Venice

In Jacaranda West, the Florida sun is dependable. “Here there’s a good mix of snowbirds and full-timers,” says Michael Gray, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker. Residents flock from up north to enjoy the reliable Florida heat in one of Jacaranda West’s many gated communities, each of which has its own distinct personality and amenities. Whether based in Heron Lakes, Meadow Run or Lake of the Woods, residents here are always a 6-mile drive from historic downtown Venice, or “Venice Island,” for all their shopping needs. There’s no shortage of golf courses here, and neighbors often bond while practicing their swing. Jacaranda West’s streets are lined with palm trees, and most of the area’s single-family homes are less than 30 years old and don Spanish-influenced detailing. Prospective buyers will also find ranch-styles and condo options here. Common to Jacaranda West are planned communities where prospective buyers can choose from a variety of housing styles. Average sale prices vary, but in the sought-after Heron Lakes community, single-story villas can sell for approximately $300,000. Most homes also include two-car ports and local roads curve around carefully-maintained ponds. Some properties come equipped with hurricane shutters, a protective measure against Southwest Florida storms. A few minutes south, in the Lakes of Jacaranda community, a three-bedroom property surrounded by mature fruit trees can sell for upwards of $600,000. Some residents even have their own pools, ideal for escaping the Florida heat or entertaining visiting grandchildren. Most planned communities also include Home Owner’s Association fees to cover shared facilities costs and property maintenance. Students living in Jacaranda West are incorporated into the Sarasota County School system which includes Garden Elementary, Venice Middle, and Venice High. All three schools received a grade of A-minus or higher from the educational review site Niche. Venice High School is known for its emphasis on the arts, and the theater department performs at the local Venice Institute for Performing Arts. Sarasota County juniors and seniors are given the opportunity to join the VIP Arts Academy’s Apprenticeship Program, which will give them the opportunity to collaborate with industry professionals. The Venice Village Shoppes, home to a Publix supermarket, Joann Fabric and Crafts, and more, is just a couple of miles away from Jacaranda West via United States Highway 41. Nearby, locals can enjoy quick bites from chain restaurants like Panera, Outback Steakhouse and Skillets, which is known for its thick-cut smokehouse bacon. A few miles north, Detwiler’s Farm Market is home to locally-sourced produce, an old-fashioned butcher’s shop and even hand-dipped ice cream. Or for a classy date night and a wider selection of shops, make the quick drive to historic downtown Venice. Here, Gray says there’s no shortage of top-notch Italian restaurants. Head to a wine bar or sample gelato at one of the many spots located along Venice Avenue. Residents of Jacaranda West have prime access to Floridian staples: immaculate golf and pristine beaches. Open to members and the public, The Jacaranda West Country Club offers an award-winning 18-hole golf course where players can also take lessons from seasoned instructors. And of course, the white sand Venice beaches are just 9 miles west. Scan the waves for dolphins and, on rare occasions, manatees. Within each gated community, residents have access to a unique list of activities. In Lake of the Woods, for instance, residents come together for yard sales, meet up in the clubhouse, or challenge one another to tennis matches on the community courts. Or on a rainy day, families can attend a youth storytime at the Jacaranda Public Library or a “read with the dogs” session, an event where animals from the Suncoast Humane Society are also present. On Sundays, head to Wellen Park to watch the Venice Symphony perform a concerto free of charge. In addition to golf courses and days at the beach, locals can also enjoy the more rugged pathways of Alligator Creek Conservation and Recreation Area. Look out for Red-Shouldered Hawks, bobcats and Wood Storks. In Jacaranda West, it's not all that uncommon to spot residents riding their golf carts down the street. Locals have easy access to Venice Island which, along with its famous selection of shops and restaurants, is also home to a small municipal airport. The two runways are mainly used for privately owned aircrafts and medical personnel. “You’re in the middle of everything,” says Gray, pointing out the proximity of Interstate 75, which can take residents 50 minutes up north to the much larger Sarasota Bradenton Airport. Sarasota Memorial Hospital, brand new and nationally ranked, is just 8 miles, or a short 15-minute drive away. As Coldwell Banker Realtor Jackie Robertson jokes, “You could even ride your bike to it.” The hospital is known for specializing in the fields of gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and urology.

Southern Florida history and local commerce Situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the historic community of Edgewood offers a desirable combination of single-family homes and close proximity to a myriad of merchants in downtown Venice. Developed in the early 1920s, Edgewood has a long-standing reputation as a working-class neighborhood and was instated as a result of locomotive engineers advocating for adequate housing for all income ranges. Residents of Edgewood are within walking distance of an abundance of historic monuments like the Venice Train Depot, local boutiques and restaurants like Wee Blew Inn Restaurant and lush green space at Mundy Park. “Edgewood is an affordable neighborhood,” says long-time local Jackie Kennedy, a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Company. “You’re looking at homes in the mid $300,000s, generally speaking.” Mediterranean revivals and stucco ramblers Edgewood features a range of housing options from Mediterranean revivals and newly constructed contemporary cottages to traditional ranch styles. The community boasts subdivisions with or without a Home Owners Association, resulting in custom home additions in areas like North Edgewood. With a median sales price of $319,000, price points here can range from the mid 100,000s to upwards of $700,000 depending on the age, size and location of the property. For example, a two-bedroom ranch-style fixer-upper costs around $155,000, while a newly constructed two-bedroom Mediterranean revival neighboring East Venice Avenue can go for around $690,000. Newly constructed homes along East Venice Avenue are subject to increased price points. Homes here often feature paved driveways, single-car garages and are typically fronted by mid-sized yards with room for a few palm trees. “Edgewood is an older well-established neighborhood — It features spacious yards and homes in good condition,” says Kennedy. Shopping at Venice Plaza Residents here shop at Venice Plaza, which offers a variety of department stores and retailers to choose from, T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Sally Beauty. While groceries and other everyday essentials are available at the locally sourced Detwiler's Farm Market or at Venice Commons for stores like Publix, Walgreens and 7-Eleven. Local shopping can be done along East Venice Avenue at locally-owned stores like Twist Boutique, Fugate's of Venice and Artisans Venice gift shop. When dining in the area, eateries are plentiful along Venice Avenue, providing residents with easy access to several restaurants like Sicilia Italian Pizzeria for highly rated authentic Italian cuisine or Wee Blew Inn Restaurant for homestyle cooking and American diner classics. For a more casual dining experience, locals visit Off-Trail Bike & Brew, a bicycle pub offering bar snacks and craft beer. High-marks for Sarasota County Schools Students in the Edgewood area can attend schools like Venice Elementary, Venice Middle and Venice High School, all three of which earned a ranking of A-minus or higher from the educational review site, Niche. Venice Elementary hosts an annual STEM Fair for students to present projects to encourage education outside the classroom, while Venice Middle School offers an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) that provides support and services to students with disabilities. Venice High School offers a rigorous curriculum and Advanced Placement (AP) courses for students to enroll. Private institutions like Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School are also common here. Sunbathing at nearby Venice Beach Residents of Edgewood are within walking distance of the paved basketball courts, handicap-accessible jungle gym and picnic tables for on-the-go lunch at Mundy Park. For crashing waves and sunbathing, residents here are just 2 miles from the wide sandy coast found at Venice Beach. Golf enthusiasts are in luck with Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club nearby, featuring 27 holes, a Jr. Olympic-sized swimming pool and a special events clubhouse for participating members to enjoy. The local Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County provides residents with after school activities like club baseball, outdoor track-and-field facilities and summer camps for neighborhood children. Venice Area Historical Society Located off East Venice Avenue, the historic Venice Train Depot was built in 1927 and is known as the central founding development of Venice, Florida. The Venice Area Historical Society provides free tours of the Depot weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Visitors can experience panel displays and artifacts illustrating key historic events as well as a retired circus train representative of when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus called Venice home between 1960 and 1992. Today, the Depot serves as a hub for the Breeze Transit bus service operated by Sarasota County Area Transit. Edgewood transportation and flood risk Edgewood is situated next to East Venice Avenue and bisected by U.S. Route-41, providing residents with easy access to downtown Venice and neighboring areas like Nokomis and South Venice. Residents seeking public transit options can take the Breeze Transit for trips in and around Edgewood starting at $1.50 for adults one-way. Edgewood riders can start their ride on bus route 9, which operates along East Venice Avenue and stops throughout the community. For those seeking to travel longer distances, the Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport is only 25 miles away from Edgewood. Homes in Edgewood are at a higher risk of hurricane damage and flooding due to its location on the Gulf of Mexico and sub-tropical climate. Sarasota County recommends preventative measures like electing in the National Flood Insurance Program, considering most homeowner’s insurance does not already include flood damage.

South Venice, a residential community near the Gulf of Mexico in southern Sarasota County, offers the calm convenience of Gulf Coast living. “It’s a nice, quiet neighborhood,” says Sean A. Seward, a Realtor with Keller Williams Island Life Realty. This waterfront area is home to a unique neighborhood feature – the South Venice Ferry. The ferry has been a community staple since the mid-1960s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created the Intracoastal Waterway. Previously, South Venice residents crossed a series of footbridges to get from the neighborhood’s west side to the adjacent Gulf beach. Residents also enjoy proximity to top-rated schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade and the Tamiami Trail, the region’s primary retail and dining corridor. The streets of South Venice are populated primarily by ranch homes built between the 1950s and the 1990s, with many having been remodeled in recent years. The spacious lots typically feature large yards and private drives, and many are enhanced by the presence of palm trees and custom landscaping. The median sales price of homes in South Venice is roughly $400,000, about 15 percent less than the median price in greater Venice. A quirk of the neighborhood infrastructure is that most homes are on well water, which means pumps need to be checked and maintained, but costly public utility bills are avoided. Coastal-style homes are among the larger, more architecturally distinct houses close to the Intracoastal Waterway. To compensate the community for removing the footbridges when the Intracoastal Waterway was built, the corps gave South Venice $150,000 for a ferry. To this day, residents can buy an annual pass for $150 that allows them convenient access to the beach every day from 9:30 a.m. to sunset. The ferry-pass requirement means the beach itself is rarely crowded, even during peak tourist season when other Gulf beaches are usually full and parking is hard to find. The result is that South Venice residents get to enjoy the tranquil setting of what is essentially a private beach. “When I was a kid from Ohio and we’d come down and ride the ferry, I thought that was awesome,” says Seward. There is a neighborhood boat ramp at the same location, and annual passes for its use are $120. South Venice also is home to Shamrock Park, a sprawling recreational center that includes an array of traditional amenities such as tennis and pickleball courts and features a nature center where visitors can learn about the native flor and fauna. A network of walkways connects directly to The Legacy Trail, a paved bike path that connects Venice to downtown Sarasota, and the Venetian Waterway, which circles all of Venice. Just north of the neighborhood are three top-rated Sarasota County public schools that students can attend. Venice Elementary School, Venice Middle School and Venice Senior High School all are A-rated institutions by Niche, and the high school also received a 9-out-of-10 from GreatSchools for college readiness. Venice High also boasts its own performing arts center. The convenience of living in South Venice extends to its location and its proximity to historic downtown Venice, which features boutiques, restaurants and other attractions in a charming, Old Florida setting less than 3 miles away on the Tamiami Trail. “It’s just so super conveniently located,” says Seward. The Tamiami Trail, which runs through much of the neighborhood, provides additional convenience with an array of eateries located along its business corridor. Highly rated neighborhood options include Lucarelli’s Italian and Baiyoke Thai Bistro. Less than a mile east is the Venice Village Shoppes, anchored by Publix and Target and including a variety of restaurants. The Tamiami Trail provides access to points of interest nearby and along the coast. Downtown Wellen Park, a contemporary mixed-use gathering place that is the centerpiece of south Sarasota County’s newest master-planned development, is only 7 miles directly east of the neighborhood. Downtown Sarasota is about 20 miles directly north along the Trail, which can be taken all the way into Bradenton to catch Interstate 275 for travel to St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay. Additionally, State Road 776, also known as Englewood Road, runs through the neighborhood and provides a quick trip to the quaint village of Old Englewood less than 10 miles south. The neighborhood is served by the South Venice Civic Association, which works out of a community center on Alligator Creek that opened in 1959 and remains a place for community events and classes. The association keeps residents up to date on news that affects them with a 12-page monthly newsletter delivered to their homes.

Those looking for an active golf club community in a relatively secluded location on Florida’s Gulf Coast may have found their perfect cup of tee in Pelican Pointe. Though Pelican Pointe is a mere 2 miles from downtown Venice and 3 miles from the city’s beaches and boutique shops, the community enjoys a desirable inland location amid ponds, streams and protected wetlands. “It’s a beautiful, unpretentious community without the bling of Venice,” says Robert Goldman, a retired real estate lawyer who moved to the gated, semi-private community and became a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Company. As for the golf, Pelican Pointe features 27 holes that can be played separately or together in any combination. The trio of nine-hole layouts designed by famed golf course architect Ted McAnlis plays anywhere from 5,326 to 7,182 yards, and they are open to all residents. “Because it’s semi-private, you can play as a member or play as part of the public,” says Goldman. Practice facilities include 25 grass turf hitting stations and an 8,000-square-foot putting green. Lessons are available from certified teaching professionals, including Sue Powers, the 2014 LPGA National Teacher of the Year. Nearby, Nancy Lopez Golf Adventures offers lessons, clinics, camps and golf-themed vacations for women. Instructors include the facility’s namesake, an LPGA Hall of Famer. Pelican Pointe comprises five subdivisions, each with its own community pool, and features a “vast assortment” of housing types, from single-story fourplexes to villas to traditional single-family homes. Residents enjoy spacious lots with large yards, private driveways and plenty of garage space. With an average sales price of about $640,000, homes in Pelican Pointe sell for an average of $140,000 dollars more than those in the surrounding area of Venice. Still, price points in the neighborhood are diverse and two-bedroom Spanish revivals with double-wide front garages can sell for as low $400,000 dollars. Larger homes in the neighborhood with up to 2,500 square feet can sell for up to $900,000 and feature pleasing, geometric designs cast in warm earth tones and generous yard space. Neighborhood students can attend nearby public schools of Sarasota County like Garden Elementary, which receives an A rating on Niche. Other top-rated schools include Venice Middle, which earns an A-minus and Venice High, which gets an A according to Niche. Another local option is SKY Academy Venice, a charter middle school located In the YMCA. The tuition-free institution, which stands for Strength and Knowledge at the Y, offers a curriculum based on research showing that physical activity primes the brain for learning. Aside from golf, residents of Pelican Pointe can also get active at the neighborhood club. Members have access to additional amenities that include an outdoor pool, tennis courts that are marked for pickleball play, a fitness center and dining facilities. Another option is the local Venice YMCA. The facility offers a standard array of athletic amenities and instructional classes. Plus, membership is free for students attending SKY Academy Venice. At Brohard Paw Park, dog owners can take their pups out to play with each other or swim with their owners in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Whether fishing, surfing or just going for long walks, residents of Pelican Pointe have an unlimited selection of beaches to choose from. Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club’s 22,000-square-foot clubhouse is the epicenter of community activity, and membership, as they say, has its privileges. “We have a very, very active social life here, and your HOA fees include a social membership,” says Goldman, who estimates 250-300 people attend a typical event. “We have everything from weekly trivia nights to the various holiday parties, and there’s a Sunday brunch each week.” Pelican Pointe’s social calendar is supplemented by a longstanding women’s association that offers dozens of activities for its nearly 600 members. Shopping and dining is kept convenient for residents of Pelican Pointe with the Venice Commons shopping center, located right along the intersection of Pinegrove Road and Venice Avenue. Anchored by a publix, picking up groceries is a breeze for residents and, on their way home, they can also pick up some dinner from local restaurants like China Wok, which serves a diverse menu of classic Chinese and Asian fusuion lunch and dinner items. Less than a mile away is the Tamiami Trail retail and dining corridor, which features everything from eateries and car dealerships to the hometown shopping experience of Detwiler’s Farm Market. While Pelican Pointe doesn't have much in the way of public transportation, the area is fairly bikable and many stores are not too far from home. The beach is about three miles by bike as well. Residents are also connected to nearby cities like Tampa by Interstate 75, which passes right by Venice. When traveling out of state, residents can take I-75 about 30 miles north to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, while, to find the nearest hospital, residents can head to the Doctors Hospital of Sarasotaright off the exit of I-75.

While much of Venice has been taken up by development, the community of Venice Farms just south of Interstate 75 is one of the few spots that still has some notably open land. Although fast growing, those seeking to settle in Sarasota County could find ample opportunities here, especially with newer homes. And as some locals quickly point out, this Gulf Coast community is within proximity of a number of desirable amenities, including its pristine white sand beaches, plenty of outdoor recreation spots and coastal dining options too. Like much of Sarasota County, homes here are commonly found in planned subdivisions most visibly identified by neat rows of detached single-family homes featuring low pitched, tiled roofs, complete with meticulously manicured lawns and palm trees. Prices for many homes in the area around Jacaranda Boulevard and East Venice Avenue fall within the $300,000 to roughly $700,000 range, depending on the age size and location of the property. For example, a modest single-story, three-bedroom home with light-colored siding and a front yard featuring a pair of palm trees can go for $535,000. While another single-story, three-bedroom Spanish revival style recently went for $610,000. One of the main retail destinations in Venice Farms is the Jacaranda Commons, a shopping center located just off the corner of East Venice Avenue and Jacaranda Boulevard. A Publix grocery store anchors this retail center. For dining options, residents can choose from options a little farther north along Jacaranda Boulevard, like BrewBurgers. Known for its gourmet burgers, some of which are named after the owner’s family members and friends, choices like the “Ollie G.” include homemade garlic and herb cheese, spicy olive tapenade and chipotle ranch dressing. While golf is obviously one of the leading pastimes here, recreation in Sarasota County isn’t limited to leisurely rounds on the courses. The county also has its fair share of natural outdoor destinations. Among them is the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve. Located just north of Venice Farms, the reserve offers outdoor activities and plenty of sightseeing. Visitors can hike or bike along the reserve's 100-plus miles of trails, or take the paths on horseback. For the more adventurous, opt to pack a tent and spend the night in the wilderness, or simply spend an afternoon out on the water paddling. The highly rated Sarasota County School District serves families in Venice Farms. Students here can attend Taylor Ranch Elementary School, Venice Middle School and Venice High School, all three of which received a grade of A-minus or higher from educational review site, Niche. Among other notable accolades, Venice High School is ranked by Niche as the 10th best high school in the state for athletes. For those seeking alternative options, private institutions like Venice Christian School are also available. The institution describes itself as a non-denominational private Christian school for students from prekindergarten all the way to 12th grade. The Breeze transit system covers all of the communities across Sarasota County, with the affiliated Breeze OnDemand minivans and SUVs going out to a handful of specific zones. Venice Farms is located right between I-75 and U.S. Highway 41, each of which provides direct connections to the major parts of Sarasota County. Being located right off I-75, residents of Venice Farms can also, on a greater scale, directly travel to their Gulf Coast neighbors like Tampa to the north and Fort Myers or Cape Coral to the south.