Blending Old Urbanism with New Urbanism in Sarasota FL - Part I

Sarasota FL, a lush and quirky small city on Florida's Gulf Coast, is trying to use principles of New Urbanism to weave its various charming "old urbanism" districts into a cohesive live-work-culture-nature experience.

Blessed with a gorgeous location, nestled alongside the mid-Gulf Coast, an hour south of Tampa, protected by even more gorgeous barrier islands--here called "keys"--including Longboat Key, Lido Key, St Armands Key, Bird Key and Siesta Key--Sarasota is also the arts and culture capital of Florida.

In its very walkable and compact downtown, you'll find theatres, a beautiful opera house, a soaring modern library, a purple-painted waterfront concert hall, a municipal auditorium, upscale shops and restaurants, Whole Foods Market, and many art galleries.

Main Street, downtown Sarasota

A few blocks away, across the only scenic section of Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41), is the magnificent Sarasota Bayfront Park, lined each winter season with modern sculptures, and featuring a lovely tree-shaded walking path and park, impressive yachts, and two restaurants, one upscale and one of the sea-shack variety.

Sarasota Bayfront Park

Several blocks south of Main Street, separated by a non-descript, pedestrian-indifferent office-building-zone, there is a charming antiques district, called Burns Square, along Pineapple and Orange Avenues, with restaurants and boutiques, an art movie house, and a neighborhood of artist studios offering monthly Friday night studio/gallery strolls.

Burns Square, Sarasota

Crossing Tamiami Trail and south a few blocks more, is the tiny retail crossroads called Southside Village, surrounded on one side by a lush neighborhood of old residental streets and on the other by the expansive Sarasota Memorial Hospital Center. Southside Village has been undergoing "upscaling" in recent years, and it's a delightful mix of lux gift shops, gourmet markets, restaurants featuring international cuisines, as well as cozy neighborhood bar-restaurants, bakery-cafes, hair salons and boutiques.

Continued in Part II

Burns Square Shopping District in Sarasota

Technically part of downtown Sarasota, but separated from the Main Street area by Ringling Boulevard, Burns Square is a quaint, stylish shopping and dining district worth exploring. Because Burns Square is hidden from view when you're driving along Tamiami Trail and downtown, you have to know where to find it.

 

OK, now let's head over to Burns Square and see what you'll find: Coming south from downtown, take Pineapple Avenue, crossing Ringling Boulevard, and you'll be at the northern end of Burns Square. On the right, Awesome Orchids is a beautifully merchandised gift shop crammed with locally grown orchids, jars of condiments and gourmet treats, horticultural art, some jewelry, furniture and lighting. (Awesome Orchids also has a booth at the Downtown Sarasota Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.)

Scott James Salon will keep you coiffed for all your social events, with their convenient location in the yellow building on the left side of Pineapple Avenue.

If you're coming to Burns Square from south of downtown on Orange Avenue, cross Mound Street (Tamiami Trail), and you'll come upon a "V" where Orange Avenue and Pineapple Avenue intersect at Matto Matto restaurant. There's a fountain in front of the cafe, and it's housed in an historic "Herald Square" apartment building with stores on the ground floor.

In the Herald Square building, Clothesline is a custom screen printing shop that creates arty t-shirts with designs by local creative types, of which Sarasota boasts a lot.

Across from Matto Matto, L Boutique is a department store for women, girls, and boys, with clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories from casual to formal. This is a real upscale quality lifestyle shopping experience, not your regular department store. The service is very personal and attentive. Next door is L Spa.

Parallel to Pineapple Avenue, to the west, is Burns Court, home of Burns Court Cinema, which shows art films in its can't-miss-it purple building. Next door is 501 Fish Camp restaurant. Also in Burns Court is I-Optics, a popular source for eyeglasses that are as fashionable as they are functional.

On Orange Avenue, one block east of Pineapple Avenue, The Woman's Exchange is a well-organized bazaar of consigned furniture, rugs, dishes, glassware, lighting, and miscellany, with all the sales going to local charities that help women. There are additional shops on Orange Avenue, across from the Woman's Exchange.

Besides enjoying the various shops and restaurants, notice how relaxed and happy you feel when exploring Burns Square. It's an island of historic and contemporary charm, and the local business owners will really appreciate the time you take to discover what they offer.