Sarasota, Florida, Great Place to Live or Visit

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 14 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #295 in Travel, #15,195 overall

Sarasota, Florida, Things to Do

Sarasota, located on Florida's west coast, is a great place to live or visit. The weather is warm all year long, the beaches have lots of sand and sea shells, and there are parks, museums, and world class stores to shop. Boats of all kinds are available to rent at the downtown Sarasota bayfront park for fishing or just looking. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens conservatory has a huge display of exotic tropical orchids for the flower lovers. Mote Marine Laboratory has a wide variety of tropical fish and huge tanks with dolphins, manatees, and sharks. I photographed Turtle Beach on Siesta Key on April 10 with all those on Spring Break enjoying the weather.

If you are thinking of relocating to Sarasota, Florida, you will find the city statistics interesting. As you can tell from the average age of 58 there are a lot of retirees here. It is a great place to retire with lots of interesting sports, museums, beaches, water activities, fishing and also good medical care. There are limitless opportunities for volunteer service to keep one busy.

Unconditional Surrender Statue in downtown Sarasota, Florida. 

This gigantic statue has found a home right along side of the main road through downtown Sarasota, Florida. When I made this video, the statue was getting so much attention from drivers of the cars passing by that it really slowed down traffic.
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Dolphin Fountain in Sarasota Bay, Downtown Sarasota, Florida

Surfing on Siesta Key 

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Lunch at Marina Jack's Restaurant 

The waitress serves me a chilli hot dog lunch at Marina Jack's restaurant in the Sarasota Marina downtown. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. A gourmet menu is available for those who want to eat indoors at the restaurant. But, we like the casual outdoor patio seating unless it's a special occasion. There is live music at night, too.
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Lunch at Chez Silvie & Fils Organic French Bistro at Swift and Clark roads, Sarasota. 

Chez Sylvie & Fils Organic French Bistro is located at Swift and Clark roads in Sarasota, Florida. Sylvie, the owner and chef, was born in Paris, France, and still speaks with a heavy French accent. Our delicious luncheon in this video was croque monsieur (ham and cheese) sandwich, goat cheese salad, and split pea soup. All the food is organic.

If you are looking for a special treat and delicious meal try Chez Sylvie and Fils. It is located in the southern part of Sarasota, far from downtown. A great place to eat if you are staying on Siesta Key.
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Madfish Grill, Sarasota, Florida 

Madfish Grill on Cattlemen Road is one of our favorite Sarasota restaurants. It is located on the south side of Sarasota, just south of Bee Ridge and west of I-75. Our favorite waiter is a gentleman named "Robin."

Madfish Grill is open 11am-10pm Monday - Saturday and 10am-2pm for Brunch on Sunday. A lot of restaurants are closed on Sunday in Sarasota. The weekday Lunch menu features: Appetizers (lobster fondue, shrimp scampi, calamari, tuna, and more): Soups (black bean, seafood and corn chowder,chilled mangospacho); Salads (caesar, house, spinach, chicken salad and more); Sandwiches and Wraps ( fish, chicken, Cuban, tuna , jumbo burger and more); Entrees (quiche, fish and chips, chicken, crab encroute, sirloin steak and more) and a special selection of $6.99 lunch specials.

FOR A MORE COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE SARASOTA EATERIES check out Sarasota Restaurant Favorites

Active Life in Sarasota Reviews 

Review of Marina Jack's restaurant in downtown Sarasota, Florida, on the waterfront. This person on Yelp doesn't agree with me about Marina Jacks restaurant. Come and try it for yourself!

These reviews of places in Sarasota change daily. Today the review mentioned above is no longer viewable. But, I still suggest you try Marina Jack's if you haven't done so.

Here's what Yelpers have to say about Active Life in 34238

Siesta Key Beach (Sarasota)  
"Hands down Best beach in the country! Well, I have not been to all the beaches in the country, but I could bet some money that is it. I was born and raised..." more
Sarasota Bayfront Park (Sarasota)  
"***siiiiigh*** I just got back from a week visiting my family in Sarasota, and I'm filled with warm, fuzzy feelings. In recent years, a stroll around..." more
Sarasota Family YMCA (Sarasota)  
"A solid YMCA. 25 yard pool, open weights, cardio, great group classes, the works. I've been enjoying this YMCA for a few months now every Wednesday..." more
Sarasota Sailing Squadron (Sarasota)  
"My dad is a member here. It's so relaxing and it's a great place to hold an event. I went to a rehearsal bbq there and it was a perfect setting. They..." more
Sarasota Family YMCA (Sarasota)  
"Conveniently located in downtown SRQ to convince people to work out over lunch or after work. It doesn't seem to be working though, because this YMCA is..." more
Incredible-Adventures (Sarasota)  
"These people are nuts. I've been skydiving...but the stuff they do...um-crazy. We tried to go shark diving (in a cage of course) in the farallon islands..." more
Payne Park Tennis Center (Sarasota)  
"These are city owned and county maintained courts. You do NOT have to be a member to play here, or even know a member. Anyone can play here, you just have..." more
Lido Beach (Sarasota)  
"Lido Beach has long been a spot that my family goes to for a day at the beach. In the beginning, the place was relatively unknown and when we went it was..." more
Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary Boat Tours (Sarasota)  
"We did NOT go on a boat tour, but rather walked around the bird sanctuary. It was rainy so we didn't get to enjoy it as much as we'd like, but it was..." more
Sarasota Bay Explorers at Mote Aquarium (Sarasota)  
"Housekeeping Item: I'm adding this separately from the existing entry for the aquarium itself. This is just for the boat tours. Last year we took a public..." more
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Downtown Sarasota, Florida 

Downtown Sarasota shopping fun. A brief look at Saturday Farmer's Market and stores with tempting jewelry and more than just souvenirs.
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Watch the Sunset in my video from Turtle Beach, Siesta Key, Florida 

Watch the sunset with us and listen to the surf while sitting on the sand at Turtle Beach, Sarasota, Florida. It is very peaceful and our favorite sunset place on Siesta Key. The main beach is farther north on Siesta Key and is usually very crowded. Turtle Beach was filled with more sand dredged from 12 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago. Now it is 5 times wider and there's room for lots of people.
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Vote for Your Favorite Sarasota Area Beach 

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Mote Marine Labatory with tropical fish, dolphin, manatee, and turtles.

Moon Jellyfish at Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida. 

Beautiful delicate moon jellyfish float in their cylindrical aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory during our visit.
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Manatee swims while I photograph at Mote Marine Laboratory.

Sarasota, Florida, Hotels 

Find a hotel for your visit to Sarasota.
Sarasota Hotels: Read Sarasota Hotel Reviews and Compare Prices ...
Hotels in Sarasota, Florida: See 2276 traveler reviews, 505 candid photos, and great deals for 46 Sarasota hotels at TripAdvisor.
Sarasota Hotels, Florida Reservations & FL Accommodations - Hyatt ...
Official site of Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Treat yourself to the most expansive bayfront Sarasota hotel, located in the heart of the Cultural District.
Sarasota Hotel- Siesta Key Hotels- Sarasota FL Hotel- Siesta Key ...
Hibiscus Suites Inn- Siesta Key FL vacation location 4 blocks from Crescent Beach. Affordable all suite Sarasota FL hotel with first class amenities.
Luxury Hotels and Luxury Resorts: The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts
Let Ritz-Carlton luxury hotels and resorts help you discover a fascinating world of new experiences, whether you're traveling for vacation, ...
Hotel & Motel Reservations - Sarasota, FL - Southland Inn Motel ...
The Southland Inn of Sarasota, FL, has a heated swimming pool and sundeck, spacious studio apartments and efficiencies, clean, fresh rooms, and a staff that ...
BEST WESTERN SARASOTA HOTEL Sarasota Hotels Sarasota Florida ...
Best Western Sarasota Hotel, the premier choice for Sarasota hotels, near Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the Sarasota gulf beaches including Lido Beach, ...
Sarasota Hotels - The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel - Hotels in ...
Find Sarasota, Florida hotels and quality lodging accommodations at The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel. Learn more about our services, amenities, hotel rooms and ...
Sarasota-Siesta Key Hotels and Resorts: TROPICAL BREEZE RESORT AND ...
Tropical Breeze Resort and Spa Sarasota-Siesta Key FL Hotel. ... Your ideal choice for Sarasota & Siesta Key Beach Hotel and vacation rentals, the Tropical ...

Turtle Beach Campground 

Camp on Siesta Key at Turtle Beach.

Turtle Beach Campground
8862 Midnight Pass Rd.
Sarasota, FL 34242

Local Phone: 941-349-3839
Fax: 941-861-5204

E-mail: turtlebeachcampground@scgov.net

"From sunrise to sunset, there's nothing like the experience of camping near a Florida Beach. Located on Siesta Key, in Sarasota FL, Turtle Beach Campground, is now part of Sarasota County's Turtle Beach Park. Camp near the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. This is one of only 3 campgrounds on the west coast of Florida to offer camping near the beach. There are plenty of activities to enjoy at Turtle Beach and much to do beyond its shores. No pets."
Directions: I-75 Exit 205, take Rd 72 W 8 mi., take Midnight Pass Rd S 2 1/2 mi. on the right.

Facility Amenities: Cable TV Hookup, Elec. 30 Amp, Elec. 50 Amp, Full Hookups, Hot showers, Ice, Laundry, Tables, Tenters Welcome. Recreation: Fishing, Playground, Swimming, Volleyball Court.

Location: Beach, Memberships: FARVC Number of sites: 39
Payment Options: MasterCard, Personal Checks, Visa

TURTLE BEACH CAMPGROUND

Clowns in a downtown park. They're examples of Sarasota street art.

Myakka State Park 

Take a short narrated tour of this exceptional State Park where you can rent a cabin, rent a canoe or bicycle and see lots of birds, turtles, alligators, raccoon and more wildlife. A wild turkey ran across the road in front of our car on one of our visits. It was too fast for me to photograph. Check out Myakka Park Wildlife for more about the park.
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Alligators like these that I photographed sometimes roam free in neighborhood ponds.

Fishing in Sarasota, Florida 

Watch men catch fish from a chartered boat in the Gulf of Mexico. There are lots of boat charter businesses at the Sarasota Marina downtown and on the Siesta Key marinas.

This is a music video and the music may be annoying, but there is good fishing action.
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Find a boat in Sarasota 

Keywords Report: reeladventurecharters.com
11 swordfish 2 deep sea fishing 2 dolphin fishing 2 mahi mahi fish 1 ...... 1 fishing charter key biscayne miami florida 1 sarasota fishing charters 1 ...
Party on a boat
The Greatest Sarasota Party Boat Rentals Information On the Planet! party on ... union.ic.ac.uk/halls/wilson/Photos/FFF%20boat%20party/Boat%20Party%202%20-% ...

Golfing in Sarasota, Florida 

Discussion of golfing in Sarasota including rates and some of the golf courses available.
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Golfers Enjoy Playing Legends Golf Course in Sarasota 

Have some fun with these vacationers as they play legends golf course in Sarasota, Florida.
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Sarasota Theater, Ballet, Art Shows 

See the cultural and artistic side of Sarasota, Florida. Directors in different artistic fields share their vision and offerings with you.
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Ringling Mansion and Art Museum 

Musical video of John and Mabel Ringling's mansion ( with marble bathroom) and the Ringling Museum of Art. Both are located on 44 acres of landscaped area near downtown Sarasota, Florida. I have visited the Ringling Museum of Art and Ringling Circus Museum, but have not gone on the mansion tour, yet.
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Sarasota and Bradenton Street Guide 

Find your way around Sarasota and Bradenton with this street guide.

Sarasota, Bradenton Street Atlas

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 11/15/2009)Buy Now

This review is from an Amazon buyer:
"5.0 out of 5 stars Fairly slow receipt of map needed., January 20, 2008
By JayCee (deep in the woods of Maine) -
Map was detailed as needed. Delivery was slower than I expected,but that was probably due to a high volume (Christmas) mailing season. "

Sarasota, Florida, Photos 

Upload your own photos of Sarasota to Flickr and they may show up here for all the world to enjoy.

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Sarasota, Florida, Stats 

Since the survey in 2002 the recession has caused the average price of a home to drop, a lot!

The population of 34238 is 14,317.

That's #7095 out of all 42,305 zip codes.

95% of the population is white, which is 21 points more than the national average.

The average household income in 34238 is $55,292, which is $25,594 more than the typical average.

This contributes to the average house being worth $235,200. When the survey was done in 2000, that represented a difference of 199% from the typical value.

Men make up 45% of the population, and the typical age in this part of FL is 58.2.

Stats about: Sarasota, FL

Population: 14,317
Number of Households: 8,411
Average House Value: $235,200
Average Income per Household: $55,292
Elevation: 27 ft

Population Breakdown:

Population Chart

Wild Roseate Spoonbills photographed at the Celery Fields, Sarasota, Florida.

Jobs in Sarasota, Florida. 

Moving to Sarasota or already live in Sarasota and looking for work? Try these possible jobs.

Administrative Assistant - Sales
Hyatt - Sarasota, FL
The Sales Administrative Assistant must be a highly motivated individual who is eager and ready to accept additional responsibilities when needed.  Computer... ...
Front Office Agent
Hyatt - Sarasota, FL
At Hyatt, we believe our guests select Hyatt because of our caring and attentive associates who are focused on providing efficient service and meaningful... ...
Associate Administrator - Manatee Memorial Hospital
Universal Health Services - Bradenton, FL
Provides day to day operations for ancillary or assigned departments. Implements strategy of CEO and COO. Manages assigned departments efficiently and... ...
POLICE OFFICER, 2ND CLASS
- Sarasota, FL
To provide a variety of police activities as an officer in probationary status. Please Note: You must meet ALL of the minimum qualifications listed below or... ...
Telecomm Operator (PRN)
Doctors Hospital - Sarasota, FL
The PBX Operator responds to incoming calls in a timely manner and directs caller to appropriate destination providing a smooth, clear and professionally... ...
See more results

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Sarasota Current Weather 

Check the Sarasota weather when planning outdoor fun!

Current weather conditions in Sarasota, FL (34238)

Local Pollen Reports

55°F (Feels like 55°F)

Last update: 11/16/09 12:17 AM EST

Humidity: 94%
Visibility: 1.8 mi
Dew Point: 54°F
UV Index: 0 (Lawn and Garden Weather)
Barometer: 30.02in steady
Moon: Rush Hour Traffic
Wind: calm From: Airport Conditions
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Fly to Sarasota 

Sarasota/Bradenton Airport is small, but, completely modern. We love traveling out of SRQ. There are never long lines and people are very friendly! It takes about 60 minutes to drive down here if you choose to fly into Tampa's airport.

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Thanks for stopping by. Please take a moment and leave a note. 

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  • Reply
    capriliz capriliz Aug 3, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
    Looks like lots of fun here!
  • Reply
    rms rms Aug 3, 2009 @ 6:16 am
    Wow this is so pretty. Love the sunset video!
  • Reply
    bdkz bdkz Aug 2, 2009 @ 5:10 pm
    Very nice!
  • Reply
    Teddi14 Teddi14 May 26, 2009 @ 10:32 am
    I have been to Sarasota a couple of times and it is beautiful. This lens is great. Brings back lots of memories. I stayed on a sailboat at Marina Jacks. We were there the day after the Storm of the Century in 1993. We were stuck in Nashville for 2 days trying to get to Sarasota from Michigan. This is a 5 * lens for sure!!!
  • Reply
    TopStyleTravel TopStyleTravel Feb 21, 2009 @ 3:19 pm
    Great lens on Sarasota, FL. I love to visit Florida, and will add Sarasota to my list. Lovely pictures and video, especially the Siesta Key sunset. I checked out your kphoto website link and am impressed with your talent. Loved the picture of the chained heart in San Francisco. Everyone, take a look.
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Sunset over the dunes on Siesta Key on one of our weekly visits.

All Golf's Kids 

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We at Squidoo passionately believe in creating new ways to support good causes online. By making a donation to All Golf's Kids from this page, you are sending money directly to that organization, in whatever amount you want. We don't touch it. We don't even see it. The author of this page doesn't either. And if you made it this far, thanks for caring.

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Merry Christmas from Sarasota, Florida 

There may not be snow in Sarasota, but, Rudolph still makes an appearance and he wishes you all Merry Christmas! This is my video from one of the many friendly Sarasota neighborhoods.
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