Communities
Sarasota County is an attractive place for both individuals and families to plant and grow. Our communities are known for their unique characteristics, created to cater to people in any walk of life. Whether that’s an urban loft downtown, a family home in the quiet historic Osprey or Nokomis communities or a house in the Barrier Islands, each is unique, so you can create a lifestyle that suits you, your family and employees.
Living in Sarasota County
Our communities range from gracious multi-acre country estates to restored Old Florida homes in revitalized downtown neighborhoods. High-rise condominiums with water views and country club homes constructed in master-planned, gated communities. Entire enclaves are dedicated to tennis, golf, aviation, boating or equestrian activities.
Climate At a Glance
- 255 Sunny Days Per Year
- 72˚Average Temperature
#1 Best Place to Live in Florida
– U.S. News & World Report
#5 South’s Prettiest Cities
– Southern Living Magazine
#2 Best Food Cities
– Condé Nast Traveler
Sarasota
Sarasota’s downtown provides a range of urban housing options including charming bungalows, live/work spaces and sophisticated condominiums. Stroll to shops, countless dining choices, and lively watering holes. Explore the Bayfront, studded with unique sculpture and offering expansive sunset views.
Sarasota County Keys
Longboat, Lido, Siesta, Casey and Manasota – each barrier island community has its own special character and different housing options. Longboat Key, which straddles the Sarasota-Manatee county line, offers country club living, Old Florida neighborhoods and upscale condominium residences, many with views of the bay or Gulf. The centerpiece of Lido Key is St. Armands Circle, home to some of the best shopping on the Gulf Coast. Housing choices include gracious single-family homes and waterfront condominiums. Siesta Key, home to America’s No. 1 Beach, continues the theme of multiple housing options and adds a lively village atmosphere to its many charms. Casey and Manasota keys offer an unusual combination of sophisticated gulf front estates and old-Florida appeal.
Osprey & Nokomis
Drive South down 41 from Sarasota and you will find the quaint towns of Osprey and Nokomis. Unique landmarks include Historic Spanish Point, a 30-acre outdoor museum on Little Sarasota Bay. Oscar Scherer State Park is known as one of the best spots in Southwest Florida to view scrub jays (an indigenous, endangered bird). Nokomis Beach is a barrier island off Casey Key where you will find the North Jetty, a perfect spot for a romantic sunset. Osprey and Nokomis offer fantastic swimming, picnicking, hiking, bicycling, camping, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Venice
Venice was designed by noted town and city planner John Nolen (1869-1937) in the 1920s. According to the Library of American Landscape History, the features of Nolen’s plan fit many modern ideals, placing Venice well ahead of its time in urban planning. Nolen envisioned a compact urban center surrounded by open space, streets with pleasing views and efficient circulation, human-scaled streetscapes, abundant public parks, diverse types of housing for people of different income levels, and a mix of shops and housing within residential neighborhoods. Keep your eyes open if you walk out on a Venice beach, it’s famous for shark teeth.
North Port
Now the county’s largest municipality in population and area, North Port offers a vast array of housing options and neighborhood choices. The city’s population is one of the youngest in the Southwest Florida region, with a median age of 43.
Tucked beneath a thick oak and pine canopy, North Port is rich with archeological history, beautiful natural springs—including Warm Mineral Springs—and more than 80 miles of freshwater canals. It is also home to the Atlanta Braves new spring training facility, which includes a 6,500 seat stadium.
The community offers a variety of housing choices, including single-family homes nestled in oak and palm hammocks, multi-family mixed-use communities within walking distance of shopping, and gated golf course neighborhoods.
Englewood
The small, town charm of Englewood is undeniable. Dearborn Street in the Olde Englewood Village has plenty of local merchants and eateries to enjoy. Catch some live music or a festival. The beaches in this southern most point of Sarasota County are unspoiled and pristine with white sand and lots of opportunities to see dolphins and manatees. Englewood is a boating and fishing paradise.
Chair Advisors
