater more conducive to opera, the company purchased the
former A.B. Edwards Theater in downtown Sarasota in 1979. Renovations
began in 1982 and the theater, now on the National Register of Historic
Places, opened in 1984 as the Sarasota Opera House, the company it
housed now being called Sarasota Opera.
Since 1983 the company has been under the artistic leadership of
Victor DeRenzi. Since then the company has garnered international
attention with its Masterwork Revivals Series, which presents neglected
works of artistic merit, as well as the Verdi Cycle producing the
complete works of Giuseppe Verdi. Recognizing the importance of
training, Maestro DeRenzi founded the Apprentice Artist and Studio
Artist programs. Sarasota Opera also maintains a commitment to education
through it performances for local schools and the unique Sarasota Youth
Opera program.
The Sarasota Opera House has completed a multi-million dollar
renovation and restoration. The project was designed to restore the
historic 1926 theater to its original glory, while creating a venue for
opera for the 21st century.
Florida Studio Theatre (FST)
Florida
Studio Theatre is Sarasota’s contemporary theatre, located in the heart
of downtown. It has been in operation in Sarasota since 1973. The
Florida Studio Theatre campus is a village of theatres – the historic
Keating and Gompertz Theatres, and the Parisian style Goldstein Cabaret.
Near the Sarasota bayfront, FST brings an energy and vitality to the
downtown area. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact –
providing an intimate and engaging setting for high-quality,
professional performances. Hip and historical, entertaining and
challenging, FST is the theatre where the street meets the elite, where
everyone is welcome to come and engage in the art of theatre.
During its history, FST has grown into a theatre with a budget of
over $4 million and 20,000 subscribers a year, more than any theatre its
size in the country.
FST has modeled itself on the strength of creating the best in
contemporary theatre at an affordable price. Overall, FST serves over
160,000 attendees per year through its major programs
Burns Court Cinema
Nestled
away in downtown Sarasota, in the middle of historic Burns Square, is a
small raspberry-colored theater that many people consider a landmark of
the surrounding area. After opening its doors in 1993, Burns Court
Cinema has continually proven to be the best place around to find
first-run, hand-picked foreign language, independent, and art films.
Showcasing nothing but the best cinema has to offer,
Burns Court Cinemas is also home to many annual festivals and series
which have become staple events for the Sarasota area. One of the most
popular, Cine-World, has striven to bring films from all different
countries, cultures, and communities within the framework of a weeklong,
extremely exciting and popular event.
Many of the films shown at Burns Court Cinama are
obscure, and lack prominent media coverage, but don't let that keep you
from going and checking it out!
Sarasota Film Festival
In
July 1998, international and independent film enthusiasts founded the
Sarasota Film Festival (SFF). They sought to create a balanced festival
of foreign and domestic film complemented by the participation of the
film and entertainment industry.
The following January, SFF launched its first festival. The
“mini-festival” featured eight independent films, two premiere
screenings, two educational symposiums and a gala fundraiser. Since
then, SFF has grown in length (from three days to ten), attendance (from
2,300 attendees to over 45,000) and scope (from 10 screenings to hosting
over 200 films and adding nationally-recognized education programs,
dozens of special events, talkbacks and panels with some of the leading
voices in film today). Beyond the Festival, SFF has expanded to include
year-round activities like the free outdoor Moonlight Movies series in
Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice; Monday Night Movies at
the newly-restored Asolo Theater; Screenwriters' Circle; and more.
Sarasota's Average Monthly Temperatures &
Rainfall*
|
Month
|
High |
Low |
Gulf Temp. |
Rainfall |
|
January |
72 |
51 |
63 |
2.6" |
|
February |
74 |
57 |
64 |
1.5" |
|
March |
77 |
57 |
68 |
4.3" |
|
April |
81 |
59 |
74 |
1.0" |
|
May |
87 |
68 |
78 |
2.8" |
|
June |
89 |
73 |
83 |
5.0" |
|
July |
92 |
75 |
86 |
7.9" |
|
August |
91 |
74 |
87 |
5.4" |
|
September |
89 |
73 |
85 |
7.8" |
|
October |
85 |
68 |
79 |
4.5" |
|
November |
80 |
69 |
72 |
2.0" |
|
December |
73 |
59 |
67 |
1.9" |
*Source: US National Weather Service
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