Sarasota (East of I75)

Carefully controlled growth over the years has pushed the city eastward, with wave after wave of new neighborhoods coming of age and blending seamlessly with historic areas west of Tamiami Trail (Rte. 41) and the lively quarters of downtown Sarasota.

Move further east and you'll find the spectacular new Lakewood Ranch, the talk of Florida, which is a brand-new community that's become a city unto itself with its own shopping, hospital, schools and corporate centers. Naturally, there are innumerable golf courses, parks, greenways and recreational facilities. All have been painstakingly planned to exist in harmony with the natural surroundings, whose preservation lends so much to the popularity and prestige of Sarasota's eastern quarters.

Move still further eastward and you'll inhabit a world of small equestrian haciendas, gentleman farms, countryside estates and grove-side neighborhoods. Rich in history, these areas afford plenty of room to spread out in a style to suit your fancy.