Sarasota "West of the Trail" Neighborhoods

Posted on February 15, 2018

  Within a really easy commute of the heart of Downtown Sarasota, there is a group of neighborhoods known as the the "West of the Trail" communities. The name "West of the Trail" stems from the fact that these neighborhoods are all west of the Tamiami Trail, known more by travelers as U.S. Route 41. Depending on who you may ask, the "West of the Trail" area is bounded by Mound Street on the north and Bay Road on the south. Many of these charming neighborhoods are situated under enormous canopies of 100+ year old banyon trees.

  People who purchase homes in one of the "West of the Trail" neighborhoods tend to be people who have experienced life in one or more cookie cutter planned communities and are just tired of identifying their home as "the fourteenth one on the left of such-and-such street." These are folks looking for:

•     Neighborhoods with mature trees, charm and character
•     Convenient access to Downtown Sarasota
•     Homes with individuality or uniqueness, maybe even historic significance
•     Excellent schools within walking distance
•     Homes with deep water docking; obstruction-free access to Sarasota Bay
•     Informal gathering places for chats, a cup of coffee, a pleasant wine

    The West of the Trail neighborhoods meet all of these attributes  In fact, it's largely because of these attributes that homes in this part of Sarasota have maintained their value as well or better than other areas in Sarasota or Manatee County.

    Here's a sampling of a handful of these attractive neighborhoods to give you a feel of why these neighborhoods are so special to so many.

•     Cherokee Park and Harbor Acres seem to transcend time. Quiet, wide streets and mature trees envelope homes which come in a wide range from traditional to Mediterranean styles. There are even a few contemporary homes. Many of these homes have been completely renovated.
•     Avondale, a neighborhood of about 190 homes located on Hudson Bayou, tends to attract younger families because of the Southside Elementary School district, one of the most sought-after schools in the Sarasota County School District. The local newspaper recently said of Avondale, "It's a paragon of walkable urban planning, with quiet streets with sidewalks on both sides of the street and mature trees offering ample shade.
•     McClellan Park is located in the original settlement that became the city of Sarasota. McClellan Park and next-door Desota Park, which was developed in the 1920’s are neighborhoods of mostly older homes, set in a tranquil area of narrow, winding tree-shaded streets.
•     Those with large yachts or sailboats with permanent keels will find San Remo Estates, Coral Cove, Fisherman’s Bay and Southpointe Shores to their liking given their bridge-free access to Sarasota Bay.
•     Paradise Shores is an easy walk or bike ride to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, many of the residents of this neighborhood are medical and health care professionals.

•     The Landings is a secure, gated neighborhood of maintenance-free villas, single-family homes and condominiums. Architectural styles in The Landings range from Old Florida bungalows to opulent mansions directly on the Sarasota Bay with outstanding daytime and evening views.

    Virtually all of the West of the Trail neighborhoods are short distances from Crescent Beach on Siesta Key recently declared "The most beautiful beach in the United States,"  Furthermore, owners of homes in these delightful neighborhoods are also convenient to all the excitement, arts and culture, dining, shopping and entertainment venues of Downtown Sarasota Florida.

    If you are looking for another bland, cookie-cutter, “you’ve seen a million just like it before” home, then the West of the Trail neighborhoods are not for you. Yes, you might get a golf course or a community pool thrown in, but your home will look an awful lot like the one or the several ones down the street. Not so in the West of the Trail neighborhoods.  For something unique, charming and maybe even historically significant, check out this corner of the Sarasota real estate market.  Home prices in the West of the Trail neighborhoods vary widely from as little as $200,000 for a smallish bungalow, a fixer-upper or maybe a tear-down to make way for that $6 to $8 million elegant waterfront estate you've been waiting to build.

  If you'd like to know more about Sarasota Florida real estate offerings in Sarasota, itself, out on our barrier islands, in award-winning Lakewood Ranch or in one of our wonderful golf and country club communities, please Contact Me. For an immediate response, call me now at 941.228.9682.