Sarasota
Downtown Sarasota from the John Ringling Bridge
Nickname: Paradise
Location in Sarasota County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 27°20′14″N 82°32′7″W / 27.33722, -82.53528
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Sarasota
Incorporated	1902
Government
- Type	Commission-Manager
- Mayor	Lou Ann Palmer
- City Manager	Robert J. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Sarasota County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the ImageFlorida counties mappng|thumb|right|400px|Florida counties (clickable map poly 42 38 86 40 79 44 74 47 71 55 69 69 74 72 76 87 77 90 87 97 87 102 87 108 78 111 77 115 80 117 Sarasota County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting In the council-manager form of government an elected city council (typically between five and 11 people is responsible for making Policy, passing Ordinances voting Appropriations Bartolotta
Area [1]
- Total	25. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 93 sq mi (67. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 2 km²)
- Land	14. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 89 sq mi (38. 6 km²)
- Water	11. 04 sq mi (28. 6 km²)  42. 58%
Elevation [2]	16 ft (7 m)
Population (1 July 2005)[3]
- Total	52,715
- Density	3,539. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8/sq mi (1,366. 7/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	34230 - 34243
Area code(s)	941
FIPS code	12-64175[4]
GNIS feature ID	0290675[5]
Website: http://www.sarasotagov.com

Sarasota is a city in Sarasota County on the Southwestern coast of Florida, USA. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 941 includes the counties of Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte, areas along the Sun Coast of southwest Florida, USA Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout Sarasota County is a County located in the US state of Florida. Southwest Florida is a region of Florida, United States located along its gulf coast south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Sarasota Bay is an Estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world These islands (known as keys) include Siesta Key and Lido Key and are famous worldwide for the quality of their beaches. Siesta Key is a barrier island off the central western coast of Florida in the United States of America. Lido Key is a barrier Island of the coast of Sarasota Florida in the United States. Beaches (also known as Forever Friends) is a 1988 Academy Award -nominated movie adapted by Mary Agnes Donoghue from the According to the U. S. Census Bureau, Sarasota had a population of 54,349 in 2004. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology [1]. Sarasota is a principal city of the Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the seat of Sarasota County. The Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA consisting of Manatee County and Sarasota County A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States.

History

Prehistorical data

Gulf of Mexico in 3-D - note the shallow shelf extending one hundred miles to the west of Sarasota that was above water fifteen thousand years ago when humans began occupation of Florida. The ancient shoreline that existed fifteen thousand years ago is depicted in light blue.

Fifteen thousand years ago, when humans first settled in Florida, the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico was one hundred miles further to the west. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world In this era, hunting and gathering was the primary means of subsistence. A hunter-gatherer society is one whose primary subsistence method involves the direct procurement of edible plants and animals from the wild Foraging and Hunting This was only possible in areas where water sources existed for hunter and prey alike. Deep springs and catchment basins, such as Warm Mineral Springs, were close enough to the Sarasota area to provide camp sites, but too far away for permanent settlements. A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The Warm Mineral Springs (also known as Warm Salt Springs) is a historic Artesian spring located in North Port Florida, a mile north of As the Pleistocene glaciers slowly melted, a more temperate climate began to advance southward. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Sea levels began rising; they ultimately rose another 350 feet, resulting in the Florida shoreline of today.

Archaeological research in Sarasota documents more than ten thousand years of seasonal occupation by native peoples. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos For five thousand years while the current sea level existed, fishing in Sarasota Bay was the primary source of protein. Sarasota Bay is an Estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States. Proteins are broken down in the Stomach during Digestion by Enzymes known as Proteases into smaller Polypeptides to provide Europeans first explored the area in the early 1500s. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. The first recorded contact was in 1513, when a Spanish expedition landed at Charlotte Harbor, just to the south. Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a natural Estuary spanning the west coast of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs on the Gulf of Mexico When the natives encountered the Spaniards, they insulted them in Spanish before a preemptive attack. Apparently, some natives had made previous contact with the Spaniards — enough to learn a few words and much suspicion.

Pioneer families

European settlers arrived in significant numbers in the late 1840s. The area already had a name—'Zara Zote'—on maps dating back to the early 1700s. The initial settlers were attracted by the climate and Sarasota Bay. Sarasota Bay is an Estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States.

Joseph Daniel Anderson was one of the first pioneers and an early Sarasota leader. Following is a transcript from a Sarasota County historical marker that resides in a park dedicated to him on Manasota Key, in southern Sarasota County.

"After the Civil War, many Georgians moved their families to Southern Florida. Joseph Daniel "Jody" Anderson, born in Georgia in 1867, was a child when his father moved to the Tampa/Sara Sota area. In 1884, Joseph became the head of the Anderson family. Two years later, he moved his family to Southern Manatee County. He homesteaded the land in the Mystic River (Forked Creek) Valley. In 1890 he married Helen Alice Johnson of Sarasota. They had eleven children. Eight survived.

With only hand tools, Anderson converted the Florida wilderness into an agricultural industry. This fertile land produced vegetables, sugar cane and citrus. In the vast Myakka/Pinedale area, he raised his cattle and swine. He and brother Moses "Lee" prospered in ranching until the Range Law Act curtailed the right to use this land for grazing.

Sleds (later wagons) were used to move the farm produce, fruit and cattle to Lemon Bay where they were transferred to draft boats and transported to ships at Boca Grande. Some of the wagons were rafted across the bay to Manasota Beach where the produce was ferried to Cuban smacks and later to American schooners.

Anderson pioneered commercial fishing in North Lemon Bay which teemed with schools of mullet and other fish. The Andersons fished with nets made of cotton and flax twine over which they poured a heavy lime solution to prevent rot. Their base of operation included land storage facilities on the shore and on the beach (Manasota) to salt, dry and pack the fish in barrels. Upon the arrival of run boats with ice from Tampa, the Andersons could ship fresh fish and produce.

Joseph Daniel "Jody" Anderson was a quiet family man who never sought publicity. However, before Sarasota County was organized, he served as deputy sheriff and game warden in the Pinedale/Manasota area. The Anderson family built the area's first school (Pinedale) of which Jody was trustee. He also organized the first church in the area. Anderson actively supported the creation of Sarasota County from Manatee County and in 1922, became the first elected county commissioner from District 4. After the death of his first wife, he married Mary Ethel Morgan with whom he raised four more children. Joseph Daniel Anderson died in 1939. "

William Whitaker, born in Savannah, Georgia in 1821, is the first documented pioneer of European descent to settle permanently in what is now the city of Sarasota. William Henry Whitaker (1821 - 1888 was an American Seminole War veteran and Pioneer who under the provisions of the Armed Occupation Act, ^[6] Before his arrival, both Cuban and American fishermen had built fish camps or ranchos along Sarasota Bay, but these were not used throughout the year. After time spent along the Manatee River at the village of Manatee, Whitaker built upon Yellow Bluffs, just north of present day Eleventh Street. The Manatee River is a 60-mile (97-kilometer long River in Manatee County, Florida. He sold dried fish and roe to Cuban traders working the coast. In 1847, he began a cattle business.

In 1851, Whitaker married Mary Jane Wyatt, a member of a pioneer family who had settled the village of Manatee. They raised eleven children on Yellow Bluffs despite the hardships faced by solitary pioneers. This included a raid that destroyed their home. It was made by a formerly friendly Seminole chief, Holata Micco, dubbed Billy Bowlegs, after whom Bowlees Creek may have been named. The Whitakers rebuilt and prospered. Their homestead site has not been preserved.

In 1867, the Webb family from Utica, New York, came to Florida looking for a place to settle. After arriving in Key West, the pioneer family met a Spanish trader. He told them about a high bluff of land on Sarasota Bay that would make a good location for a homestead. The site was further south from Whitaker's settlement, in an area near what is now the city of Osprey. Osprey is a Census-designated place (CDP in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. When the Webbs arrived in the area looking for the bluff, they described it to Bill Whitaker. He led them right to it. After settling, they named their homestead "Spanish Point," in honor of the trader.

The Webbs had to travel quite a distance for their mail for nearly twenty years. In 1884, John Webb finally petitioned for a separate postal address for Spanish Point. They chose Osprey as their postal address, since federal regulations required the use of only one word for the new address. A separate town eventually grew around that postal address. Although there is no similar documentation regarding the name of Sarasota, that federal one-word rule for postal designations may be the reason that Zara Zota or Sara Sota became Sarasota.

Twentieth century

Cà d'Zan - a 1925 Sarasota residence that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Bertha Palmer (Bertha Honoré Palmer) was the region's largest landholder, rancher, and developer at the turn of the twentieth century. Bertha Palmer ( May 22, 1849 &ndash May 5, 1918) was an American businesswoman socialite and philanthropist In 1914, she bought 16,000 acres (65 km²) of land as an exclusive hunting preserve in what is now Temple Terrace, Florida (near Tampa) in Hillsborough County which she called Riverhills Ranch. During the 1920's Mrs. Palmer also owned a large tract of land that is now Myakka State Park. During this period of time this land was operated as a ranch. Mrs. Palmer's foreman on the ranch was Eugene B. Sweeting and several of his children were born in what is now the State Park. Gerald E. "Buck" Sweeting who was born in the Park still lives in Sarasota. Mrs. Palmer made her winter residence on the land which the Webb family had homesteaded. She quickly established Sarasota as a fashionable location for winter retreats and tourists. In her early publicity, Palmer compared the beauty of Sarasota Bay to the Bay of Naples, and also touted its sports fishing. As the century advanced, the bay continued to attract visitors, until overfishing depleted its marine life. Overfishing occurs when Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level

Palmer retained most of the Webb’s original structures and greatly expanded the settlement. The pioneer site has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Historic Spanish Point and is open to the public for a fee. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of

Two McClellan sisters were also significant developers during this period. They created the McClellan Park subdivision.

The region also attracted many of the Ringling brothers who had created their wealth as circus magnates at the turn of the century. The Ringling Brothers Circus had not yet consolidated as a single entity. The Ringling Brothers Circus was a Circus founded in the United States in 1884

John and Mable Ringling developed their estate on property that had been part of the Shell Beach subdivision platted by Mary Louise and Charles N. Thompson in 1895. The Thompson home was the first residence on the property. From 1911 Mable and John Ringling spent their winter stays in that house. Along with being a land developer, Thompson was a manager with another circus. A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers He attracted several members of the Ringling family to Sarasota as a winter retreat as well as for investments in land.

First, the Alf T. Ringling family settled in the Whitfield Estates area with extensive land holdings. The families of Charles and John Ringling followed, living farther to the south. Soon, children and members of the extended family increased the presence of the Ringling family in Sarasota. Ringling Brothers Circus established its winter home in Sarasota during 1919 following the death of Alf T. The Ringling Brothers Circus was a Circus founded in the United States in 1884 , when Charles Ringling assumed many of his duties.

Charles Thompson had joined the staff of the Ringling Brothers circus when it began to purchase smaller or failing circuses, and operate them separately. In 1919, these holdings were consolidated into one huge circus, billed as "the greatest show on Earth". Only two of the original five founding brothers now survived, but members of their families continued to participate in the business or serve on its board of directors. Performers and staff members began to settle in Sarasota, and established the Ringling Circus as part of the Sarasota community.

Sarasota was incorporated as a town in 1902 with John Hamilton Gillespie as mayor. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting It was replatted in 1912 and incorporated as a city in 1913. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Following the end of World War I, an economic boom began in Sarasota. The city was flooded with new people seeking jobs, investment, and the chic social milieu.

On adjacent parcels of Shell Beach where Ellen and Ralph Caples built their winter retreat, Mable and John Ringling built their compound. It would soon include the museum. Edith and Charles Ringling built a compound that included a home for their daughter, Hester Ringling Landcaster Sandford. The next large Shell Beach parcel, immediately to the north, passed between Ellen Caples, Mable and John Ringling and a few others several times without development until 1947. It was then developed as the Uplands. Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the state of Florida in the United States. Some other historic names associated with that parcel are Bertha Potter Palmer, her sons Lockwood and Honore, and A. B. Edwards, whose names are featured as familiar street names.

The tract abutting that parcel was replatted in 1925 as Seagate, where Gwendolyn and Powel Crosley built their winter retreat in 1929. Powel Crosley Jr ( September 18, 1886 &ndash March 28, 1961) was an American Inventor, Industrialist, and Powel Crosley Jr ( September 18, 1886 &ndash March 28, 1961) was an American Inventor, Industrialist, and All of these historic homes and the museum have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of

The now-historic neighborhood of Indian Beach Sapphire Shores grew immediately to the south of the area where these grand homes were built on the bay. Sapphire Shores provided homes to the professionals and retirees who wished to be, or were, closely associated with these wealthiest residents of the community. Indian Beach, which had been a separate community at one time, contained pioneer homes that survived among the fashionable new homes built in the boom era of the 1920s.

Charles Ringling as developer

Charles Ringling invested in land, developed property and founded a bank. He participated in Sarasota's civic life and gave advice to other entrepreneurs starting new businesses in Sarasota. He donated land for the newly formed county to build its government offices and courthouse.

Ringling Boulevard was named for him. It is a winding road leading east from Tamiami Trail toward the winter circus headquarters. The Tamiami Trail (pronounced "tammy-amee" so it rhymes is the southernmost 275 miles (443 km of U It crosses Washington Boulevard where Charles Ringling built the Sarasota Terrace Hotel, a high-rise in the Chicago style of architecture, opposite the site which Ringling would donate for the county seat. The architecture of Chicago has influenced and reflected the history of American architecture.

Charles Ringling and his wife Edith began building their bayfront mansion in the early 1920s. Charles Ringling died in 1926, just after it was completed. For decades Edith Ringling remained there and continued her role in the circus and her cultural activities in the community. Her daughter Hester and her sons were also active in Sarasota's theatrical and musical venues. What came to be known internationally as the Edith Ringling Estate is now the center of the campus of New College of Florida. New College of Florida is a public Liberal arts college located in Sarasota Florida.

John Ringling in partnership with Owen Burns

John Ringling invested heavily in the barrier islands, known as keys, which separate the shallow bay from the Gulf of Mexico. A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world He worked in partnership with Owen Burns to develop the keys through a corporation named, Ringling Isles Estates. To facilitate development of these holdings a bridge was built to the islands by his partner, Owen Burns, and eventually donated to the city for the government to maintain. They named that route, John Ringling Boulevard. Dredge and fill created even more dry land to develop. Winter residents, called snowbirds, flocked to purchase the seasonal homes marketed to the well-to-do. This article is about migratory people called Snowbirds for alternate meanings see Snowbird.

Leading edge of the Crash

The Roaring Twenties ended early for Sarasota. Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s principally in North America, that emphasizes the period's social artistic and cultural dynamism Florida, which was the first area in the United States to be affected by the financial problems that led to the Great Depression. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In 1926 development speculation began to collapse in Florida, much earlier than most parts of the country. John Ringling initially profited from the economic crash. Ringling had put his partner, Owen Burns, into bankruptcy by using money from the treasury of their corporation for use on another project that was failing. He later purchased the landmark El Vernona Hotel from Burns at a fraction of its worth. The El Vernona Hotel-John Ringling Hotel is a historic Hotel in Sarasota, Florida. John Ringling, too, however, lost most of his fortune. Shortly after the June 1929 death of his wife, Mable, his reversal began.

Just before the market crashed, Ringling had purchased several other circuses with hopes of combining them with the existing circus and selling shares on the stock exchange. The crash ended that plan. While Ringling continued to invest in expensive artwork, he left unfinished grand projects, such as a Ritz hotel on one of the barrier islands. He abandoned plans for an art school as an adjunct to the museum. Ringling did lend his name to an art school established by others in Sarasota. The board of the circus removed John Ringling and placed another director, Samuel Gumpertz, in charge of the corporation. By the time of his death in 1936, John Ringling was close to bankruptcy. His estate was saved only because he had willed it, together with his art collection, to the state. His nephew, John Ringling North, struggled for years to keep that legacy intact.

Recent history

In January 2006, Sarasota made national news when the National Coalition for the Homeless named it the country's "meanest city". The National Coalition for the Homeless is a Non-profit organization providing direct assistance for Homeless people with a variety of needs which include shelter The city's 2005 ordinance banned persons' sleeping outside on public or private property without permission. ^[7][8][9]

In 2008, Sarasota county's Pine View School for the Gifted was named the 6th best high school in the United States of America. Pine View redirects here For the neighborhood in Ottawa see Pineview. According to the U. S. News report, Pine View School students have a college readiness index of 99. 3.

Culture

Sarasota is the home of Florida West Coast Symphony, founded by Ruth Cotton Butler in 1949. It has a three-week Sarasota Music Festival. Other attractions include the Sarasota Ballet; Sarasota Opera; Florida Studio Theatre; The Sarasota Players; and other musical, dance, artistic, and theatrical venues. Sarasota Opera is a professional opera company in Sarasota Florida, USA which owns and performs in the now-renovated 1200-seat Sarasota Opera House.

In 1926 A. B. Edwards built a theater which could be adapted for either vaudeville performances or movie screenings. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s In the early 1950s, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art purchased a historic Italian theater, the Asolo. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the state Art museum of Florida located in Sarasota, Florida. A. Everett "Chick" Austin, the museum's first director, arranged the purchase and reassembly of the theater for performances of plays and opera. The theater was built in 1798 and disassembled during the 1930s. Adolph Loewi, a Venetian collector and dealer, had purchased the theater and stored its parts until the purchase and shipment to Sarasota for the museum. Later the theater was used for a foreign film club. World cinema is a term used primarily in English language speaking countries to refer to the Films and film industries of non-English speaking countries When the club expanded, it built its own theater at Burns Court near downtown Sarasota.

In the 1960s the Van Wezels enabled the city to build a performing arts hall on the bay front. The auditorium, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin team under the direction of his wife, Olga (Olgivanna) Lazovich Hinzenburg. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who Taliesin /ˌtæliˈɛsɪn/ in Spring Green, Wisconsin, was the summer home of American Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who She selected its purple color.

Later, Stuart Barger designed and oversaw the construction of another Asolo Theater. It is a multi-theater complex, located further east on the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art property. It was built around a rococo, historic Scottish theater, which had been shipped to Florida. Rococo is a style of 18th century French art and Interior design. The new complex provides venues and facilities for students of Florida State University's theater arts and film program. Florida State University (commonly referred to as Florida State or FSU) is a public Research University located in Tallahassee

Since 1998, the city has annually hosted the Sarasota Film Festival. The Sarasota Film Festival is an annual Film festival in Sarasota Florida, and ranks as the 4th largest independent film festival in North America The festival attracts independent films from around the world. It has become one of Florida's largest film festivals.

The Sarasota School of Architecture has developed as a variant of mid-century modernist architecture. The Sarasota School of Architecture, sometimes called "Sarasota Modern" is a regional style of post-war architecture that It incorporates elements of both the Bauhaus and Wright's "organic" architecture. The style developed as an adaptation to the area's sub-tropical climate and used newly emerging materials manufactured or implemented following World War II. The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Philip Hiss was the driving force of this movement.

March 2007, Riverview High School

Fellow architects creating new adaptive designs were Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell. For other people named Paul Rudolph see Paul Rudolph (disambiguation. The second generation of the school includes Gene Leedy, Jack West, Victor Lundy, Mark Hampton, James Holiday, Ralph Zimmerman, as well as several who still practice in the community: William Zimmerman; Carl Abbott, Edward J. Gene Leedy has been one of the pioneers of the modern movement in Florida and was one of the founders of the now famous " Sarasota School of Architecture," "Tim" Seibert, and Frank Folsom Smith.

Rudolph's Florida houses attracted attention in the architectural community. He started receiving commissions for larger works, such as the Jewett Art Center at Wellesley College. Wellesley College is a women's liberal arts college, in Wellesley Massachusetts, that opened in 1875 founded by Henry Fowle Durant In 1958 Rudolph was selected as Director of the School of Architecture at Yale, shortly after designing the school's building. He led the school for six years before returning to private practice.

Sarasota is home to Mote Marine Laboratory, a marine rescue, research, and aquarium; Marie Selby Botanical Gardens; G-Wiz Museum, a science museum; and Sarasota Jungle Gardens, which carries on early tourist attraction traditions. Mote Marine Laboratory (and Aquarium is a Not-for-profit research and educational institution with an aquarium open to the public 365 days a year The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (7 acres 28 hectares are extensive Botanical gardens dedicated to research and collections of Epiphytes especially Orchids Sarasota Jungle Gardens has been a Tourist attraction in Sarasota Florida, USA since 1936 It also has many historic sites and neighborhoods.

Colleges in Sarasota include New College of Florida, a public liberal arts college; Keiser College of Sarasota, a private college; Ringling College of Art and Design, a school of visual arts and design; and satellite campuses of Eckerd College, based in St. Petersburg, Florida; University of South Florida, based in Tampa, Florida; and Florida State University College of Medicine, based in Tallahassee, Florida. New College of Florida is a public Liberal arts college located in Sarasota Florida. Ringling College of Art and Design is a private four-year accredited college located in Sarasota Florida. Eckerd College is a private 4-year Coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida The Florida State University College of Medicine, located in Tallahassee Florida, is one of sixteen Colleges comprising the Florida State University (FSU Community colleges include Sarasota County Technical Institute and Manatee Community College. Manatee Community College (MCC with the main campus based in Bradenton Florida, is a two-year Community college accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the

Geography

Sarasota is located at 27°20′14″N, 82°32′7″W (27. 337273, -82. 535318). ^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 9 mi² (67. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 2 km²). Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 14. 9 mi² ( 38. 6 km²) of it is land and 11. 0 mi² (28. 6 km²) of it is water. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. The total area is 42. 58% water.

Demographics

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 52,715 people, 23,427 households, and 12,064 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 3,539. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 8/mi² (1,366. 9/km²). There were 26,898 housing units at an average density of 1,806. 2/mi² (697. 5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76. 91% White, 16. 02% African American, 0. 35% Native American, 1. 02% Asian, 0. 05% Pacific Islander, 3. 74% from other races, and 1. 91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11. 92% of the population.

There were 23,427 households out of which 19. 7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35. 3% were married couples living together, 12. 3% had a female head of household with no husband present, and 48. 5% were non-families. 38. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16. 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 12 and the average family size was 2. 81.

In the city the population was spread out with 18. 4% under the age of 18, 9. 2% from 18 to 24, 27. 9% from 25 to 44, 22. 5% from 45 to 64, and 22. 0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94. 6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92. 8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,077, and the median income for a family was $40,398. Males had a median income of $26,604 versus $23,510 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,197. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 12. 4% of families and 16. 7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 5% of those under age 18 and 7. 7% of those age 65 or over.

Historic sites

See also: List of historic sites in Sarasota, Florida

By the end of the 20th century, many of Sarasota's more modest historical structures had been lost to the wrecking ball. See also Sarasota Florida Sarasota Florida has 71 structures that have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Condominium development erased all evidence of the Whitaker settlement along the bay. To the east of Tamiami Trail, however, their family cemetery remains on property owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution, adjacent to the city-owned Pioneer Park. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR is a lineage -based membership organization of women dedicated to promoting Historic preservation, Education Recently, two historic buildings, the Crocker Church and the Bidwell-Wood House (the oldest structure in the city), became city property. These structures were relocated to this park, despite protests from residents who objected to the loss of park area.

In the late 1970s, Sarasota County purchased the Terrace Hotel and renovated it for use as a county government office building. That structure and the adjacent courthouse have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of

Most of the luxurious historic residences from the 1920s boom period along the northern shore of Sarasota Bay have survived. This string of homes, built on large parcels of elevated land along the widest point of the bay, is anchored by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art at its center. Many significant structures from the comparatively recent "Sarasota School of Architecture" period of the mid-twentieth century have not survived.

March 2007 photograph of Riverview High School, a Paul Rudolph design built in 1958

In 2006, the Sarasota County School Board slated one of Paul Rudolph's largest Sarasota projects, Riverview High School, for demolition. For other people named Paul Rudolph see Paul Rudolph (disambiguation. Riverview High School is a four-year comprehensive Public high school in Sarasota, Florida, United States. The board arrived at the decision despite protests by many members of the community, including architects, historic preservationists, and urban planners. Others support the demolition as they believe the structure is no longer functional. The issue remains divisive. The World Monuments Fund included the school in its 2008 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in the category "Main Street Modern. The World Monuments Fund (WMF is a New York -based private Non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic Architecture and "

Though the community of Sarasota is divided on the worth of Rudolph's structure, the international arts community is not. new urbanist planner and architect Andres Duany has strongly supported retention of the school. New Urbanism is an American Urban design movement that arose in the early 1980s Andrés Duany (born September 7 1949) is an American Architect and Urban planner. At a public meeting in January 2007 in Sarasota, Duany stated that Sarasota would lose its stature as an arts center if it allowed the demolition. The historic building is the main structure in the school complex and includes a planetarium. A planetarium is a Theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about Astronomy and the night sky or for training in Celestial navigation Plans existed to nominate Riverview High School to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the most endangered historic structures in the United States, America's Most Endangered Places. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by Congressional charter to support preservation Each year since 1987 the National Trust for Historic Preservation has released a list of places they consider the most endangered in America

Following a March 2007 charrette led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a proposal was advanced to renovate and preserve Rudolph's buildings. The school board decided to allow a year to consider implementation. As of Sept. 2007, the structure's fate has not been decided.

Transportation

The city is home to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (also known by its IATA designation, SRQ) which serves both Manatee and Sarasota counties. Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is an airport located in Sarasota Florida and just south of Bradenton Florida. That designation was adopted by SRQ Magazine, SRQ Dance Studios, and by SRQ Racing, a local automotive community, and is sometimes used by people who identify with the city and area.

Media

Television

See also: List of TV stations in Florida

Sarasota is part of the Nielsen-designated Tampa-St. This is a list of broadcast television stations serving cities in the U Nielsen Media Research ( NMR) is an American firm that measures media Audiences including Television, Radio Petersburg-Sarasota television market, which is the 13th largest TV market in the United States. ^[11] The local television stations are ABC affiliate WWSB and SNN 6, a continuous local cable news operation run by Comcast and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. WWSB, Channel 40 ( Cable and Virtual channel 7 is the ABC affiliate for Sarasota Florida. SNN News 6 (formerly known as SNN 6, SNN Channel 6, and Six News Now; which were often used interchangeably is a Comcast cable 24/7 news station Comcast Corporation ( is the largest Cable television company the second largest Internet service provider and (according to the company the fourth largest telephone The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is a daily Newspaper located in Sarasota Florida. WWSB is the only network station with studios in Sarasota. Other network programming is offered by Fort Myers and Tampa television stations.

Radio

See also: List of radio stations in Florida

Arbitron has identified the Sarasota-Bradenton radio market as the 73rd largest market in the country,^[12], and the fifth largest in the state of Florida. The following is a list of FCC -licensed Radio stations in the U Arbitron ( is a Radio audience research company in the United States which collects listener data on radio audiences similar to that collected by Nielsen Media There are eight radio stations in the city: WSMR (89. WSMR (891 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format 1FM/College), WSLR (96. WSLR-LP (965 FM, "WSLR-LPFM" is a listener-supported non-profit LPFM Radio station based in Sarasota Florida, United 5FM/Variety-Talk), WKZM (104. WKES (911 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a religious radio format 3FM/Religious), WCTQ (106. WCTQ (1065 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Country music format 5FM/Country), WLSS (930AM/Talk), WSRQ (1220AM/Talk), WTMY (1280AM/Talk-Business-Health), WTZB (105. WLSS is a Radio station serving the Sarasota Florida area with a News / Talk format WTMY (1280 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a talk format Licensed to Sarasota Florida, USA the station is currently owned by Polnet WTZB is a commercial Radio station located in Englewood Florida, broadcasting to the Sarasota Florida area on 105 9FM/Rock-Alternative Rock;commonly known as The Buzz) and WSDV (1450AM-Standards). WSDV (1450 KHz) is an Adult standards radio station owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications for the Sarasota-Bradenton market

Print

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is the city's daily newspaper; the Bradenton Herald from neighboring Bradenton is also distributed in the area. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is a daily Newspaper located in Sarasota Florida. The Bradenton Herald is a McClatchy Newspaper in Bradenton Florida, in the United States. Additional local publications include Pelican Press, Sarasota Magazine and "Sarasota Magazine's Biz941", the Longboat Observer, Creative Loafing, and Sarasota Downtown and Beyond.

Sports

The warm climate helped the Sarasota area become a popular golf destination. The Sara Bay course in the Whitfield area was designed by golf architect Donald Ross. Donald J Ross ( November 23, 1872 &ndash April 26, 1948) was one of the most significant Golf course designers in Many courses dot the area, including the one originally laid out for the hotel John Ringling planned on the southern tip of Longboat Key. Longboat Key is a Barrier island and the coextensive town of the same name located on the central west coast of Florida in the United States of America

Sarasota also is home to Ed Smith Stadium, where the Cincinnati Reds train in spring for the upcoming season, and is home to the minor league Sarasota Reds. Ed Smith Stadium is a Baseball field located in Sarasota Florida. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA Minor leagues are professional Sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports The Sarasota Reds are a Minor league baseball team based in Sarasota Florida. However, along with many other teams, the Cincinnati Reds may move their spring training location to Goodyear, Arizona. Goodyear ( Pima: Valin Thak) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Before 1997, the city had a long association with the Chicago White Sox; both through spring training and through Sarasota's minor-league team, which was once known as the Sarasota White Sox. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. This predates the construction of Ed Smith Stadium in 1989.

The area YMCA is the largest and best-funded in Florida. Within the YMCA's three branches is one of the state's more proficient swim teams, the Sarasota YMCA Sharks which has won numerous state titles. Swim teams from around the nation come every summer to practice at the facilities and compete against the Sharks.

Sarasota is also the site of the annual UPA ultimate frisbee national tournament.

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in Florida

• Hamilton, Ontario 1990^[13]
• Perpignan, France 1994^[14]
• Tel Mond, Israel 1994^[15]
• Vladimir, Russia 1994^[16]
• Dunfermline, Scotland 2002^[17]
• Treviso, Italy Feb. This is a list of sister states regions and cities in the US state of Florida. Hamilton (ˈhæməltən ( 2006 population 504559 UA population 647634 CMA population Perpignan ( French: Perpignan, pɛʀpiɲɑ̃ Catalan Perpinyà,) is a commune and the Préfecture (administrative This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Tel Mond (תל מונד is a town in Israel located east of Netanya and north of Kfar Saba in the Sharon region For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Vladimir (Влади́мир) is a city in Russia, located on the Klyazma River, to the east of Moscow along the M7 motorway Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Dunfermline (Scottish Gaelic Dùn Phàrlain is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Treviso (Venetian Trevizo, French Trévise, Latin Tarvisium) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest 2007^[18]
• Xiamen, Fujian Province, China^[19]

References

• Jennings, David, A Tale of Two Commissions, Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, Inc. Newsletter February 2005, volume twenty, number two, Box 1754, Sarasota, Florida 34230 - with illustrations of Crocker Church and Bidwell-Wood House by Kafi Benz
• LaHurd, Jeff, Sarasota, A History, The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, IBSSN 1-59629-119-2

External links

• City of Sarasota official site
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune Local News

• Sarasota, Florida is at coordinates 27°20′14″N 82°32′07″W / 27.337273, -82.535318 (Sarasota, Florida)Coordinates: 27°20′14″N 82°32′07″W / 27.337273, -82.535318 (Sarasota, Florida)