Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

hi ..just wondering if anyone knows what that area of Florida is like ? Im currenly in rural NY but im going slowly crazy here!! Nothing to do noone around no pubs (im scottish)!!
I married an American and have 2 small kids and were thinking about relocating to Florida just dont know where? anyone any advice?
thanks
emma

Check out Tallahassee it's a great place to raise a family.
We also have a really big Celtic thing going on here in the city.
I swear these yanks are more Scottish/ Irish than the real people.
All the same come the weekend of the Celtic festival they all come out of the woodwork and get involved.

We have been here 3 years now and love it.
Just do a search on Tallahassee via Google, it's all there.

Sarasota is a fast growing city, beautiful beaches, some fun museums shops etc. Don't know about the bars but I am sure they are there plus you are not too far from Tampa. One amusing thing is that there is a British'ethnic' food section in some of the supermarkets. I have some friends who live down there and they love it although the summer is very hot and humid. I go down at easter rent a house near Siesta Key the kids love it. That might be good way to start.

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

Upstate NY?

yes upstate a bit...were an hour east of Pougheepsie close t the border with Connecticut an hour from Danbury. little town called Amenia!!!!

thats a dodgy country in Europe isnt it?

yes Armenia! Very Dodgy!

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

I haven't visited Sarasota, but have stayed many times in Bradenton which is close by. There are plenty of beaches and shops there. Very laid back lifestyle, it is totally excellent!

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

If I remember correctly, there's a thread about Florida from 1997 if you'd like to dig that one up for us as well.

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

Sarasota's nice and just next door to Tampa. Nice Brit pub in Dunedin called the Cricketer's Arms. The whole Southwest coast of Florida is gorgeous. The Tampa Bay area is more built up than some others. The only downsides are the Hurricane risk, the Redneck Factor, the Snowbirds, Bad Drivers, the Southern State factor..........there must be more. There's lots of Brits in Tampa Bay.

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

I grew up in FL and love the west coast. Sarasota is gorgeous and has the most beautiful beaches! I think it would be a great place to raise a family and is an easy drive to Tampa which has flights from the UK. It is also a few hours drive to Orlando which is great with kids as they will love the theme parks. (Being a FL resident will also entitle you to discounts at them!)

I know there are tons of expats living in Orlando, but I'm not sure if that is what you would be looking for with a family. Jacksonville on the east coast may also be an option for you. It's just over an hours drive to Daytona Bch and has a large spread out area. There are beaches and lots of shopping malls and conveniences. The areas of Jacksonville are almost broken up into little communities.

I went to university in Tallahassee and would not recommend it. There are so many better places to live in FL. Tallahassee is a very big "college town" and although it is the state capital, doesn't have that much to offer. It was fun for me while I was in Uni as the town goes all out for FSU and the football games, but I would never want to live there again or raise a family there. I could write a whole list of things that are wrong for the town, but won't go into it here!

Overall though I think the Sarasota area would be a great choice!

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

Oh yes, and I've been to Amenia before! I have some family in the Dover Plains/ Wingdale area.

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

Saraota,was voted best small city to live in America.,fantastic beaches,two British food shops, couple of Brit pubs,Escallating property prices,very busy from Nov - April,Very,very hot and humid from about May - Oct,still in the 80s now.2 hrs drivr to Disney,1 hour to Tampa int airport BA do a direct flight from Gatwick.Sarasota is thriving and getting busier everyday,however it is also getting very expensive to live here.If you dont mind the heat and humidity its great.Anyone with any sense and money has usually left by mid April.

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

Sarasota is still lovely but very crowded and overpriced now. It always was more expensive to live there but it used to be paradise 13 years ago...before Sara got on the tourist map. Siesta key has the 'whitest sand in the world' and is beautiful despite the hordes. When we first moved there, you could go to the beach on a Saturday and be the only ones there...now, you can't get a parking space down there on the weekends...and circling for 30 mins or so to battle for a space in very hot humid conditions ain't funny...its so bad now we only get to the beach if we have a rare day off in the week. Sara is geared for retirees..RICH retirees, hence its not geared for families...as more and more families have moved into the area over the last 10 years its caused problems with overcrowding in schools etc. There are two decent public high schools..Pine View and Riverview, wouldn't bother with the rest. Outdoor Academy is quite a good private school, although the best private school is St Stephens in neighbouring Bradenton. Utilities, sales tax, property taxes are all more expensive than Bradenton..and, in general, houses will cost you $100,000 more than if you live further out.

University Parkway..is a good place to live- you get the Sarasota address but pay Manatee (Bradenton) utilities. There are some lovely developments on University- Palm Aire being one.

Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota is the place to be for families- its fairly new development, is huge and aiming to become its own city. I believe they have their own high school now (or planned) and they have a great medical centre and recently opened their own hospital.

There are really grotty areas in Sarasota too- it has its fair share of slums and Sarasota police dept is slow...takes forever to move them.
Arts- there's a small ballet company run by Robert De Warren ( ex Royal Ballet) and an opera company- Ringling museum and art school- two good theatres and a community theatre. There's a good library and New college, Sarasota, was voted the best value for money for small colleges- amittance is selective. USF has a campus in Sarasota...NOT recommended. The only Community College is in Bradenton. It has a vocational private college, Keiser College and a local Votech.
Northport, about an hour South but still in Sarasota County is the fastest growing area in florida and houses are much cheaper, but you have to be very careful where you buy down there... major flooding (that is a concern everywhere though and it doesn't matter what you pay..even The Landings, a very expensive subdivision in Sarasota, floods!).
We moved out to Ellenton two years ago to get in on the ground level (its developing rapidly) as an investment and we love it out here- its quiet and very relaxing. My hubby still works in Sara and he gets to work much quicker from here than when we lived in the city 10 miles from the company. Every year, the roads got busier and in winter when the snowbirds arrive..driving round Sara is a real pain and rush hour is hell. We got fed up with it. Snowbirds are the bane of your life in Winter, but the local businesses wouldn't survive without them- they need them to come spend their money. Restaurants, roads, parking lots etc get overcrowded in Winter and prices go up. In the Summer, off season, its hot and too humid and there are storms and hurricanes to spice things up but the place calms down a bit, prices come down and its much easier everyday living.

Florida is not known for high wages or good education- stay up North if those are important to you.

Re: Sarasota area?? Whats it like?
 

Shame nobody bother to read that this thread is over a year old. The OP never did go to Florida, and is currently on her way back to the UK from NY.