The only single family home community with a 24-hour manned security gate on the Key, some of the most spectacular waterfront residences on Florida’s Southwest coast are nestled within The Sanderling Club. Many of the estate-sized homes are built on unique two-acre lots positioned on wide lagoons brimming with wildlife and amazing Gulf of Mexico views. Some of the residences date back to the late 1940s, when Elbridge Boyd, who wanted to create a Gulf-side membership residential community, began developing the area.

Paul Rudolph, a former Dean of the Yale School of Architecture and one of the most innovative modernist architects produced by the Sarasota School of Architecture, was hired to design cabanas, a clubhouse and an observation tower. Rudolph used curving roof lines to remind the viewer of the gentle waves of the nearby gulf. He experimented with economical materials and came up with a method for bending plywood across the building space, opening up the club house to nature using broad expanses of glass. He painted the ceilings of the cabanas blue framed in white.

The main consideration at that time was to maintain a commitment to sustainable ecology with an aesthetic feeling, and that commitment has been continually upheld. Now, seventy years later, the park-like setting of the Club is still honored and maintained.

Siesta Key Realtor Mark McCann attests to the success of this community, commenting: “There are few places in Florida that have such rich tradition, architectural integrity, and an overall ambiance that welcomes flip flops, understated sophistication, and respect for the incredible beauty that nature provides daily.”

The Sanderling Club’s obligatory membership for community residents provides many benefits, including deeded gulf access and usage of the club’s cabanas, which literally sit on the front-porch of the Gulf. The cabanas may be purchased by members, some staying in families for generations. Both the cabanas and the clubhouse have been fully restored and are now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Sanderling Club offers a quiet, private and elegant existence, not often found on this high-spirited Key. Its affable members enjoy an informal lifestyle that includes a 15 slip marina located bayside, three tennis courts, and a myriad of recreational opportunities. Realtor Ellen Wells acknowledges the special sense of community here, with an active social calendar that includes potluck suppers, welcome-back parties and holiday events throughout the year at the beach-side clubhouse. In the late afternoon, people will gather at their cabanas or on the terrace of the beach house, set up their lounge chairs, cook out on the grills, sip cocktails and watch the sunset.

Men’s and women’s tennis groups play regularly throughout the week. The members’ popular annual tennis tournament, the Pinny Cup, named after a former resident, is held in November. “Three generations of families plan their vacations around it, so you have 10-year-olds playing with 90-year-olds,” Wells says. Presently, the resident population is getting younger; recent buyers have been in their 40s and 50s.

If you are seeking an inspired way to live a coastal lifestyle, The Sanderling Club is
a unique place… where membership truly has its advantages!

Surrounded by the Gulf’s azure waters, Bird Key’s distinguishing charms continue to solidify it as one of the most coveted addresses in the area. The richness of Bird Key extends beyond its property value; it offers private, deep water boat docks with direct access to the bay, luxury estates and seaside residences nestled on the island’s edge, and spectacular views of the Ringling Bridge, Sarasota Bay, the marina, and the city’s coastal skyline.

The epicenter of the impressive enclave is the Bird Key Yacht Club, an establishment reserved for members and their guests with boating, golf, tennis and fitness programs to enjoy. Though Sarasota boasts several premier neighborhoods, each with its own distinctive charms, very few possess the splendor of Bird Key. The residential island is a prime location for real estate, boasting consistent value over the years. With a harmonious blend of young professionals and retirees living on Bird Key, it remains vibrant yet tranquil—a true, centralized paradise.

Though Bird Key is an idyllic world all its own, access to Sarasota’s thriving arts, culture and entertainment district is an added benefit. With St. Armand’s Circle and downtown Sarasota just a short drive away, Bird Key is as convenient as it is lavish. Waterside dining, electric live shows, boutique shopping and the art walk are located just minutes away. Sarasota Opera, Florida Studio Theatre, the Van Wezel, quaint coffee shops, Burns Court Cinemas, and the weekly Farmer’s Market on Main Street add to the appeal of the area. Restaurants that use locally grown ingredients are a testament to the community nature and quality of life. Downtown’s main corridor presents a European flair, quaint art galleries and open-air cafes that are classic, warm and friendly.

While the advantages of living on Bird Key are abundant, its two greatest assets are location and exclusivity. Noted as The Jewel on Sarasota Bay, Bird Key’s scenic surroundings, fine offerings and romantic views help the elegant island live up to its name.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

St. Armand’s Circle

The outdoor shopping and dining sphere is a central location for retail boutiques, specialty shops and open-air dining.
starmandscircleassoc.com 

Lido Beach

This quiet beach captures the beauty of Sarasota with miles of white sand, crystal waters and heavenly sunsets. Enjoy water sports, a food pavilion, or simple leisure by the gulf.

 Mote Marine Aquarium

This marine laboratory features more than 100 species of marine life, touch pools, 135,000-gallon shark habitat, dolphin, manatee and sea turtle exhibits.        mote.org

With no traffic lights and less than 400 single family homes, residents feel as if they live on their own private island. The absence of expanding commercialism and high-rise condominiums greatly contributes to the island’s charm. In fact, over forty years ago the state of Florida, with “overwhelming support from the Casey Key property owners,” enacted the Casey Key Conservation Act, which designated most of the island to be a wildlife and marine sanctuary and prevents expansion of commercial business within the district. Wherever you go, this historic eight-mile sliver of land, at some points only a little more than 100 yards wide, provides endless glimpses of the surrounding waters.

The island is anchored on the south end by “North Jetty Park” with a historic bait shop, dispensing bait, beer and “fish tales” for over 60 years, and extraordinary jetties thrusting themselves over 600 feet into the clear sparkling Gulf waters. Since the 1930’s, these horizontal monoliths have protected the Venice Inlet and created great fishing, surfing and deep safe passage for offshore boaters returning to private and public moorings along Little Sarasota Bay, Dona Bay and Roberts Bay.

My husband and I found our way to Casey Key, 18 years ago. Eager to leave the hustle and bustle of downtown Washington, D.C., we were ready for a new adventure and searching for our perfect beach getaway, when we discovered Casey Key. As soon as I crossed the one-lane swing bridge onto the island and I saw the bougainvillea in full bloom, and no traffic to speak of, I said immediately, “stop the car . . . this is it . . . we’re not leaving until we find our house.”

Casey Key Fish House

The immediate sense of peace and tranquility that Casey Key embodied as my first impression, has withstood the test of time. Casey Key remains the special place we stumbled upon 18 years ago. You can walk your dog on the beach, and there are no deed restrictions for the majority of the island.  We feel as if we live on our very own private island. It just doesn’t get any better than having the Gulf of Mexico as your front yard and Little Sarasota Bay as your back yard.

We also have easy access to dining and shopping in Venice, which is 10 minutes away, and the cultural mecca of Sarasota is a mere 15 miles north of the island. Access to I-75 is also just minutes from the island’s south bridge.

Over the years this tranquil island’s waterfront property, privacy and safety have attracted families, retired CEOs, entrepreneurs and celebrities, many of whom have built magnificent estates and luxurious homes discretely nestled in the seclusion of the natural tropical flora.  Some of the more famous Casey Key homeowners have included Martina Navratilova, and best-selling author Stephen King, whose 2008 novel, “Duma Key,” has Casey Key as its setting.

Smaller, older homes are still found, amicably co-existing among the multi-million dollar neighbor estates. Local area families continue to be drawn to Casey Key, as well as families from distant locations, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. Since 2010, fifty-six properties have changed ownership.

The Treasure Island Bridge connects the mainland with the northern section of the key. Built in 1923, the bridge is one of the few “one-lane rotating swing bridges” still in use today. Residents love the historic old bridge, which occasionally slows traffic, but serves as a sentinel, reminding all that pass … life on the island is a special retreat.

When I come home from a hectic day and cross the swing bridge, I feel a sense of peace and tranquility that cannot be explained. Not everyone who considers Casey Key “gets it”…those who do tend to stay forever.