Waterfront living in Charlotte County (Sarasota, Bradenton: rentals, condominiums, townhouses)

[wille]

I am looking for a community with newer homes to purchase or build a waterfront home in the $350K - $450K price range. I looked in South Gulf Cove, but it seems that it takes too long to get out to Charlotte Harbor. Any suggestions on areas to focus on? We are early retired in our 50s.

[SoFLGal]

If you are a boater and looking for affordable and quick access water, then you need to check out PGI.

I was born and raised in SW FL and have lived everywhere from Bradenton down to Punta Gorda and everywhere in between. Right now that area is the best "bang for your buck".

Punta Gorda is consistently winning top awards for "the best place to retire". I'll have to say, I'm not of retirement age (42) and I really enjoy the town:
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/best-places-to-retire/articles/2008/09/18/best-healthy-places-to-retire-punta-gorda-florida

https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/news/Pages/Punta-Gorda-Featured-in-Where-to-Retire-Magazine.aspx

http://www.topretirements.com/reviews/florida/Punta%20Gorda.html

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mjf45hkeh/port-charlotte-florida/

http://www.abc-7.com/story/24266445/punta-gorda-makes-cover-of-where-to-retire#.VbrBPnnbLIU

Punta Gorda, Florida is an historic fishing village community on Charlotte Harbor in Southwest Florida. Punta Gorda, Florida features one of the largest natural harbors in the United States and is centrally located between Sarasota to the north and Fort Myers to the south. With sunshine all year and balmy gulf breezes to cool the summer, Punta Gorda is prized by boaters, fishermen, water lovers and tourists alike.

This vibrant community has an historic downtown area with brick, gas-lit streets and plenty of shopping, art galleries and other amenities, and is home to fine dining, marinas and many recreation areas. The historic downtown has been revitalized with beautiful flowers, colorful wall murals, trees, charming brick planters and benches where you can rest and watch life as it passes by.

There's always something going in Punta Gorda. A lot of my friends who live in Sarasota come down to Punta Gorda for "things to do".

Here's a link to the Farmer's Market: http://puntagordachamber.com/index.php?subcat=412

Wine& Jazz Fest: http://puntagordachamber.com/index.php?subcat=6

Dragon Boat Fest: http://puntagordachamber.com/index.php?subcat=415

What's happening at Fisherman's Village: http://www.fishville.com/events/ (keep in mind that things are a bit slower in the summer when the snowbirds are gone)

What's going on at the PG Civic Center: http://www.charlotteharborecc.com/calendar.aspx

Dean's and Hurricane Charley's are great little places to watch some live music: http://www.deanssouthoftheborder.net/

I love The Celtic Ray Irish Pub: http://celticray.net/ They bring in some really neat bands on the weekends. The Ray has many different beers on tap and it's just a really casual, laid back place to watch a band or catch a drink.

TT's Tiki Bar is really casual place to stop and listen to a band or grab a drink. It's right on the Peace River and they have a fire pit and a bunch a beach chairs sitting around. You will think you're down in Key West: https://www.facebook.com/thetikibarpg

Harpoon Harry's and Laishley's Crab House are great places to watch the sunset or grab a drink but, to be honest, the food is my favorite there (both the same owner) http://www.harpoonharrys.com/ or http://laishleycrabhouse.com/

Jack's on Marion usually has decent food if you want to grab a bite to eat while in town. They also have a Gluten Free menu for the more health conscious : http://www.jacksonmarion.com/

Here's some info on the PGI Civic Association: http://www.pgica.org/ Check out the "Clubs" section. I think there's just about every kind of club you could imagine. All my friends who live in PGI, love it and everyone seems to be super friendly.

Everywhere you go, there is something to do outside.

Punta Gorda, Florida is the county seat for Charlotte County and is home to approximately 17,000 people, including young families, singles and seniors.

With 130 miles of water, natural preserve Charlotte Harbor is popular with boaters and fishermen, and leads out into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The picturesque waterfront area includes many public waterfront parks where year-round events take place. Fishermen’s Village, a complete marina, is right next to downtown, and a new public boat ramp and fishing pier are on the waterfront.

Punta Gorda is also a favorite of golfers with its beautiful courses, each offering challenging greens, sand traps and water.

The city is convenient to Charlotte County Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, and Naples Municipal Airport. This ‘Main Street’ designated community has much to offer tourists and residents. Visit the historic A.C. Freeman House built in 1903, and browse its quaint museum, take a downtown gallery walk, or head to the Babcock Wilderness to commune with nature. Take a Trolley Tour with a local historian, or visit the Peace River Wildlife Center, Ponce de Leon Historical Park or Florida Adventure Museum. Fisherman’s Village is a new waterfront shopping complex with boutiques, dining and entertainment. It has also a 98 slip marina and boat, jet ski and bicycle rentals. Catch a sightseeing boat here and venture out to Cabbage Key or do some sport fishing.

Punta Gorda is a waterfront paradise with single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums, moderately priced condos, luxurious waterfront homes, and open land on which to build your dream home. There are numerous upscale and gated communities in the Punta Gorda area, many with private golf courses.

Downtown Punta Gorda is popular with many residents. With its huge, swaying palms, brick streets, and homes with wide verandas and tin roofs, you will feel as if you have gone back in time. It’s a great place to walk and discover hidden treasures. Gilchrist Park along the Peace River has tennis courts, a huge playground, gazebo and is home to country, bluegrass and folk musicians as they gather in circles to perform every Thursday evening.

Punta Gorda Isles (PGI) is a large upscale waterfront community in Punta Gorda. With city water and sewer and close proximity to I-75 and US 41, Punta Gorda Isles is convenient to all services and amenities and close to downtown Punta Gorda, Fort Myers and Naples. Punta Gorda Isles was once swampland dredged by General Development Corp. in 1957 to create a maze of seawalled saltwater canals. Canals in Punta Gorda Isles are 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep, and the seawalls and canals are maintained by the city of Punta Gorda. This is a primarily a boating, golfing and country club neighborhood with pretty Spanish tile roofs and a strong homeowner’s association to help maintain value.

At the center of Punta Gorda Isles is the St. Andrews Golf Club, along with a small commercial area that offers services to residents. Punta Gorda Isles is a deed restricted community with over 6,000 lots. Punta Gorda Isles has its own yacht club, and a private golf club, so residents never have to leave home to pursue their passion. This community is an ideal location for nature lovers, water enthusiasts, boaters and golfers. Homes in Punta Gorda Isles are beautifully landscaped and intelligently conceived to suit the surrounding environment. A few homes border the St. Andrew’s South Golf Club. The Punta Gorda Isles road system was designed to minimize traffic and to give the community the feel of a small, private neighborhood. There are a few new homes and lots in this community but many purchases today are for existing homes and condos, some dating back to the 1960s. Compared to Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, purchase prices in Punta Gorda Isles are very affordable. In Punta Gorda Isles you can find moderately priced waterfront homes and glorious waterfront estates. Residential lots are either on a canal or surrounding the St. Andrews South Golf Club. Most homes in Punta Gorda Isles have 3-5 bedrooms and 2-4 bathrooms.

Punta Gorda, Florida has everything from waterfront homes in the millions to fine historic to bungalows to new Florida style homes.

If you are a golfer or boater and love a quint downtown packed with things to do, Punta Gorda might be the spot for you!

[MartyGras]

Burnt Store Isles in Punta Gorda....newer homes and larger lots

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by MartyGras

Burnt Store Isles in Punta Gorda....newer homes and larger lots

Was thinking that Marty but many of the areas take a while to get out. In general, the access out to open water is quicker in PGI

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

Was thinking that Marty but many of the areas take a while to get out. In general, the access out to open water is quicker in PGI

The trip from BSI has the advantage of having no bridges ti get under, wider canals and while some parts of BSI have a longer ride than others they are certainly not as long as some of the rides in PGI. BSI also has the advantage of being on alligator Creek which is a wonderful place to boat and kayak and theto the harbor is no more than 20 minutes leaving you out much closer to the gulf then PGI.

The truth is there are both good and bad locations from a boating perspective in both neighborhoods.

FYI.... I live in San Sebastian Harbor

Gary

[TamRE]

Locations to look into:
Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County

Going out to Myakka River in Charlotte County - Gulf Cove, and in Port Charlotte Streets such as Eisenhower, Irwin, Lackawanna in that general area

Port Charlotte in the areas of Ackerman, Ohara, Collingswood, Edgewater south

Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda, but Lee County

[storm lady]

I thought that there were Locks that you had to navigate ,to get in and out of Burnt Store to access Alligator Creek?

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by storm lady

I thought that there were Locks that you had to navigate ,to get in and out of Burnt Store to access Alligator Creek?

There used to be many many years ago they still call them the entrance the locks.

Gary

[Harbor Hopper]

You really need to think about what your requirements are regarding time to open water, and what kind of water you want (i.e. what kind of boating will you be doing?) If you will be primarily fishing, then the harbor communities (Burnt Store, Pirate Harbor, PGI, Harbor Heights, Port Charlotte, Gulf Cove and South Gulf Cove will be fine. If you dream of boating out to the beaches & islands regularly for the "pretty water", then you might want to consider communities closer to the ICW such as Cape Haze, Englewood, Englewood Isles, and Venice/Nokomis.
Many of the harbor communities will take 45-60 minutes+ to get out to the Gulf, which doesn't sound bad, but if you're going to do it a lot, it gets old. Trust me, we did it from Port Charlotte for 5 years before buying on the water in Englewood. What used to take us an hour now takes us less than 10 minutes :-) Just something to think about...

[storm lady]

Originally Posted by MartyGras

There used to be many many years ago they still call them the entrance the locks.

Gary

Thanks for the answer and the photo.