Sarasota vs. St. Augustine (Tampa, Venice: condominium, houses, theater)

[lynne4t]

Though we've been focusing on Sarasota for retirement, St. Augustine keeps popping up everywhere lately. Now I'm curious. According to this article from The St. Augustine record, Smart Money says St. Augustine can compare to Sarasota, but is less expensive. Anyone who is familiar with both areas care to offer an opinion?


St. Augustine named 'best to retire' | StAugustine.com

[Peter the Brit]

Yes I lived 13 years in Sarasota and moved six months ago and will not be back even though we own 2 properties there.
St Augustine is steeped in history, downtown is awesome. Our weather is better. We can get to other States quickly. Our cost of housing and utilities are cheaper. We have few snowbirds, and population is less transient.
Come over and see us PM me

[coastal chic]

I have only visited St. Augustine, but it really is a beautiful city with lots of things to do and see. It feels like a mini-Charleston, SC in some ways.

[gypsychic]

They are both very nice, don't think one is cheaper than the other. Bottom line, visit both and see what you like better. They each have pluses and minuses.

For me I prefer living in Sarasota and visiting St. Augustine. I like being close to the Tampa Bay metro, and love the Gulf beaches, don't really care for the Atlantic that much. Plus I like to grow tropical plants, can't really do that up there.

[Peter the Brit]

Gypsy Chic I agree with all you say but one important point St Augustine is much cheaper to live than Sarasota Cost of housing base cost and taxes much cheaper. We have houses in both cities and see the bills and costs of purchase.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Peter the Brit

Gypsy Chic I agree with all you say but one important point St Augustine is much cheaper to live than Sarasota Cost of housing base cost and taxes much cheaper. We have houses in both cities and see the bills and costs of purchase.

Housing is cheaper? Seems like a lot of prices have really fallen here in Sarasota, as in back to year 2000 levels, so it seems cheap to me. But since I have not lived in St. Aug. I really don't know prices. I'm still thinking depending where in each city someone wants to live the cost could be comparable, so then it's just a matter of which city appeals more. I really love both cities, you are lucky to own in both!

[lynne4t]

would you say St. Augustine compares in regards to the "arstiness" of Sarasota? How about as far as nature trails and such?

[SoFLGal]

Since my oldest daughter is an artist and we live in Sarasota County, (my family has lived here for over 100 years) and I've spent a ton of time in St Augustine I think I can answer this question pretty easily. Sarasota has a WAY better artist community then St Augustine. We have Ringling College and excellent arts programs in the local schools, with huge support from the community. Towles Court Artist Colony. Tons of art oriented festivals like the recent Sarasota Chalk Festival. Van Wezel, The Asolo, Venice Little Theater for the performing arts. Lots of music festivals supporting our local musicians-The Vinyl Music Fest. The Sarasota Arts Council offers lots of support to our up and coming artist. Lots of independently owned artist along Main St, St Armand's and dotted through out the community. Pettit Coat Painters is in Sarasota, one of the oldest womens art groups in the US. The there's the Sarasota Opera. I could go on for miles and miles about the art community in Sarasota county.

My father is/was a St Augustine fanatic and as kids we go at least twice a month and spend a few days there. I never cared for the town but had to go along for the ride. The "ghost tour/walks" that blanket the city are really cheesy and touristy. To me the whole town screams tourist. Maybe I've just spent too much time there. It was bad when I was a kid and even worse when I went back a few months ago.

Now if you're talking historical significance St. Augustine would have Sarasota beat. As far as the beaches go, Sarasota again wins hands down, IMO. The water on the Atlantic side is rough and cold. If you're into surfing it's not bad a little farther south around Sebastian Inlet other than that it's one of my least favorite beaches.

It gets really cold up there in the winter as well. Well, cold for me. I live in Florida because I like the warmth. It rarely freezes for any amount of time any where below Tampa. I wouldn't live anywhere north of Tampa. If I wanted cold weather I'd live up north.

There are tons of nature and hiking trails in the Sarasota area as well. Here is a list of 16 great trails to try out: Sarasota County Florida Hiking Trails

There's always stuff to do here. I went out this weekend and watched my middle daughter row out at the new Benderson Park. They had the Sarasota International Regatta.

Next week I'm going to meet up with a friend of mine who's a 4th generation Floridian and the hubby, kids and I are all going kayaking around south Lido in Big Grassy Lagoon and Brushy Bayou.

There's always stuff to do here if you're willing to get out and find it.

I guess you can tell I really like Sarasota and I'm not a huge fan of St Augustine. I would, however, encourage you to check out both cities and form your own opinions.

[Peter the Brit]

I agree Sarasota has a better artist community then St Augustine. Against that we have a better music arts community.
The "ghost tour/walks" are cheesy and touristy. Against that we have the ghosts and history which is part of the attraction. Anything old in Sarasota is knocked down and replaced with characterless buildings.
Tourists are the backbone of our economy as snowbirds are the backbone of Sarasota's
As far as the beaches go, the white sands of Anastasia Island and the Anastasia State park compare favorably with Siesta Key. However we have no ugly condominium blocks strewn along the beach. I prefer the sound of the Atlantic and the breezes it creates to the Pond of Mexico and its toxic waste. The water on the Atlantic side is rougher and colder and it keeps the air cleaner for us in ST Augustine .
It does get colder here in the winter but I love the three seasons we have, and when it is cold at night for a few weeks it is warm in the day, a respite from the humid constant heat on the south west coast .
There are nature and hiking trails in the St Augustine area. I am a competitive runner and love the trails both here and in Sarasota but with the weather over here I find I use them more here than when I was in Sarasota
There's always stuff to do all over Florida, but I found when I was in Sarasota the humidity just kept me in doors too much.
I have 2 kayaks here and have access to many areas to use them the majority of which have no alligators as they are salt water and not freshwater.
Check out both cities and form your own opinions. These are just mine based upon LIVING in both Sarasota and St Augustine.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

Since my oldest daughter is an artist and we live in Sarasota County, (my family has lived here for over 100 years) and I've spent a ton of time in St Augustine I think I can answer this question pretty easily. Sarasota has a WAY better artist community then St Augustine. We have Ringling College and excellent arts programs in the local schools, with huge support from the community. Towles Court Artist Colony. Tons of art oriented festivals like the recent Sarasota Chalk Festival. Van Wezel, The Asolo, Venice Little Theater for the performing arts. Lots of music festivals supporting our local musicians-The Vinyl Music Fest. The Sarasota Arts Council offers lots of support to our up and coming artist. Lots of independently owned artist along Main St, St Armand's and dotted through out the community. Pettit Coat Painters is in Sarasota, one of the oldest womens art groups in the US. The there's the Sarasota Opera. I could go on for miles and miles about the art community in Sarasota county.

My father is/was a St Augustine fanatic and as kids we go at least twice a month and spend a few days there. I never cared for the town but had to go along for the ride. The "ghost tour/walks" that blanket the city are really cheesy and touristy. To me the whole town screams tourist. Maybe I've just spent too much time there. It was bad when I was a kid and even worse when I went back a few months ago.

Now if you're talking historical significance St. Augustine would have Sarasota beat. As far as the beaches go, Sarasota again wins hands down, IMO. The water on the Atlantic side is rough and cold. If you're into surfing it's not bad a little farther south around Sebastian Inlet other than that it's one of my least favorite beaches.

It gets really cold up there in the winter as well. Well, cold for me. I live in Florida because I like the warmth. It rarely freezes for any amount of time any where below Tampa. I wouldn't live anywhere north of Tampa. If I wanted cold weather I'd live up north.

There are tons of nature and hiking trails in the Sarasota area as well. Here is a list of 16 great trails to try out: Sarasota County Florida Hiking Trails

There's always stuff to do here. I went out this weekend and watched my middle daughter row out at the new Benderson Park. They had the Sarasota International Regatta.

Next week I'm going to meet up with a friend of mine who's a 4th generation Floridian and the hubby, kids and I are all going kayaking around south Lido in Big Grassy Lagoon and Brushy Bayou.

There's always stuff to do here if you're willing to get out and find it.

I guess you can tell I really like Sarasota and I'm not a huge fan of St Augustine. I would, however, encourage you to check out both cities and form your own opinions.

Thanks for writing all this SoFLGal. It's my assessment exactly. There is no other town in Florida that can compete with the arts going on in Sarasota.

As I said in my earlier post, I do love to visit St. Augustine, but as you mention, I always feel like it is super touristy with those cheesy tours they do. And outside of "Olde Towne" it just feels like anywhere suburbia to me. In "Olde Towne" itself, the traffic and throngs of people can be maddening; even in season here in Sarasota I never find it quite that bad. One other thing, I really like that Sarasota is close to the larger Tampa/St. Pete metro, whereas, St. Aug. is close to Jax, a city I just don't care for.

So, lynne, these are all subjective things; obviously some people prefer one over the other for different reasons, you need to spend time in both and see what you think.