Treat your furry friend to a day at one of our area paw parks.
While our gorgeous coastal area provides plenty of fun for those who enjoy the outdoors, fine dining, world-class shopping and some of the most beautiful beaches found anywhere, there are also a number of recreational spots designated and built especially for Fido to get his exercise and socialize with style. After all, it’s important to keep in mind the old saying, “If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise.”
So, here are our top 10 places to take your pooch, including beaches, trails and parks where dogs are allowed, but do not feature fenced leash-free play areas. Remember, some locations require leashes, others don’t, so be sure to check the rules before you go.
1. 17th Street Paw Park – Located in north Sarasota, this expansive dog park features acres of grassy and wood-chip-strewn play space for pooches. It provides plenty of room for off-leash play, shade/shelter, pick-up bags, and agility equipment for large dogs. Hours are dawn to dusk. Adjacent to the paw park are baseball, softball and soccer fields, a snack bar and restrooms. Call 941-861-9830 for more information.
2. Lakeview Paw Park – Located next to Lakeview Elementary School off Proctor Road at 7150 Lago St., Sarasota, Lakeview Paw Park offers a cool, shady oasis on hot summer days. This 26-acre park features a picnic shelter, playground and restrooms. Open from dawn to dusk. Adjacent to the paw park is an area with a jogging and fitness trail, restrooms and picnic tables. For more information, call 941-861-9830. (more…)
Surrounded by sparkling waters, Bird Key is considered the jewel of Sarasota Bay.
Considered the jewel of Sarasota Bay, Bird Key is perfectly located in the middle of Sarasota Bay between St Armands Circle/Lido Key Beach and downtown Sarasota. This manmade island is made up of 511 lots, or approximately 460 single-family homes, with the only other occupant being the Bird Key Yacht Club. The original island had a large home built on it in 1914, which was owned by a couple from Cincinnati. Since then, John Ringling bought the island, which then became home for his sister. In 1950, Arvida Development Corp—with the assistance of the Corp of Engineers—designed and built the current island.
Market Activity – Bird Key
There are presently 39 active listings in Bird Key. Of these, 11 are off-water—known as Garden homes—15 are canal homes, and 13 are set on Sarasota Bay.
Garden homes range from $515,000 to $1,399,000; Canal homes range from $1,195,000 to $2,695,000; Sarasota Bay homes range from $1,499,000 to $9,490,000. There are five pending homes, in which two are Garden homes, two canal homes and one bay front home. In the last thirty days, one home has sold for $495,000. Year-to-date, fifteen homes have sold—ten of these were off-water; four were canal homes and one bay home. (more…)
Posted by Michael Saunders & Company on July 14, 2010
Bird Key is quintessential Sarasota. An island set in the middle of Sarasota Bay, it was first developed by circus magnate John Ringling back in the 1920’s as a retreat for his own family. Today it glitters as one of the finest neighborhoods in town. Thanks to an extensive network of canals, more than two thirds of Bird Key’s 500 homes are on the water, many with dockage for large yachts. Spectacular views abound, both of the downtown skyline and of the lush mangrove islands that dot the bay.
Bird Key has what may be the best location in Sarasota. It is five minutes to the shops, restaurants, and cultural activities of downtown, and even less to glamorous St Armand’s Circle and the white sand beach of Lido Key. The new Ringling Causeway, built in 2004, replaced a drawbridge and now offers convenient, unimpeded access to all the pleasures of Sarasota. The bridge also offers a perfect jogging path with a spectacular view of the city and the bay.
Posted by Michael Saunders & Company on May 20, 2010
Bird Key
To say that Bird Key was once considerably smaller than it is today is to say the least. In his book Gulf Coast Chronicles: Remembering Sarasota’s Past (The History Press: 2005), Sarasota author and historian Jeff La Hurd provides an account of Bird Key, some 50 years before development would forever alter this small spit of land just offshore from downtown Sarasota.
“The tiny island was only fourteen acres in those days and barely broke the surface of the water,” La Hurd writes. “But it was stunningly beautiful. Filled with palm trees, brightly colored seashells, and the myriad of birds that flocked there for food and rest.” Clearly, Bird Key was as desirable then as it is now.
“Then” was the year 1910. Mrs. Davie Lindsay Worcester, a wealthy visitor from Cincinnati, came to Sarasota hoping to recover from a serious illness by basking in Southwest Florida’s gently therapeutic climate. A philanthropist of great heart and substance, Mrs. Worcester traveled by boat with six friends on her first outing to Bird Key; which, as yet, was unconnected to the Sarasota mainland. The beauty she encountered upon arrival prompted her to pen one of the most rhapsodic descriptions of Sarasota’s beauty ever consigned to paper. In a letter to her husband Thomas, she described her maiden visit to the island thusly:
“I felt that my heart would burst on that shell-bestrewn shore. With thousands of palms soaring toward the clouds; at our feet the Gulf of Mexico washing up, restless, to our toe tips, and (shells) scattered, scattered everywhere…all beautiful toys, as it were; not given stingily or grudgingly but five, ten feet deep, perhaps; scattered like beautiful flowers so far as color and form was concerned, on that white sand until you felt you could not tell the dear Father enough how grateful you were.”
The St. Armands area offers a variety of lifestyle options.
Barbara Roberts, managing broker of our St. Armands Circle offices, reports an increase in walk-in activity. During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the agents of her office noted return customers coming in to inquire about the status of the real estate market.
St. Armands Office Agents – News and Notes
We are pleased to welcome Karen Lyons Nowadly to our St. Armands offices. Karen brings over 10 years of real estate experience Michael Saunders & Company.
A premier property was just listed by Jenifer Schwell in the Grand Bay condominium community on Longboat Key. This residence is elegant and sophisticated with top-of-the-world views of the city and Sarasota Bay. This newly listed property is priced at $1.295 million. (more…)
Many homes on Bay Island offer stunning views over sparkling bay waters.
The gateway to Siesta Key, Bay Island is itself an island located on the key’s coveted northern end. Dissected by Siesta Drive, the waterfront homes of the north have views of Sarasota Bay, Bird Key and the striking Sarasota skyline. Bay Island is home to the three-acre Bay Island Park, a beautiful place to relax or throw out a fishing line enveloped by gorgeous vistas. As local area specialists, the agents of our Siesta Key office bring a wealth of Bay Island community experience and market knowledge to help homebuyers and sellers.
Bay Island – A Closer Look
The waterfront homes on the south side of Bay Island overlook Roberts Bay, Big and Little Edwards Islands and her rookeries. Both bodies of water, as well as the canals, offer quick access to the Gulf of Mexico using Big Pass. (more…)
Downtown Sarasota sparkles at night and reflects off the calm waters of Sarasota Bay.
The web’s most popular social network sites are still buzzing about Sarasota’s recent placement as the #1 city in the United States to buy a home according to real estate maven Barbara Corcoran on NBC’s Today Show. The criterion for her list was simple: these are the cities in which prices have dropped the most, but have seen a boost in the last fiscal quarter.
While those of us who already live in this preferred destination have been aware of its charms for some time, interested homebuyers from around the nation have been zeroing in on our area upon hearing this recent spotlight of hope that has been pointed in our direction. To help them along, we are proud to present the top 10 reasons why now is the right time to choose Sarasota as a place to live: (more…)
Longboat Key is a vibrant, picturesque island with 11 miles of exceptional beaches, beautiful neighborhoods, fine dining and world-class shopping. Boasting a casually elegant atmosphere, Longboat Key welcomes visitors from all over the world—many of whom fall in love with this desirable location on Florida’s southwest coast.
Michael Saunders & Company maintains three offices on Longboat Key that are strategically positioned to serve as a gateway to the exceptional properties of “the Key” and beyond. With a variety of condominiums and single-family homes, both on the beach and off, living on Longboat Key provides convenient access to St. Armands Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, downtown and beyond. Our knowledgeable agents assist visitors in buying and selling fine waterfront, island and mainland properties throughout this sought-after area.
How is the Longboat Key Market?
Longboat Key South Branch Manager Georgina Clamage finds the Longboat Key market to be strengthening with inventory down 13 percent from its highest point of this year. Pending sales for the second quarter in 2009 are up more than 38 percent, compared to the same quarter in 2006, and even higher when compared to the same quarter in 2007 and 2008. The average price of properties sold on Longboat Key during the quarter ending in June 2009 is $693,000. These sales represent both condominiums and single-family homes, and range in price from $125,000 to $3,330,000. (more…)
Sarasota’s downtown is a vibrant destination brimming with a wealth of fine restaurants, specialty shops and splendid cultural attractions. With lifestyle options varying from soaring penthouse residences to quaint cottage-style homes, the downtown area boasts the perfect opportunities for anyone seeking the vivacious pace of city life. Centrally located at 1801 Main Street, Michael Saunders & Company’s downtown office is perfectly sited to allow our Realtors the convenience to serve property buyers and sellers throughout Longboat Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, Siesta Key and anywhere in Sarasota quite easily.
How is the Downtown Sarasota Market?
Gary Loughlin, branch manager of the Main Street office, finds the market to be improving in general with property pricing being the most important consideration for both buyers and sellers. As of July 17, the downtown Michael Saunders office has over 40 pending transactions, a number that already exceeds the total of July 2008. This month’s closings span the pricing spectrum and involve properties that have spent a variety of time on the market. Of course, some are very quick closings and others have been in the works for quite a while. (more…)
As Sarasota’s hub of fine dining and world-class shopping, St. Armands Circle attracts local visitors and international travelers to its casually elegant island location. Set just a stroll from the marketplaces on the circle, our St. Armands site is the company’s flagship office and proudly specializes in serving homebuyers and sellers throughout Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Longboat Key, Bird Key and throughout the Sarasota area.
How is the Market on St. Armands?
Barbara Roberts, the longtime managing broker of the St. Armands office, is pleased to report a very active market—thanks to an abundance of interested folks stopping by while enjoying a day at the Circle. Barbara finds that most of those who inquire about our services and available homes are long-range buyers, not necessarily looking to purchase a home immediately. Their increased curiosity in the market is a good sign for future transactions. This past June has been a great success, as the office booked more than $40 million in open sales. In fact, the last time St. Armands has seen such a high figure was in 2005. (more…)
