Downtown Sarasota does not disappoint as a small city so if you're a person that considers
themselves an urbanite looking to move to a smaller city or if you're interested in learning
more about downtown Sarasota in general come with me on this tour as we will explore all the great
things that downtown Sarasota has to offer so let's get started first let's look at the downtown
location in relations to Sarasota as a whole now downtown is four miles from St. Armands circle
five miles to Lido Beach seven miles to Siesta Key beach nine miles to the University Town Center for
shopping and 13 miles to Lakewood Ranch if you want a change of scenery all major points of
interest in Sarasota are very accessible from downtown within a short driving distance away
every point of interest I will be discussing today is walkable from main street main street
and its neighboring streets are the heart and soul of downtown Sarasota the area is
quaint and offers boutique stores cozy coffee shops and galleries that showcase beautiful art
pieces from a variety of talents the area is buzzing with many choices of great restaurants
bars and live bands to choose from there are too many to list here but noteworthy
restaurants are Boca restaurant on Lemon Avenue offering a farm to table focus Mediterraneo for
contemporary Italian food on main street and Owens Fish Camp on Burns Court for fresh seafood
plenty of live music and dancing venues can be found downtown which includes the Gator club the
Gator club is set in a historical building which has survived a main street fire in people come
here for live reggae and blue session in the main floor across the street from the Gator club is
Madison City Grill for those looking for outdoor dining live concerts and dancing all in one place
one of my favorite things to do in downtown sarasota is dining right by the sarasota bay
for a great water view dining experience locals and tourists alike will choose Marina Jack for the
great vistas the downstairs part offers a casual setting with live music nights downtown sarasota
is a visually stunning place with high rises mid-rises townhomes single-story homes and amazing
vistas of the Sarasota Bay and Ringling Bridge now two places that provide really nice views
are the Westin and the Artovation roof decks the westin's 19th floor roof deck offers some of the
highest 360 degree views the Artovation is another great option it's a great option especially for
those like me that don't like to be that high up it is in a six-story building and the roof deck
area has become a hip meeting spot for many with the occasional DJ performances in the evenings
these are must visit places to enjoy especially during the sunset while grabbing a bite to eat and
drinks from the bar north and south palm avenue which intersect main street boasts many different
art galleries for the art enthusiasts interested in paintings photography and sculptures this is
a great place to also go window shopping for art pieces which brings me to my next point which is
sarasota is known for the cultural center on the west coast many theater and art venues are located
right in downtown sarasota the venusal performing arts hall which is located by the Sarasota Bay
offers theater music comedy performances from artists really that come from all over the world
and then there's Florida Studio Theater in the heart of downtown which has become a nationally
known regional theater offering not only live performances but also theater classes for adults
and children now for a more intimate setting in a much smaller venue the Urbanite Theater will
literally lift your spirits with what feels like such an immersive experience theater.
The art center Sarasota was founded in 1926 and is the first art organization in Sarasota
it has three galleries with contemporary works for opera fans Sarasota Opera House is a renovated
1100 seat theater and it's also premier opera company in the Florida Suncoast now for those
that love laughing McCurdy's Comedy Club has made Sarasoteans and visitors
laugh over 30 years and in that spirit Burns Court is a quaint neighborhood nestled in downtown
Sarasota between Pineapple Avenue and Burns Court it has that old Florida feel with a splash
of artistic vibes and includes the Burns Court movie theater that showcases independent movies
from all over the world now what about nature though for those looking to spend time in nature
there are two main parks to choose from first the bay front park is right by Sarasota Bay and offers
amazing views of the bay the Ringling Bridge the Marina and the city skyline it is our waterfront
green park with sculptures to admire a playground for the kids and a tiki bar right by the water
now locals come here to walk their dogs to jog or bike on the paved trail that goes all around
the park you can also lay out blankets for a picnic or hang up a hammock and just relax
second paint park is a beautiful green lush 29 acre public park used for recreational events
it used to be a baseball park but now offers a dog-friendly walking path playground and 12 clay
tennis courts this is a nice downtown escape into nature for sure there are also much smaller dog
friendly parks in the city including selby five points park there's so many places to run and walk
around outside we already talked about the parks one additional place that people use as a running
and walking grounds is the ringling bridge which connects downtown sarasota with lido shores some
of the most beautiful views can be seen from the bridge towards downtown and Sarasota Bay
making the trek over the bridge well worth it now in Sarasota we have a popular trail that runs from
the southern side of Sarasota to Venice called the Legacy Trail that trail is getting extended
and will be coming into downtown Sarasota over the next few years so let's talk about shopping
the shopping scene offers a nice selection from home decor clothing arts gifts and much much more
and for those health conscious shoppers you'll be happy to hear this that the Whole Foods store
is up the street from main street making this eco-friendly grocery store just a step away
an abundance of events are organized through the year in downtown Sarasota as well for example the
Sarasota farmers market is every saturday morning from 7 a.m to 1 p.m and it's located between Main
Street and Lemon Avenue and showcases over 70 vendors selling plants foods and local produce
to the public now for the art enthusiasts every third Friday from October to may is the art walk
in Towles Court which lies on the outskirts of downtown it features art music refreshments and
then the Sarasota Film Festival happens every year and this year will run virtually from April 30th
to May 9th it will host independent films from all over the world prior to the pandemic it
would bring over 100 filmmakers and actors to the Sarasota area it was truly a must experience event
now in walking distance from downtown is the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens the property offers
breathtaking views of Sarasota Bay and truly is kind of a tropical oasis helping visitors
connect with a variety of different plants they also hold special events on the grounds all year
round including my favorite which is the open air holiday show in December called Lights in Bloom so
now let's talk about the bay project because it will evolve the heartbeat of downtown Sarasota.
The Bay is a project looks to transform a 53 acre bay front area very similar to what the updated
pier has done for downtown St. Pete the bay park will become a gathering ground where the entire
community can come together project is in phase one there's so much more to come though so stay
tuned as you probably noted downtown Sarasota has so much to offer within a short walking distance
and that is the main value proposition for living in downtown Sarasota now if you enjoyed this video
please like it and also subscribe to this channel for more videos like this one if you've been to
downtown Sarasota what do you like about it let me know in the comment section I would love to
hear your thoughts thank you so much for tuning in I'll see you in my next video have a great day