Nov. 2, 2007 - Longboat Key

Longboat Key, Florida

Longboat Key is such a special place. It's a place where you'll go to get away from the hustle-bustle of city life. Away from your job, your worries, your kids. Longboat Key is a quiet, island retreat that will make you feel as though you've entered a different world. A world where life slows down, where your mind becomes clearer and your thoughts turn inward and make you reflect on the true meaning of your life.

Yes, Longboat Key is just that kind of place. White sandy beaches, sea oats, sunny skies and beautiful flora and fauna all grace this tropical island just north of Sarasota.

And once you're settled in and you've soaked up some warm, healing sun, you'll want to dine at one of Longboat Key's many fine restaurants.

Euphemia Haye, Harry's Continental Kitchens, Mattison's Steakhouse at the Plaza

The next day, you might decide to go to the Longboat Key Center for the Arts. The art center was established in 1952 and offers classes for young and old alike as well as gallery exhibits and concerts.

Then, you may want to stroll through the Joan Durante Community Park and enjoy the natural surroundings and beauty of the preserved wetlands.

If you need pampering, your membership in the Longboat Key Club will lavish you with their treatments. They have 12 private rooms where you can get a full menu of facials, massage treatments, manicure/pedicure and aromatherapies.

In addition to the Island House SPA, as a member in the Longboat Key Club, you have these other special priveledges:

• 45 holes of championship golf
• PGA certified teaching professionals available for lessons and clinics
• Two driving ranges providing complimentary range balls
• Two golf pro shops offering a full range of equipment and apparel
• 38 Har-Tru tennis courts
• U.S.T.P.A. resident pros offering private lessons and daily strokes and strategies clinics
• Four restaurants from casual to elegant for your dining pleasure
• Private pristine Beach and Pool with complimentary cabanas, umbrellas and towels provided by beach service staff
• Fitness Centre (use included in each level of Membership):
  • Open 7 days a week
  • Weight training
  • Fitness programs
  • Personal trainers for individualized training programs

After a day at the Resort, you might just want to stay in your condo, enjoy a glass of wine and have dinner at home. The Longboat Key Market has a beautiful selection of gourmet foods

Or, you can stop at Publix in the Avenue of the Flowers and get anything you need.

One of my favorite places for lunch on Longboat Key is the Dry Dock Grille. There you can dine outside or inside and have beautiful vistas of the bay. The food is great!

Feel like shopping? Hop in your car and take a ride down to St. Armands Circle, where you'll find everything you need to satisfy all your shopping cravings from designer shoes and handbags, to furniture and accesories for your home.

Satisfy your sweet tooth at Kilwin's Chocolate and Ice Cream or head on over to Tommy Bahamas and have a Mojito! You may even want to take a stroll over to Lido Beach and watch the sunset.

So, there you have it. Everything you wanted to know about the Longboat Key area. Here's a map:

Jul. 15, 2007 - All About Osprey Florida

All About Osprey Florida

Area Overview

Osprey Florida is located just South of Sarasota on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The area is close to Little Sarasota Bay and is just a short ride to beautiful Nokomis Beach. Osprey is a lovely town and is an up and coming area of Sarasota. As you're driving South on US 41, you will immediately feel a sense of tranquility when you enter into Osprey from the hustle-bustle of Sarasota.

Pre-History of Osprey

Prehistoric people from as far back as 3000BC lived in the area of Osprey now known as Spanish Point. They lived along the shoreline and built villages there. They buried their dead in a burial mound along with things like shell necklaces and pottery. This gave us an insight into their lives and some of these items remain intact today.

History of Osprey

You can't talk about the history of Osprey or of Sarasota without mentioning Mrs. Bertha Potter Palmer.

Mrs. Palmer was a socialite from Chicago who discovered the area back in 1910 and with much foresight, she bought up thousands of acres of land in both Sarasota and in Osprey. She planned to use the land for cattle ranching, preservation, and of course, development.

The area in Osprey where she setted was called the Webb estate and included 350 acres. The pioneer buildings were preserved and were connected with the elaborate gardens. Mrs. Palmer was an avid gardener and delighted in experimenting with exotic plants. Her heirs generously donated 30 acres of land which is now known as Historic Spanish Point.

The Oscar Scherer State Park

The Oscar Scherer State Park is one of my favorite places. My husband Jack and I spend most Saturday mornings riding our bikes along the many trails in the park. If you like to camp, there are numerous camp sites within the park and plenty of picnic areas located throughout the park. Each little camp area is equipped with a picnic table, too. Entering the park is like taking a peak at old Florida. Scrub areas, creeks, alligators, Eagles, Osprey, and our Florida Scrub Jay are all part of your experience in the Park.

The Oscar Scherer State Park also has it's own beachfront lake called Osprey Lake and there are plenty of canoes to rent where you can paddle along the North Creek and really get in tune with nature.

Communities

There are several residential communities in Osprey. Osprey is considered a wealthy area with the highest per capita income in the Sarasota area! That's due to the type of communities that have been developed there. I'll give you an overview of a few of the communities here, and will add to this post as time goes on.

The Oaks

The Oaks is a lovely community of Luxury Homes located right at the entrance to Osprey from Sarasota. The community has three main sections: Oaks Bayside, The Preserve, and Oaks Clubside

The Oaks Club offers its residents many fine amenities including 36-hole golf course which has been recently renovated.

For tennis lovers, the Club offers 12 Har-tru courts. They have many planned activities like team tennis, group tennis and tennis camps or even individual tennis lessons. The Oaks Club also offers its members a junior size olympic pool and a tot lot for the kids.

The Club offers a Social and Dining experience second to none. There are two dining rooms for your enjoyment and plenty of planned social activities where you can make new friends and have a few laughs. All in all, The Oaks is a fabulous luxury community.

Southbay Yacht & Racquet Club

The community of Southbay is an established community located on the West side of US 41 and directly on little Sarasota Bay. Some of the homes in this community have expansive bay views and those homes are selling for $1.8 million and up. Most of the homes in the community are NOT on the bay but enjoy the use of the beautiful Marina facilities where you can keep up to a 50' yacht for a very small sum of money IF you live in the community. There is also a beautiful clubhouse for social events as well as a heated community pool. Home prices range from $450,000 to $900,000, depending on the location of the home within the community of Southbay. Many of these home were built in the 70's and 80's and need major renovation, however, the community with it's 5 miles of walking trails and 350 homes is well worth the trouble. Many homes have already been renovated and the trend will continue. Here's a tour of the Southbay Community.

Willowbend

The community of Willowbend is located across US 41 from Southbay, so it's on the East side of US 41. It's a newer community of homes built from 2002 to 2005. The community was developed by Lee Wetherington Homes and is the first community to enforce the Florida Yards Program.

Willowbend is a maintenance free community which means that the association fee includes yard maintenance as well as outdoor pest control, lawn sprinklers and water, high speed Internet (Verizon FIOS) and comcast cable TV. The fee also includes maintenance of the common areas and use of the Community Center Facilities, Community Swimming Pool and Fitness Center and the Tot Lot and Basketball Court. Home prices in Willowbend range from $350,000 to $700,000. Many of the larger homes have a wonderful view of the Oscar Scherer State Park from their back yards. Willowbend is an active community with many planned social activities. The Association Fee for the smaller club homes is $240 per month and for the larger homes it is $260 per month. Here's a tour of the Willowbend Community.

There are other fine communities located in Osprey, like Rivendell and Park Trace. Both of these are newer communities with lovely homes ranging in price from $350,000 to $900,000, depending on size and location within the community. There are also homes built directly on the Sarasota Bay with enormous bay views.

A big draw to living in the Osprey area is Pineview School for the gifted. The school is part of the Sarasota County Public School System, but has stringent requirements for entry. There have been some fabulous and talented kids graduating from this fantastic school.

New Communities

The new Bay Street Village is just starting to develop in Osprey. This beautiful new community will encompass 40 acres East of US 41 and will include about 500 townhomes, condos and lofts as well as fine retail shops and five restaurants. There will be a new library on the site and the entire concept is a live-work community. If you'd like to know more about Bay Street Village, be sure to contact me at 941-315-3331.

In Conclusion

Osprey is an up and coming area. There will be a new Baypoint Park located adjacent to Historic Spanish Point and across the street from the Bay Street Village. This will be a beautiful park where folks can enjoy sunsets on the bay, launch a canoe or kayak and enjoy nature.

The location of Osprey is very desirable due to it's close proximity to the Sarasota Bay, Siesta Key Beach, Nokomis Beach, Boating, Golfing, Fishing, Camping, Shopping, and all that both Sarasota and Venice have to offer.

Come to Osprey, Florida. You'll be glad you did.

Jul. 3, 2007 - Sarasota Overview

A "Picture" of Sarasota

First of all, Sarasota is a cultural mecca.  You'll find plenty to do here if you enjoy:

• Live Theatre
• Art Galleries
• Ballet
• Symphony Orchestra
• Any kind of Performing Arts

Sarasota has plenty to do for the sports enthusiast, too.  Located on the West Coast of Florida, Sarasota has a beautiful Bay

And of course, beaches to die for!

If you like to go shopping, don't forget to visit the Westfield Shopping Center where you find Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicos, Macy's and a variety of upscale shops.

There's also a Westfield Mall in South Sarasota with shops like Macy's, Dillards, Sears, JC Penny and a variety of boutiques.

A trip to Sarasota is not complete without a shopping excursion on St. Armands Circle...the ultimate shopping experience!

Or, try the little shops in The Boatyard on Stickney Point Road, just before the bridge to Siesta Key.

Speaking of boatyards, Sarasota is a wonderful place to go boating.  You can choose to kayak on the Myakka River

Or, go Sailing in the Gulf or beautiful Sarasota Bay

If you love to golf, then Sarasota is the place for you with numerous golf courses, some are private, some semi-private and some very nice public courses are here for you. Below is a photo of the course at The Longboat Key Club

Come back again and visit.  I'll always add more interesting photos and stories to my blog.  When you love where you live, it shows! 

If you want more information now, visit my  website.