MY HOME SARASOTA

Scott and Lisa Rickards are committed to providing an accessible website.  If you have difficulty accessing content, have difficulty viewing a file on this website, or notice any accessibility problems, please call us at 941-356-7040 or [email protected] to specify the nature of the accessibility issue and any assistive technology you use.  Scott and Lisa will strive to provide the content you need in the format you require. 

SEARCH THE MLS

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ACCESS OF PROPERTIES

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

Today Show Ranks Sarasota as 2nd Most Booming City

Sarasota Herald Tribune by Samantha Gholar, July 10, 2023

SARASOTA — Daytime television show "The Today Show" has named Sarasota as the second-ranked place to live in the U.S.

According to the July 10 ranking, released by Frances Katzen, a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman, Sarasota ranks just behind Round Rock, Texas, a suburb of Austin, for the most growth and is one of the top five "booming" cities in the United States this year.

Criteria such as schools, cost of living, outdoor life, job security, and growth and development each contributed to the quality of living for residents choosing to find a spot to live post-pandemic Katzen said. 

The Monday ranking of yet another 'top list' for Sarasota follows several other recent rankings for the City of Sarasota and the surrounding area as one of the most desirable places to be in the country. U.S. News & World Report has listed it as one of the top places to retire for several years.

Famous Siesta Beach - best of the best 

Siesta Key’s fine quartz sand is one of the primary attractions of its beaches.

The powdery white shoreline of Siesta Key was been ranked No. 1 in the nation several times in the annual survey by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.

“The Sand is like Sugar,” Leatherman said. “Some people can't believe it. It is super soft, super fine. They claim to have the finest, whitest sand in the world, and I can't argue with that.”

Once a beach reaches the top of the list, it is retired from future rankings.  Leatherman ranks beaches on 50 criteria, including water quality, weather, facilities and crowds. A top score is 250.

“Most days you measure waves over there in inches, not feet,” Leatherman said.

The 40-acre park at Siesta offers everything from tennis to beach volleyball courts, along with a snack bar and gift shop. The beach at Siesta is more than 100 yards deep — far wider than most beaches in Florida or anywhere else. Thousands of people can spend the day without feeling crowded.