What BestPlaces Users Say about Sarasota
Context:
Sarasota, Florida is a popular city situated on the Gulf Coast that boasts beautiful beaches, numerous cultural attractions, and a vibrant downtown area. It is known for its warm climate, friendly community, and diverse population. With a population of over 58,000, Sarasota offers a mix of urban and suburban living. Below are excerpts from four user reviews from BestPlaces.net about living in Sarasota.
User Reviews:
1. "Sarasota is a hidden gem on the Gulf Coast. I have lived here for over 10 years and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The beaches are stunning, the downtown area is lively, and there's always something to do. The people are friendly and welcoming, making it easy to feel at home." - Sarah D.
2. "I moved to Sarasota for retirement and it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made. The cost of living is reasonable, especially compared to other popular Florida cities. I also love the cultural aspect of Sarasota with its theaters, museums, and art festivals. It's a great place for active seniors." - John R.
3. "I've lived in Sarasota my whole life and have seen it evolve into a bustling city. While I appreciate the growth and development, it has also brought some challenges like increased traffic and higher housing prices. But overall, I still love living here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else." - Maria S.
4. "I relocated to Sarasota for work and it's been nothing but a positive experience. The job market is thriving and the city is constantly growing. The only downside is the high humidity during the summer months, but the beautiful beaches and friendly community make up for it." - David T.
based on 105 ReviewsGet to know Sarasota with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Sarasota
Please do not make the mistake my parents did. - 5/2/2009
I have lived here in Sarasota since I was 4. The entire state of Florida is built upon tourism (theme parks, beaches, etc.) so there is hardly anything left over for the people who actually LIVE here year round. Sarasota is very seasonal. The summers are extremely hot and humid. Winter is nice but it's hard to enjoy when all the snowbirds come down and mob the place. From October till about April is the heaviest tourist season. All the businesses will begin hiring and the traffic will be horrible (congested with old people who come down for the winter and go back north for the summer). The school system is horrible. Every year there are more and more budget cuts (again this is a TOURIST state. I would never, EVER suggest raising a child here, under any circumstance.) All of the people who I grew up with have moved away or plan on moving away as soon as possible (I'm moving to Seattle this summer.) I've seen teachers drink alcohol in classrooms. With a state so focused on
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Too expensive for the average person - 4/11/2009
Hi-Unless you are really rich, avoid trying to survive in Sarasota, FL.
There is no industry except tourism (Nov-May).
It is very difficult to making a living here. Most people work at least 2 jobs each, and the pay is really sad. Even people who are really qualified professionals only earn a fraction of what they would get in any other state.
Be careful, or you could be stuck in paradise.
People come here with money to get started, use it on survival, and then can't afford to leave.
It is beautiful, but very difficult.
Rents are very high compared to the incomes
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Sarasota, Florida - 2/3/2009
Except for seven years of college and grad school, I've lived in Sarasota my entire life (I'm 50), so I've experienced this area through several age brackets.
The weather and beaches are extremely good here. I believe Sarasota has great health care for a small city and it is known as a center for the arts. Retirees of means love it here.
The economy, though, depends heavily upon tourism and real estate development/construction. The latter is flat now in Feb, 2009 and tourism revenue appears to be down compared to past years. This makes it tough on blue-collar workers and those with high school (and less) educations. Working wages tend to be lower here. The old saw is that part of your com,pensation is paid in sunshine.
Retirees and professionals who move to Sarasota will love it. blue collar workers will find keen competition for jobs and probably lower wages than they would find up
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Great place to live - 11/22/2008
Sarasota has a nice neighborhood feel, but is still close enough to major metropolitan areas of Florida. People are extremely
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quality of life in sarasota - 11/17/2008
you get out of sarasota what you put into it. I lived here several times and i will be moving back in January 2009. You can never say anything bad about sarasota that means anything to me because i feel the quality of life here is phenominal and
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Blue water, low crowds and mother nature - 10/6/2008
Probably the one thing that I enjoy more than anything else here is the blue water and the beaches, on any given day I can ride out to the beaches and find the most calming area to just sit and relax. The water is by itself a calming agent, with it's warmth and clarity, but when you add the open areas and the lack of crowds it just adds-up to a vacation place for me on a daily bases. There's always nature surroudning me whether it's the sting ray sailing under my boat,the racoon in the mangroves getting it's breakfast washed off and ready to eat or the osprey flying overhead, I'm never far from mother nature. When we sail in the bay or off the beaches there's dolphin just below the hull and finally the sun, it touches me all the way to my bones and makes my day
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Sarasota - 9/21/2008
Don't bother, unless you can afford and want to be to be on the water every day there is NOTHING to do. Its to humid to even walk your
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Housing - 7/14/2008
The good news is housing prices have dropped. The bad news the economy here has a large precentage that is dependant on the housing market and it is
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Climate for snowbirds - 7/6/2008
If you find northeastern winters depressing (and dangerous), try Sarasota: ideal temperatures, sunny every day (rain is very rare in winter). I haven't tried to go through a summer here, though; I get out of town about May 1st and return after November 1st. (Note that Sarasota has NEVER been hit by a hurricane; I hope that doesn't attract the evil
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All is not as it seems in "Paradise." - 6/14/2008
I have lived in Sarasota, FL for just over a year now. I live a block from Sarasota Bay, The Ritz Carlton is a block away, Van Wezel Auditorium is right across the street - we have a high decree of prostitution, theft, property damage, you name it in this area. I originally moved from St. Petersburg to get away from the crime and it is worse in this high-class
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