Tropical Sun Beach Resort

The 15 Best Places to
Reinvent Your Life

By Grace Lichtenstein, Elaine Robbins, and
Michael Dupuis, May-June 2003

4. SARASOTA, FL

Sarasota, a small, civilized city on Florida's Gulf Coast, has it all—35 miles of beaches, a temperate climate, golf courses and tennis courts aplenty, and good boating in the Gulf and Sarasota Bay. Fine dining has rendered the early-bird special an endangered species—you'll have no trouble finding first-rate food at places like Pattigeorge's on Longboat Key or late-night burgers at Patrick's downtown. The local economy is robust (unemployment is a mere 2.8 percent), and there is a mix of jobs in tourism, the financial and health fields, and information technology.

But, apart from the sun, what residents love most is the range of cultural opportunities. What other small Florida city has an opera, a symphony, a film society, a theater scene (from Broadway classics like Porgy and Bess to a cabaret

where you can dine while watching original productions), lots of art galleries—and The Ringling Museum of Art (with paintings by Rubens as well as circus props). "If you can't find something to do around here," says Regina Kelley, a local teacher, "you'd better check your pulse."

• Median house price: $176,100
• Think twice: Snowbirds flock here in winter, which means everyone spends time sitting in traffic
• Web-exclusive photo gallery of Sarasota, FL

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Copyright (c) AARP Magazine.

Tropical Shores Beach Resort
6717 SaraSea Circle
Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida 34242
Telephone: 941-349-3330
Reservations: 1-800-235-3493
Fax: 941-346-0025
E-mail: info@tropicalsunresort.com