As a Home Watch provider, we want each of your return trips to Sarasota to feel as refreshing as the first. Our "Piece of Paradise" newsletters provide a brief glimpse into Florida homeownership, followed by a featured activity for your next visit.

Homeowner Insight

This month's tip is coming from personal experience - oopsie daisie! For months the cycle timing on our clothes dryer seemed to be sluggish and getting slower. Tired of opening the door to find damp clothes, the light bulb went off (in our heads, not in our dryer). We've lived in our current house for over three years and never had the dryer vents cleaned!

While long dryer cycles are an annoyance and higher energy bills are a drain, the risk of house fires is a real danger. Experts recommend hiring a professional to clean dryer vents at least once a year.

If it's not already, The Nest canopy at The Bay will soon be iconic of a visit to Sarasota..

We gave a super short mention of The Bay during our Zombie Run description in October 2020. At that time, the Mangrove Bayou Walkway had recently been completed. Fast forward two years and there's a lot more to say about the park!

The Nest offers concessions, restrooms, and a parking lot with 30-minute loading/unloading spaces. Programs are hosted in The Oval lawn.

Construction of The Bay aligns with a Master Plan that was developed with considerable public input in the late 2010s. Ultimately it will transform an underutilized, highly desirable location from 70% concrete wasteland to a multi-purpose destination for entertainment seekers, nature enthusiasts, water lovers, artists, or fitness junkies; families, individualists and social butterflies.

Yoga, dancing, live music, and cinema nights are some of the activities on The Bay calendar.

Phase I construction is complete and includes the Mangrove Bayou Walkway, a resilient shoreline, beach with lounge chairs, super unique playground, expansive lawns, The Nest concession area, The Oval programming area, and a kayak launch. There are abundant shade and seating options, as well as permanent signage for self-guided learning. Or swing by on a Saturday to take a guided tour.

The beach offers views of Lido Key, and will one day connect to a Sunset Boardwalk.

Catch the beach during low tide and you can explore tidal pools.

We are particularly looking forward to development of Dockside/South Canal District in Phase II, which will be constructed in 2023-2026. Dockside will include a waterfront food village and dining terrace. It will also include renovations to the Cultural District, which contains elements that have been tucked into this space for nearly a century.

The Bay is more than just a park - it includes the historic Van Wezel Hall and the City of Sarasota's Cultural District. (By the way, parking is plentiful at the Van Wezel.)

Nearby Considerations

Speaking of renovations to the Cultural District - no need to wait for the refresh to check these spaces out!

The Municipal Auditorium was dedicated in 1938.

The most noticeable building in the Cultural District is the Municipal Auditorium, which frequently hosts meetings, exhibits, and performances. In fact, visioning sessions for The Bay were held here. When we visited this January, it was hosting an Orchid show.

The Cultural District is also home to the Sarasota Orchestra, the Sarasota Garden Club, Art Center Sarasota, the historic Chidsey Library building, and the Sarasota Lawn Bowling Club. The back side of the Municipal Auditorium is a beautiful, quaint event space called the Bayfront Community Center. It was built shortly after the Auditorium.

The Bayfront Community Center and the Chidsey Library were both funded by the Chidsey family.

Learn more about our Home Watch services, Florida homeownership, and activity ideas in and around the Sarasota area on the Coastal Haven website.