Refined Island Living
Longboat Key is home to approximately 8,000 full-time residents, and offers all the amenities that Sarasota is known for–beaches, boating, golf, tennis, and fine dining. Longboat Key stretches 11miles along the coast of Sarasota, straddlingSarasota and Manatee counties, and is flanked by the crystal blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico on the west and beautiful Sarasota Bay on the east. With its tropical
charm and picturesque natural environment, Longboat Key attracts homeowners from all over the globe. Living on Longboat is considerably quieter than Florida’s other barrier islands, but this serene oasis still boasts some of the region’s finest dining establishments, charming boutiques and shops, and the most magnificent 10 miles of white-sand beach on the Gulf coast.
Longboat Key has a rich history that can be traced back to the Indian tribes of the Timucuan and Calusa, who vacationed here for hundreds of years. Hernando DeSoto is said to have visited here in 1539, and it was Civil War veteran Thomas Mann who first settled on the island with his sons in 1891. The north end of the island was where the first homes were built in the early 1900’s, some
of which are still standing in the Longboat Village. In the 1920’s,John Ringling bought hundreds of acres at the south end of Longboat Key and built Ringling Boulevard, now named Gulf of Mexico Drive. The Town was incorporated in 1955, and the peak of its development occurred in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The eventual tightening of building codes in the 1980’s created the exclusivity that owners of Longboat Key homes enjoy today.
Aside from the fabulous real estate on the island, the luxurious Longboat Key Club is now a prominent attraction. With its 45holes of world-class golf, two full service pro shops, golf instruction and driving rage, 38 Har-tru tennis courts, full service spa, and several casual and fine dining options, this Club offers residents of Longboat Key resort-like amenities in their own backyards.
Owning Longboat Key real estate is an investment in a beautiful live. From luxurious new condominiums overlooking the Gulf or Bay, to waterfront estates lining both sides of the island, to charming bungalows and courtyard homes, there is something here for a variety of lifestyles and budgets.
With the only golf course on a barrier island in the area, an abundance of tennis courts throughout the island, walking paths, gardens and wildlife preserves, marinas, and bountiful fishing, Longboat is a community that appeals to residents looking for a tasteful and refined lifestyle. Longboat Key residents are just a short distance from outstanding shopping and dining at St. Armand’s Circle to the south, and charming Anna Maria to the north.