Sarasota has changed so much in the last 2 years a
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9/10/2013
I moved to Sarasota from Rhode Island seven years ago and thought I would never leave. The weather, beaches and restaurants are top notch. It all changed two years ago when Siesta Key beach was named #1 and the Reds left and the Orioles came to town for spring training. Having spent the my first 40 years in the northeast I couldn't believe the difference in cultures and attitudes in a city mainly populated by mid-westerner's. They are calm, polite, humble and never in a hurry. Now the northeasterner's have found Sarasota and it will never be the same. Someone is always tailgating me now or weaving in and out of traffic to get one spot ahead. People no longer greet you with a hello or good morning anymore, I feel like I'm back up north again. When I first arrived I could get on the beaches any time of year, I can't even find a spot in August now. My favorite restaurants have lines out the door in September, unheard of before. There is no more off season now, just like Orlando it is all year long. This used to be a very, very friendly town, no longer. The cost of housing if you can find any is unattainable for a working family. It is time to go, I'll miss the old Sarasota very much.
Greg | Gulf Gate Estates, FL