At Home in Paradise
HAZY SHADES OF WINTER
Northerners say there's no change of season here, but locals know that winter has arrived by the annual influx of visitors. From Thanksgiving to Easter, expect lines in restaurants, supermarkets and area attractions. Remember, visitors are part of the reason we have so many great restaurants, shops and other attractions here. Besides, didn't you start out as a tourist yourself?
SEASON'S GREETINGS
Leaves don't change colors here-license plates do. Spring begins in late March with the arrival of baseball's Cincinnati Reds at Ed Smith Stadium and the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field in Bradenton. Frequent afternoon rains and flurries of hurricane preparedness seminars herald summer's start. Temperatures hover in the 90s from May through October, but keep a sweater handy anyway for stores and other public establishments that chill the inside air to arctic conditions. Fall is our most fabulous season. The dry, sunny days and cool nights almost always occur during frigid beltway snowstorms.
HIGHER LEARNING
Sarasota and Manatee County schools are at the forefront of technology-based education, with more than 10,000 computers, each used by an average of only three students. Most schools have Internet access, and students consistently score higher than other Florida youngsters on standardized tests. Between Sarasota and Manatee counties, there are 10 high schools, 14 middle schools and 48 elementary schools. The two counties share 15 colleges and universities, including New College, a leading liberal arts university, and the prestigious Ringling School of Art and Design.
BACK TO THE BEACH
Swimmers, fishermen, kayakers and windsurfers inhabit the 20 or so public beaches that run from Venice to Bradenton. The most famous is Siesta Key Public Beach, with its wide expanse of quartz sand, large concession, showers and sports area. Also on Siesta, Turtle Beach has a large picnic shelter and free boat ramps for access to Little Sarasota Bay. The beaches of Lido Key offer restrooms and concessions, lifeguards, a gift shop and cabana rentals. But beware the tides of South Lido, where dangerous currents preclude swimming.
Venice and Casey Key are lined with beaches that draw fishermen, and occasional heavy surf attracts surfers, too. In Manatee County, Holmes Public Beach has showers, restrooms, lifeguards, concessions, and a kids' playground. Just to the south are Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach, with lots of trees, shelters, shells and picnic facilities. Further north, boaters, canoeists and kayakers flock to Anna Maria Island for the scenic beaches and views of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
PERFORMANCE ART
Our cultural cup overflows. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall hosts such luminaries as Itzhak Perlman and Willie Nelson. Award-winning professional and community theaters perform repertoires packed with drama, musicals and comedy selections. FSU/Asolo Center for the Performing Arts features a season schedule of plays, along with professional actor training and the Sarasota Ballet of Florida. We have two film festivals, the Florida West Coast Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, international chamber music, concert bands and a jazz festival.
FRUITS OF OUR LABOR
It's possible to grow most of the herbs and vegetables you did up North, but you'll need to adjust. Summer here means intense heat and heavy rains, conditions no self-respecting tomato or cucumber would tolerate, but key limes, papayas and mangoes are among summer's sweet rewards. In September, gardeners are sowing their seeds, planting gardens that thrive from fall through spring. Geraniums, daisies and other plants considered annuals up North are perennials here. Bananas, carambolas, grapefruits, oranges, lychees, kumquats, guava and avocados grow in local back yards the way peach and apple trees do up North.
THE SPORTING LIFE
The Florida Gulf coast is an angler's playground, full of game fish and charter captains eager to introduce you to your first rolling tarpon or mahi dolphin catch. You can also view our coastline by sea; canoe and kayak rentals offer group tours of our bays, inlets and rivers to get you up close and personal with marine life. Sarasota and Bradenton also boast numerous tennis facilities for all ages. Some of the best players in the world practice here, at Bradenton's IMG Academies, the world's largest sports center. The area is home to a variety of spectator sports as well, from major and minor league baseball to football, hockey, even greyhound racing.
AFTER DARK
OK, we admit that many Florida towns close up early, but there are a few scenes, from Southside to downtown and up into Bradenton, where you can enjoy some urban-style nightlife.
In Sarasota, try out the trés chic digs where the beautiful people hang out along Hillview and Osprey Avenue, or head toward downtown and the Quay, where several nightclubs keep going until the wee hours. In Manatee, most of the action takes place along the 5500 block of 14th Street West and Cortez Road.
Some of the best parties in the area benefit worthy charities. To get connected with that scene, drop by our office and ask for our annual Charity Register. It has a complete list of galas and fund-raisers where you can connect with a good cause as well as have a good time.
SHOPPING, ANYONE?
A variety of boutiques and department stores populate our barrier islands and mainland, from the international flair of St. Armands' boutiques, jewelry shops and outdoor cafes to Palm Avenue's art galleries and antique shops. Downtown also boasts antique shops, kicky luxury clothiers, art galleries, and little storefronts full of elegant junque as well as exquisite home decor objects. The Quay has beautiful views of Sarasota Bay and a mix of specialty shops and culinary enticements.
South Tamiami Trail is home to Southgate Plaza, a chi-chi enclosed mall with a Saks at one end and a Dillards at the other. In between are jewelry shops and bookstores, athletic shoe emporiums and designer haunts like Ann Taylor, Talbot's, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and Williams-Sonoma.
Sarasota Pavilion appeals to discount divas with Steinmart, Ross and Marshall's. Sarasota Square Mall, enclosed and spacious, is the family all-purpose plaza with a generous food court and familiar stores such as Sears, J.C. Penney and Burdines.
On the islands, Siesta Key Village has beachwear, sun gear, flower-festooned flip-flops, and snack foods or frozen tropical coolers, and chi-chi Longboat Key offers a chic mix of quaint clothing and specialty shops, a medley of art galleries and small select boutiques.
But head north for the big bargains. Bradenton's Red Barn flea market has scads of deals, and Prime Outlets at Ellenton features more than 140 specialty and designer shops.
ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE
One of the nicest aspects of living in a seasonal town is that Northern visitors unload their pricey designer clothing, furniture and accessories here before going back North for the summer. Fruitville Road is a mecca for junk, secondhand, thrift, consignment and polished antique shops; and downtown's Woman's Exchange is a grand, well-organized consignment store that locals and seasonal visitors frequent religiously. We defy you to find another city where you can pick up a pair of Yves St. Laurent satin pumps for $12.
ABOVE PAR
Nearly 100 golf courses are scattered throughout Sarasota and Manatee, courtesy of world-famous designers like Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio, and most have pros on hand to guide even the most hapless beginners through their first holes. Some lie parallel to breathtaking water vistas. Others wind through pristine Florida wilderness preserves where wildlife roams peacefully in its native habitats. Most are surrounded by beautifully maintained master-planned communities and require membership to play, but several outstanding courses are available to the public at minimal cost.
STORMY WEATHER
Lightning kills an average of 10 people every year here. It can strike as far as 10 miles away from an approaching storm, so if you hear thunder, go inside (most people killed by lightning are nowhere near rain). Stay off the golf course or the tennis court, and dock your boat during storms. Go indoors or inside a car (not a convertible). If you can't get inside safely, move below the tree line and crouch down in a small grove of trees. From June through November, large tropical storms and hurricanes can threaten the area with heavy rains, winds and destruction. If you're here during that time, prepare a plan and a survival kit should an approaching storm run you out of town.
ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS
Urban newcomers are astounded by the wild creatures living among us. The most famous is the alligator. During our dry season alligators sometimes wander into swimming pools in search of water, but they're usually aggressive only when threatened, so don't approach them. Don't feed them (it's illegal), and don't disturb their young. Also, don't wade or fish at night in fresh water.
Bird-watchers from all over the globe make pilgrimages to see the many species that winter here. You can visit a park, like Myakka or Oscar Scherer, or just wander through neighborhoods and by waterways to spot a wealth of winged life, from the ever-present brown pelicans and blue herons to an occasional bald eagle.
Under the cute-but-don't-touch category are raccoons and squirrels. Our raccoons have become accustomed to scavenging for food in dumpsters. If you discover one struggling to escape, leave it alone-those cute critters bite. Watch those squirrels, too. They may seem tame, but a squirrel bite will send you to the hospital for a tetanus shot.
The official state animal, the endangered Florida panther, is found primarily in the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp east of Naples, but has recently been spotted in the Myakka water basin. Other endangered species are the manatee, which lumbers along our shorelines, and the sea turtle, which comes ashore on summer nights to lay eggs.
Some of our wildest creatures are fierce mosquitoes and cockroaches the size of a small armored tank. Reduce mosquito populations by clearing standing water on your property. Eliminate cockroaches with a solid whack of a heavy shoe, or call an exterminator.
GETTING AROUND
Although non-stop and direct service to major metropolitan areas fluctuates according to seasonal tourist demands, the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is served by six major air carriers and three commuter airlines. It's also only about an hour from Tampa International Airport, which serves more than 15 million passengers each year. Non-stop charter carriers provide service from Toronto in season, and an efficient transit system offers local bus service throughout the area. On the islands and in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, bikes are a favorite form of transportation, so keep an eye out for them when you drive.
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS
Make no mistake-Florida has as many hard-driving, Type-A personalities as the rest of the country. The difference between us and our national counterparts is that we have more fun unwinding.
To recharge your frazzled mental batteries in this area, try strolling along Old Venice Isle or City Park at Sarasota's downtown bayfront. Some shopping areas, including Palm Avenue, St. Armands and Towles Court artist's colony in Sarasota and Village of the Arts in Bradenton, offer special Friday-night free tours and entertainment. You can also enjoy the Sunday-night drummers' circles at Siesta Key beach.
Further north, the quaint fishing village of Cortez and the Bradenton riverfront marina both have remarkable restorative powers.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Sarasota and Manatee boast excellent medical resources. Our hospitals continue to keep pace with the finest medical institutions in the country by participating in groundbreaking clinical research and recruiting top medical professionals. A variety of rehabilitation systems treat victims of stroke, accidents, brain and spinal cord injuries and orthopedic problems. Sub-acute facilities and nursing homes are abundant, fully staffed and of high quality; and seniors have a great selection of long-term nursing and assisted-living facilities.
WHEN IN ROME
Heed these fashion tips or you'll stick out like a sore thumb. First, unless you're a banker, a lawyer or accountant, forget you ever owned socks and nylon stockings. The first thing we notice about Mid-westerners is "sock tan." Find some strappy sandals instead and paint your toenails bright coral. And be sure to tan responsibly. Remember, here in Florida, friends don't let friends tan without sunscreen.
STARS ON THE WATER
This area's reputation as a sleepy resort lures numerous celebrities, so keep a camera handy. Horror novelist Stephen King recently purchased a home on Casey Key. Trash-TV host Jerry Springer owns a house in Sarasota and is frequently seen about town. Musical residents include Brian Johnson of AC/DC and Graeme Edge, drummer for the Moody Blues.