Gillespie Park - Downtown Sarasota’s Newest Up-and-Coming Neighborhood

In keeping with reminiscing about my Home Town of Sarasota, Gillespie Park is one of the areas that I have seen change, especially lately, since my childhood days growing up in north Sarasota.

Gillespie Park has become one of Sarasota's great places to live for young professionals and retirees and empty nesters. With its great neighborhood feel, large trees, charming architecture and downtown location convenient to all the of Sarasota's amenities, Gillespie Park’s popularity is exploding. Nestled between Fruitville Road, 10th Street, U.S. 301 and Orange Avenue, the subdivision consists of old bungalows, cottages and Spanish-style townhouses, many of them dating to the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. A good number have been refurbished and renovated, or are in the process. With its lush vegetation and stately pines and oak trees providing a shady canopy, Gillespie Park has a distinctly Old Florida feeling.

So here’s a bit of history! Gillespie Park honors John Hamilton Gillespie, first mayor of Sarasota. This land was part of the town's experimental farm and when that failed due to poor soil, Gillespie laid out a golf course in 1886. After the turn of the century, the subdivision was platted for residential use. The real estate boom of the 1920s brought a wave of new inhabitants, and the neighborhood was named after Gillespie, who had arrived in town as one of the Scottish immigrants, built a hotel on Main Street and served as the city’s first mayor.

A focal point of the Gillespie Park neighborhood is the historic park named after Gillespie. The city created the park on 10 acres of undeveloped land purchased for that purpose in 1924. Gillespie Park was developed with special emphasis on recreation for children and, in 1926, won an award in the National Playground Beautification Contest. An oasis of trees and green open space, Gillespie Park now provides tennis courts, picnic pavilion, playground recreational facilities, and features a lovely meandering pond.

If you are looking for a great place to live in Sarasota that has on old Florida feel but is close to the many amenities in downtown Sarasota, call me, your Home Town Realtor!

SRQecoseeker.com, Activerain.com, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Sarasotagov.com

Hometown Sarasota Drive-In Movies

During my dating years one of the favorite things to do in Sarasota was to go to a drive-in movie. Sadly, they don’t exist in Sarasota any more. Sarasota built its first drive-in in 1949 with the opening of the Trail Drive-In on the North Tamiami Trail, across from the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport. The Trail Drive-In touted itself as one of the largest drive-ins in the Southeast in 1951. I grew up near the Ringling Museum, so this was ‘my theater’! We would all mill around and visit with our friends before the movie and during the intermissions - it was real 'family time'. And of course, 'dating time.' (enough said!)  It had the capacity for 780 cars and showed only first-run pictures of the highest quality. In an ad in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on November 20, 1949, the Trail Drive-In was described as “one of the finest projection rooms in the nation. The screen impression, located 265 feet from the projection room is clear, sharp and light. The lounges are immaculate and a modern snack bar serves chicken and shrimp dinners for your refreshment.” The screen measured 65 feet by 47 feet and was the largest in the South.

Yes, that is an air-conditioner in the bottom, middle photo!

The Trail Drive-In stressed family entertainment by providing playgrounds for the kids and talent shows. The theater would open early so families would make an evening of it. One ad in the Sarasota Journal in the mid-1950s stated that the “whole family likes the Trail Drive-In Theater because Mom can leave her girdle at home; Dad likes to smoke big black cigars and he will hear no complaints at the Drive-In; baby sleeps in the back seat with all the comforts of home; brother likes snacks with his entertainment and the Drive-In Theater is less costly.”

The Trail Drive-in wasn’t the only drive-in in Sarasota. There was also the "Siesta" where Gulf Gate Shopping Center is today; the Tropical on the way to Venice; "Booker Park" on today's 27th Street for African-American's (Sarasota was segregated back then) and the "Bee Ridge," on Bee Ridge Road, just east of Beneva Road, which was the last drive in to open in Sarasota was the Bee Ridge and advertised the largest screen on the Gulf Coast. It opened in 1969 when air-conditioning had become the norm in Sarasota households. To maintain the comfort factor, the theater offered individual units, with the added benefit that it kept the mosquitoes out – somewhat!

Many blamed the introduction of daylight savings time and the end of the “baby boom” for declining revenues. The ‘80s brought cable TV and the introduction of the VCR, which kept people at home. Many theater owners, sensing that their time had passed, began selling land to developers. The Trail Drive-In closed in the 80s and stood vacant for years. Today it is a site of a hotel and storage facility. But my memories are still vivid!

Sources and Credits: Sarasota History Alive, Jeff LaHurd, cinematreasures.org

Hometown Englewood, Florida

My wife and I spend a lot of time enjoying quiet, long weekends on Palm Island in the Englewood, Cape Haze, Florida area. Over the past 10 years of spending time there, we have fallen in love with Englewood and the surrounding areas. Growing up in Sarasota, I remember the quiet streets and long stretches of beach here with very few people and I think this is why we love visiting Englewood. As a life-long Sarasota resident, Englewood reminds me so much of Sarasota in the 1950’s. The population then was just under 19,000. The population of Englewood now is just under 15,000, hence ‘that feeling’ I get! 

Englewood was originally planned as a “grove town”. In 1896 the original platt for the town of Englewood was recorded by the three Nichols brothers. They had purchased almost 2,000 acres bordering on Lemon Bay and had grandiose ideas for a planned community they named for their hometown outside of Chicago. Englewood was to be a thriving Florida “grove town”. The Nichols brothers aimed for a lemon growing area since lemons were in high demand for treating scurvy and influenza, both serious health threats at the time. Lemons then were very costly because they had to be imported mostly from Spain so the Nichols saw good profit in their production. The entrepreneurs’ game plan was to sell residential acreage, on which to build homes, for $30 an acre. But the buyer had to agree to also buy another 10 acres of grove land on which to grow lemons. Everyone was to make money, the Nichols brothers on their real estate sales, the buyers on the lemons they would produce. Many small citrus trees were actually planted in the area. Everyone agreed it was grand scheme except Mother Nature. Severe back-to-back freezes killed all the immature lemon trees that had been planted. The lowest temperature recorded was 14 degrees.

With the failure of the groves the Nichols brothers quickly changed their plans and started promoting Englewood as a resort area featuring excellent hunting, fishing and water activities. Englewood became one of the first winter resort spots in Florida. The Nichols built a beautiful upscale hotel complete with a ballroom overlooking Lemon Bay catering to wealthy and adventurous tourists. Several well-known people of the day came to visit but the success was short lived. The Englewood Inn burned to the ground in 1909. That left no place of proper elegance for the kind of visitors the Nichols brothers had been attracting. Besides, getting to Englewood was extremely difficult. As train lines became more common in Florida it was easier to go somewhere else; after all, these early tourists were the kind of people who had their own railroad cars. So ended the Nichols brothers’ dreams of a grove town and then, a wealthy northern tourist trade for Englewood. The only citrus legacies the area has been left with are the two beautiful names; Lemon Bay and Grove City. In Sarasota history, there was a similar theme to the history - The Higels hotel burned down in 1917…it one of his biggest investments was the town of Siesta Key. 

But as we all know today, both areas are thriving resort towns. But the Englewood area still has that wonderful, small-town flavor and I always enjoy showing property there. With regard to real estate, Englewood, and the surrounding areas of Manasota Key, Placida and Cape Haze are typically more affordable in the luxury home market. Now that I have gotten to know the Englewood area well, I have also expanded my real estate business into the area. So…if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Englewood, Cape Haze, Placida, Manasota Key or Casey Key, Florida, contact me and I will show you a delightful, quiet, beautiful beach town with beautiful, waterfront homes.

A Hometown Sarasota Holiday

Isn't this time of year simply the best? Cold, sloppy and wet, less and less daylight, dead leaves everywhere, can't play golf after work, etc. Oops, wait…those are the reasons you should live in Sarasota, Florida! I have lived in Sarasota all my life and have seen many winters come and go, and yes, we do celebrate the holidays just like our northern friends. Almost.

Many from the North think Floridians miss out on all the fun of the holidays.  A lack of snow in our forecast here in Sarasota doesn’t mean we won’t be able to have a “white holiday”.  We enjoy the white sands of our wonderful beaches in December as easily as we do in June. Frosty the Snowman will not come to life in any Florida yard. We take great pride in lighting our palm trees and setting up fiber optic sleighs pulled by holiday hat clad alligators and flamingos. (It’s not tacky at all). Our homes may not have stockings hung by the chimney, although wet bathing suits and towels are often strung across the lanai with great care.

Even if you are living in a cave, you couldn't miss the radiant glow of all the Sarasota neighborhoods shimmering with bright lights around town…and on boats! Pine trees are trucked in from up north and sold in red and white tents along the roads. The Salvation Army volunteers ring bells and take donations. Shoppers hustle through the malls and stores spending more than necessary. But, these things are all done while we are wearing shorts and flip flops.  Just another day in Paradise!

Some folks turn the air conditioning down as far as it will go, (I have been known to do that at my wife’s request) to get the house cool enough to light a fire in the fireplace. (The local grocery stores carry firewood.) Others go all out with lights and decorations all around the house, the same as up north. Cookies are baked, hams and turkeys are roasted, and families manage to connect, even if it is across the phone and internet lines. The holidays are still special no matter where you are. So, to all those contemplating joining us in the Sunshine State, come on down and buy a home in Sarasota…you will not regret your move. You will soon make new friends, start new traditions and enjoy the Holidays in a new way.  The holidays are the holidays no matter what part of the country you happen to be in, but if you have yet to experience a uniquely Florida holiday, I encourage you to come and visit. Grab your sandals and come on down. And I am confident that you will fall in love with Sarasota and want to buy a house! And when you do, I'm your Hometown Sarasota Realtor!

This holiday season, I am especially grateful for all my clients and friends! Thank you for your trust, business, referrals and friendship.  Thank you for letting me help you with these life transitions.  I wish you happiness and peace during this holiday season and in the year ahead. 

Getting a Building Permit at Marina Jack's?!

Before I went away to college at the University of Florida and subsequently went into the Air Force, I worked with my dad. I got a great education from him. He was a builder in Sarasota in the 1950’s and 60’s. He built one spec house at a time, sold it and began another. At first, I helped with all of the menial tasks that an apprentice in the construction/carpentry trades would encounter in a craft/apprentice environment. The mindset of this arrangement was to ensure a full and comprehensive knowledge in training to be a craftsman. It was a carryover from my grandfather, who was a German trained master cabinet maker. While certainly not fun at first, I did learn the construction trade in depth and this valuable knowledge has aided me in my profession as a Real Estate agent in Sarasota, Florida.

I started learning the building trades the summer of my 12^th year and I clearly remember going with my dad down to the foot of Main Street where The City Pier, which housed Sarasota County Building Department was at that time, to get permits. In those days, believe it or not, the building department was right where Marina Jack’s is now!  And getting a permit was much different in those days. Dad knew everyone in the Building Department and we would just walk in, chat for a few minutes and walk out with our permit.

The City Pier has quite a history. It was one of the first projects undertaken when the colonists arrived in the Sarasota area from Scotland in late December 1885. The only way to travel between Sarasota and points north was by boat, and without a docking facility, the young community would be isolated from its neighbors and the rest of the world. This pier was once home to the Hoover Arcade, the City Fire Department and City Hall. At one time, it also housed Dave Broadway’s Oyster Café, an ice cream parlor, the Lyric Theater and various other offices. In 1948, the building was devoted entirely to City Hall.

Until 1967, the city's business continued to be conducted in the old Hover Arcade at the foot of lower Main Street, with its inviting archway onto the city pier as it had since 1917. The city manager, Ken Thompson, hired in 1950 was still at the helm guiding Sarasota through these transitional years. From 1917 until 1967 when it was razed, the iconic building became an enduring symbol of Sarasota and one of my favorite boyhood memories.

The entire Sarasota Bayfront began taking on an upscale appearance with the construction of Marina Mar at the City Pier site, known today as Marina Jack. It was built to put “Sarasota on the yachtsman's map” along with the addition of Island Park. Within a short period construction began and was completed in 1965. Marina Mar sold to Jack Graham and Jack Anderson, and the name was changed to Marina Jack. The complex had 110 boat slips, and could berth vessels up to 65 feet long. The marina was the only one between St. Petersburg and Boca Grande that was capable of handling the larger vessels. The restaurant afforded diners panoramic view of the downtown skyline westward to Bird Key, which it still does today.

There are many beautiful residences of all kinds near and around our iconic Bayfront, so if you are looking for a home in Sarasota, let’s meet at Marina Jack and I will share some wonderful stories about My Home Town and help you find your dream home.

Credits: The Sarasota Historical Society , The Sarasota Herald Tribune, Jeff LaHurd, Sarasota Magazine, Sarasota History Alive

The Lido Beach Casino's Magical Seahorses

If a magical creature like a Seahorse can exist, it’s seems to me that the world is open to anything you can dream up. Some of my fondest teenage memories are of the Lido Beach Casino and the seahorses. The majestic eight-foot tall seahorses were the design of the building’s architect, Ralph Twitchell. They were cast of concrete in molds created from full-sized, hand drawn templates. They were then attached to the façade of the casino to create an eye-catching motif on the second story promenade of the building. For almost 30 years they stood as sentinels casting an eye out to sea and affording the perfect backdrop for a magical photo portrait in paradise.

The iconic seahorses and The Lido Beach Casino offered something for everyone, and especially for me and my teenage friends in the late 50’s and early 60’s. We spent every summer day playing volleyball, swimming in the huge pool and hanging out at the Bather’s Grill (pictured above top right), chowing down hot dogs and burgers and girl-watching. As a life-long resident, the Lido Casino was an enduring symbol for me and although it only stood for 29 years, I can still picture in my mind this magnificent structure with the four giant seahorses looking towards the Gulf of Mexico.

My wife’s late father, artist John Hardy, used to reminisce of his ‘time with the seahorses’. He was in the Air Force in the mid to late 40’s and remembered being bused from MacDill Air Base in Tampa to the Lido Casino and said it was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was one of the reasons he moved to Sarasota after WWII along with his acceptance into Ringling College of Art and Design. He would be delighted to know that an exact replica of the seahorses is at the Hartman Gallery, then owned by Bill and Marty Hartman, fellow students at Ringling.

It was a sad day when we all found out that the Casino was to be torn down due to damage from salt, sea and sun and it was demolished in 1969. Before it was completely razed, a number of the seahorses were carefully removed. Then the building was gone and the seahorses disappeared from sight. (They are now privately owned). But…those seahorses as replicas kept popping up, first at the Sarasota Quay, which has since been torn down and now at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, at the Mote Marine Aquarium and the Hartman Gallery.

The memories remain for me and all who enjoyed the marvelous Lido Beach Casino complex. So now when I cast my memories back, it's nice to know I can still go see my magical seahorses in my Hometown. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Sarasota, Florida, call me at 941-957-3311 and I will find your dream property and tell you some stories about growing up in Sarasota.
Here is a wonderful video about the famous Lido Beach Casino:

https://youtu.be/URYFZ1L7JDI

  

Credits: Jeff LaHurd, Lidokey.net, laurelparkhistoricdistrict.com

Memories of Siesta Key

My wife and I both grew up in Sarasota. We are Baby Boomers, so we have seen a lot of changes over the years. One of my wife’s favorite stories is about a condo I sold on Siesta Key at Beach Villas. When I mentioned the listing to Liz, she asked me the address and when I told her it was 221 Beach Road, she got teary-eyed.

She and her family lived at that EXACT address in the mid-50’s through the early 60’s. Her aunt and uncle owned 13 little cottages just around the curve of Beach Road, coming south from Siesta Village. There were two little cottages right on the beach and the rest were just across on Beach Road. They were simple little places – pecky cyprus walls, no air conditioning (but a wonderful gulf breeze blowing through the Australian pines), and  sulfur water (no water treatment plants then) but she didn’t mind any of it. She remembers when there were no buildings taller than two stories and nothing blocking access to the beautiful sugar sand beaches along Siesta Key…and few people on the beach back then, especially in the summer. Her days were filled with building sand castles, picking up shells (she still has a huge shell collection) and the feel of tiny sand crabs and live coquinas wriggling between her toes as she walked the wide, white sand along the shoreline. She describes walking barefoot to Siesta Sundries in The Village and buying Supergirl comic books and cherry cokes at the soda fountain. Those were the days!

Even though we miss those days gone by, Siesta Key is still incredibly beautiful and a fabulous place to live and play. It’s the number one beach in the world, and Siesta Village is filled with great places to eat and buy beach treasures. I have sold several properties on Siesta Key and have a listing now at 1156 W PEPPERTREE DRIVE Unit# 114C in Peppertree Bay. Call me at 941-315-1185 to find your dream home on Siesta Key – and my wife can tell you some great stories!

School Days

Sarasota County has many great schools. As a Realtor in Sarasota with Re/Max Alliance Group, I am often asked by buyers about our schools. I am a hometown ‘boy’ who grew up in Sarasota, and I was in the very first graduating class of Cardinal Mooney High School. I began my school days on the very first day of the existence of St. Martha’s School in 1950 and my last year of high school was at the Fruitville Road location of Cardinal Mooney High. It seemed that they were literally building the school right ahead of my class, and in fact, some classes were held in the church pews until the classroom was ready!

Cardinal Mooney High School was established by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley and first opened in 1959 in temporary quarters at Bell Shopping Plaza with classes held in eight rented stores. We went to nearby St. Martha's Elementary School for physical education classes and did reference work at the public library. 

In early 1960 a 34-acre tract of land on Fruitville Road was purchased as the permanent location for Cardinal Mooney High School. Students moved into the first classroom buildings in November, 1960 and I graduated two years later. Today, Sarasota County Schools have 41,395 students attending 62 schools in grades PK and K-12. My how we’ve grown!

There are many great schools in Sarasota County:

Public Schools List: http://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/schools.aspx

Private Schools List : http://www.privateschoolreview.com/florida/sarasota-county

If you are looking for a great home to raise your kids near any of our schools in Sarasota, Florida, I can assist with finding just the right location. Call me at 941-315-1185.

Times Gone By

I have lived in Sarasota all my life and have been with Re/Max Alliance Group for more than 15 years. My hometown of Sarasota has seen many changes over the decades. For a very long time, my wife and I used to shop at the Publix and eat lunch at the restaurants at the Ringling Shopping Center. For now, at least we can still park under a tree and ‘brown bag it’ in the parking lot. It’s a little sad for those of us who remember the good ‘ol days.

In 1955, the excitement around town was the opening of Sarasota's first shopping center on Ringling Boulevard.  The Ringling Shopping Center with Publix Supermarket as its anchor, opened for business on what had been a golf driving range. The first stores in the center were Beauteria Beauty Shop, Belk-Lindsey, Coach Butterfield Toys, Center Shoe Repair, Jimmy Crews Barber Shop, Crowders Bros. Hardware, Darby Cleaners, Diana Shops, Grants Sweet Shop, the S&H Stamp Reception Center, Touchton Rexall Drug Store and F.W. Woolworth.

By the end of the 1950’s, Sarasota shoppers had two major shopping centers to take their business to. The second shopping center, South Gate, opened in 1957, commerce shifted away from downtown, and the once lively downtown area went into a downward spiral.  Except for some cosmetic upgrades and changes in the stores though, the Ringling Shopping Center remained as is had always been until 2010. At that point Publix moved to it’s Tamiami Trail location in the former Sarasota Herald Tribune Building and tentative plans were made to open a neighborhood Walmart at the old Ringling Shopping Center location. Those plans were rejected in 2013 and our little shopping center is now mostly vacant. But the good news is that the Sarasota Downtown has revived into a very vibrant destination to live, work and play.

As for the Ringling Shopping Center, we still enjoy our bag lunches and our happy memories of days gone by. Maybe someday that little former gem of a shopping center will be revived. In the meantime, I am going strong, serving the real estate needs of  Sarasota...my home town. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Sarasota, call me at 941-315-1185.

Credits: Jeff LaHurd, Sarasota Patch, The Observer

The Rosemary District

Living in Sarasota all my life and being a Realtor who sells in downtown Sarasota, I am very excited to hear all the news blurbs about the makeover of the up-and-coming Rosemary District. The unique Rosemary District, once known as Overtown, was part of the original plat of the Town of Sarasota in 1885.  If you're somewhat old-fashioned and maybe a bit romantic, you’re likely to fall in love with the Rosemary District in downtown Sarasota.

The Rosemary District holds deep roots in Sarasota. In fact, the area’s historical significance dates back the area’s founding in the 19th Century. The Rosemary District thrived throughout Sarasota’s earliest years, but as shopping malls and new housing developments tore people away from downtown in the 1970's and 80's, the District suffered along with other downtown communities. By the 1980's, many of its buildings were vacant and its businesses dead. Yet downtown Sarasota's redevelopment has spun into Rosemary.

In 1995, residents and local businesses formed a group to raise funds for restoring and modernizing the Rosemary District. As you walk the streets of this charming neighborhood, you can’t help but feel the cultural journey the area is taking. With its dynamic architecture, mom and pop shops, cafes, boutiques, art studios and galleries, the Rosemary District is not just seen as a center for urban development but also one of the roots of the cultural heart of Sarasota.

 Today the Rosemary District is a diverse and thriving community, the setting for a variety of locally-owned small businesses – cafés, boutiques, galleries, and art studios – as well as attractive residential properties ranging from charming bungalows to spacious high-rise condos. The Rosemary District is filled with places to go and things to do.

I, and Re/Max Alliance Group in Sarasota, remain excited and poised to serve you and help you to enjoy the wonderful future that downtown Sarasota is embracing. If you are looking for a great place to live in downtown Sarasota, call me at 941-315-1185.