About Sarasota

Read Below To See What The National Media Has Been Saying About Sarasota

I invite you to find out why Sarasota is continuously picked by national publications as one of the best places to live and why Money Magazine as recently wrote that Sarasota is one of the ten best cities to retire young in 2007 and rated Sarasota as one of the best small cities in America.

Dubbed the ‘Cultural Capital of Florida’ by its neighbors from across the state Sarasota is home to the Van Wezel Performing Art Hall, the Asolo Theatre Company, the Florida West Coast Symphony, the Jazz Club of Sarasota, the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, the Selby Botanical Gardens, the Ringling Museum of Fine Art, the Sarasota Film Festival, the Towles Court Artist Colony, and over 30 art galleries, it’s no wonder Sarasota as become a favorite destination for the culturaled elite.

Another one of Sarasota’s claims to fame is its 35 miles of spectacular soft powdery beaches that stretch along the West shores of its seven magnificent barrier islands. Longboat Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key, Manasota Key, and the Gulf of Mexico are all doing there part to shape this coastal community into one of the finest vacation destinations in the world.

Once known primarily as a retirement destination, Sarasota County today is experiencing rapid growth among the young professionals who want to earn an above average income in a flourishing community that is recognized as a great place to raise a family.

Sarasota, along with its neighbor to the North, Manatee County and its neighbor to the South, Charlotte County makes up the 7th largest market in the state of Florida. It’s also considered the third-fastest growing major market in the state with over 6000,000 habitants. In the last 5 years, it has grown 4 times faster than the national average. One third of Sarasota’s population consists of retirees, but the fastest-growing segment of the market is middle-aged adults and their children’s. Sarasota is expected to exceed 378,000 people by the year 2010

Read what the media has said about Sarasota

 

Forbes.com/Milken Institute has ranked the Sarasota-Bradenton area as the 39th “Best Place to Live” out of 294 U.S. metro areas (2002).

USA Today named Sarasota one of “10 Great Places to Take a Dip in Healing Waters”

Money Magazine named Sarasota one of the nation’s “Best Places to Live” ranking the community seventh on a list led by New York City. (December, 2001)

Money Magazine named Sarasota the “Best Small City in the United States.” (December, 2000)

League of American Bicyclists named Sarasota a “Bicycle Friendly Community Designation”

Mothering Magazine named Sarasota one of the “Top 25 Terrific Places to Bring up a Family” (2001).

Modern Maturity named Sarasota as the “3rd Best Big City in Which to retire.” (May-June, 2000)

The Daily Sun named Sarasota one of the “Top 10 Most Romantic Gateways in Florida”

Expansion Management Magazine named Sarasota the “6th Best Metropolitan Area for Standard of Living” in the Country. (November, 2000)

Money Magazine named Sarasota as the “21st Best Place to live in the United States.”

Newsweek Magazine recognized Sarasota for it’s “Best Beach & Ballpark Combo”

Money Magazine ranked Sarasota as one of the “Top 20 Places to Retire.”

US News named Venice as one of “10 best places to retire for 2007”

Country Living Gardener named Selby Botanical Garden “One of the Top Ten Botanical Gardens in America”

Entrepreneur Magazine placed Sarasota as the “6th Best Medium-sized City in the United States.” It also named Sarasota as the “8th Best City in the South” (regardless of size).

Florida Trend Magazine named Venice as one of the “top 10 small towns in Florida” (April, 2001)

Forbes Magazine named Sarasota the 44th “Best Place to Live and Do Business” out of the largest 150 U.S. Metro Areas (2003).

Expansion Management Magazine has rated Sarasota a four star community, one of only two to achieve this rank in all of Florida (2003)

Family Fun & Attraction Magazine named Sarasota “Best in Family Beach Destination”

Business Development Outlook Magazine has selected Sarasota as one of the “25 Choice Cities” – the most desirable cities into which a business can relocate or expand for 2001-2002. (November/December, 2001)

Forbes Magazine ranked Sarasota “37th Best Place for Business and Careers” out of 200 metro areas nationwide. (May, 2001)

AARP ranked Sarasota 4th “Best Place to Reinvent your Life” in America.

Forbes Magazine named Sarasota the “47th Best Place for Business and Careers” out of the top 200 U.S. Metro areas.

Employment Review and BestJobs.USA has selected Sarasota as the “Best Place in Florida to Live and Work” and the “3rd Best Place in the Nation to Live and Work.” (June, 2001)

Expansion Management Magazine (3rd straight year) has chosen the Sarasota-Bradenton area as a “Five-star Community on their Quality of Life quotient - Best Places to Live and Work.” (May, 2001)

BizMiner Business Vitality Review ranked the Sarasota/Bradenton metro area as the “3rd Best Second-Tier Metropolitan City for Business Relocations Nationwide.” It is ranked 1st in Florida. (May, 2001)

Travel Channel/USA Today named Sarasota’s beaches among “Americas Best Beaches“

www.bizjournals.com gave Sarasota/Bradenton MSA received 5 stars (the highest rating) (2000)

Time and Money Magazine both named Sarasota’s New College as the “2nd Best College Bargain in the Country.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked the Sarasota/Bradenton area “3rd in the Nation in Job Growth.”

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine ranked New College the 7th best value in public higher education.

Money Magazine placed Sarasota Schools in the “Top 100 in the Nation” as well as naming the Sarasota/Bradenton area as the “21st Best Place to Live in the U.S.”

Southern Living Magazine named Sarasota “The Nation’s Per Capita Arts Capital”