Florida Real Estate & Lifestyle Blog

    Turtle Rock in Palmer Ranch is an established gated Sarasota community with single-family homes and villas, mature landscaping, interior lakes, preserve settings and a substantial recreation area. Developed primarily from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, Turtle Rock offers a clubhouse, c

    The best public parks in Bradenton, Florida range from the waterfront Bradenton park system to large Manatee County preserves filled with mangroves, trails and wildlife habitat. Bradenton Riverwalk is the standout choice for downtown waterfront recreation, Robinson Preserve is one of the stronge

    Fall date nights in Sarasota look a little different from autumn evenings farther north. Instead of changing leaves and cold weather, couples can enjoy Gulf sunsets, outdoor dining, botanical gardens, live theater, waterfront walks and seasonal events as evenings gradually become more comfortabl

    Fall is a particularly appealing time to plan a weekend getaway along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Around Sarasota, the season can bring more comfortable evenings, fewer afternoon thunderstorms and lighter beach crowds than some peak travel periods. Instead of traveling across the state, Sarasota-area

    The best Halloween events in St. Petersburg for 2026 range from the massive, family-friendly Halloween on Central street festival to pumpkin activities at the St. Pete Pier, USF St. Petersburg's free Halloween Fest, Halloween-themed art programs at Imagine Museum and the 18-and-older Haunted Fes

    October 2026 brings fall festivals, outdoor markets, live theater, Halloween celebrations and island events throughout Bradenton and Manatee County. Major highlights include the Bradenton Public Market every Saturday, the Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival and Dakin Dairy Farms Harvest Festival on

    The best Halloween events in Clearwater for 2026 include Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Halloween Spookquarium, the North Greenwood Community Trunk or Treat, Long Center Glow and Boo Bingo Bash, Morningside Halloween JuBOOlee and several Halloween-day activities in Downtown Clearwater and Clearwat

    October 2026 brings fall festivals, markets, waterfront activities, arts events and Halloween celebrations throughout St. Petersburg, Florida. Major highlights include the St. Pete Saturday Morning Market every Saturday, the St. Pete Fall Festival on October 10 and 11, pumpkin-themed activities

  Some of the best golf courses to play this October on Florida's Gulf Coast are Bobby Jones Golf Club in Sarasota, University Park Country Club near the Sarasota-Manatee line, IMG Academy Golf Club in Bradenton and Jacaranda West Country Club in Venice. Golfers heading farther south can add Boca Ro

    Some of the best parks and nature preserves to explore near Sarasota this fall include Myakka River State Park for a full day in wild Florida, the Celery Fields for birding and wetland views, Oscar Scherer State Park for hiking and Florida scrub-jay habitat, Red Bug Slough Preserve for an easy i

    Some of the best biking trails to explore this fall on Florida's Gulf Coast are concentrated around Sarasota, Osprey, Venice, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch. The paved Legacy Trail connects Sarasota with Venice, Venetian Waterway Park adds miles of Intracoastal scenery, Oscar Scherer State Park co

    Some of the best places to kayak and paddleboard near Sarasota this fall include the mangrove tunnels at Ted Sperling Nature Park on Lido Key, Sarasota Bay, the waterways around Siesta Key, Phillippi Creek, Blackburn Point in Osprey, South Creek at Oscar Scherer State Park and the Myakka River.

    October can be one of the most enjoyable boating months on Florida's Gulf Coast, especially around Sarasota, Venice and the surrounding Southwest Florida waterways. Sarasota's average October water temperature is about 81 degrees Fahrenheit, while fall begins bringing relief from peak summer hea

    The best places to live in Bradenton for golfers include River Strand for private 27-hole country club living, Waterlefe for championship golf combined with the Manatee River, Rosedale for an established gated community with separately available club membership, Heritage Harbour for residential

    St. Armands Circle does not have its own golf course, but golfers staying on Lido Key or near downtown Sarasota have several options. The closest resort golf is at Longboat Key Club, where 45 holes are available to members and registered resort guests. For public golf, the restored Bobby Jones G

    Library Mews is an intimate 11-residence townhouse community at 200 Cocoanut Avenue in Downtown Sarasota, close to Five Points, Main Street, Selby Public Library and Sarasota Opera. Instead of a conventional downtown high-rise, Library Mews offers a smaller-scale residential setting within Saras

    Brightmore at Wellen Park is a gated, age-qualified 55+ community by Mattamy Homes in Venice, Florida, offering new single-story paired villas and single-family homes within the larger Wellen Park master-planned community. Its centerpiece is an 11-acre resort-style amenity campus with a lakefron

    Capri Village East is an established 55+ condominium community in Venice, Florida, offering low-rise residences in the Capri Isles area near golf, shopping, historic downtown Venice and Gulf beaches. The community dates to the 1970s and provides a heated swimming pool, clubhouse, mature landscap

    Boca Royale Golf & Country Club is a gated residential and country-club community in Englewood, Florida, offering championship golf, tennis, pickleball, fitness, dining and a broad mix of established and newer homes. The approximately 1,000-acre community is in South Sarasota County near Manasot

    University Park is a resident-owned, gated master-planned community near Sarasota with 32 distinct neighborhoods, mature landscaping and an established country club built around 27 holes of championship golf. University Park Country Club also offers 11 lighted Har-Tru tennis courts, four pickleb