If you're a Boomer looking to relocate to Sarasota, you may have spent time here on vacation or visiting relatives. And you've likely looked longingly at the listing photos in the windows of local real estate offices, dreaming of retiring to "Paradise", as we like to think of this town.
If you've actually looked at available houses or condos with a realtor, you probably didn't know anything about the lifestyle consequences of living in any of the neighborhoods they took you to. They sell houses, and you dutifully checked out the rooms, features, yard and street of each one.
But that's not a smart way to choose a neighborhood in Sarasota. You're not only choosing a house when you move here, you're choosing a lifestyle.
Sarasota is a city of designated neighborhoods. There's even a "Neighborhood Plan" that sets out Sarasota's goals for quality of life and neighborhood associations. (For instance, "Where urban amenities meet small-town living.")
Each neighborhood has a name, with a welcome sign greeting you when you enter it. This is true of "developments" as well as old neighborhoods. And each one has its particular character and adjacency to shopping, nightlife (or not), dining, and access to other activity areas you need.
So it's a good idea to think about what your Sarasota lifestyle will entail. Are you a golfer? Will you be socializing at a country club? Are you a beach person? Do you mind waiting for the bridges to go up and down during Season when boats need to pass through? Will you be dining out several times a week? Is nightlife--live music, social settings--important to you? Are you a car-person or a walking-person? Would you like to be able to walk to nearby shopping and entertainment? Do you want acreage, with room for pets or livestock?
I'll give you a personal example: When I realized I should buy a house in Sarasota instead of renting seasonally, I thought I'd only consider living on Siesta Key. It's beautiful, laid-back, an easy walk to everything in the village, with plenty of live music and casual dining.
But, putting aside the fact that I couldn't afford to buy a house on Siesta at that point, I realized, after renting on the Key for several seasons, that living here full-time, with business and personal activities located on the mainland, I didn't really want to have to drive on and off the Key all the time. And I didn't want to worry about summer storms on a barrier island.
So I widened my search, and I looked at various neighborhoods, both with a realtor, and by driving around myself. As I did that, I discovered areas I never knew existed when I was so focused on living on Siesta Key. I also took note of the routes I'd be driving to get to and from the activities that make up my lifestyle.
For instance, the neighborhood called Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores, which has interesting and eclectic house styles and runs alongside the Bay, just south of the Ringling Museum area, is charming and private in a way I found appealing. But the only way to drive downtown from Indian Beach is via Tamiami Trail (US-41), and I just didn't want that to be my daily, or multi-daily, commute. I prefer quieter back roads. And everything I want access to is located south of Indian Beach: downtown Sarasota, St Armands Circle, Siesta Key, Gulf Gate, and points east. It's a beautiful neighborhood, but it wouldn't work for me.
However, if New College of Florida, the Ringling Museum, Asolo Theater, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, or access to Bradenton are relevant to your lifestyle, Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores might be a perfect fit.
As it turned out, there are neighborhoods "East of the Trail"--i.e., east of Tamiami Trail--that were more affordable than "West of the Trail" and offer easy access to a wide swath of Sarasota, from the Bay all the way east to I-75. For me, being East of the Trail was a good fit. And I wouldn't have discovered it if I hadn't learned to search for a house based on the neighborhood character and location that suits my lifestyle.
TIP: It's also helpful to find out if the neighborhood you're considering is "deed restricted" or not. That will affect your options when it comes to how you present your property or make changes to its appearance.
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