Named after the beloved wife of colorful local artist Arlie Gray, Mrs. Gray’s Place is a large two-story 1920s historic building with a beautiful 2BR/1BA apartment on the first floor and a large 1BR/1BA apartment with separate entrance on the second floor. Behind the main house is a quaint detached studio apartment.
Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of great music and good people when the Suncoast Concert Band or Jazz Ambassadors Big Band play at Payne Park. Concerts cost five bucks, payable at the door, with refreshments provided for a dollar each. All concerts are presented in a casual atmosphere, with open seating. Two performances remain in the spring schedule: April 25th and May 9th, both at 3pm. Laurel Park Management encourages all residents to get out there and enjoy everything Payne Park has to offer.
Sarasota is many things to many people: a retirement community, an arts town, home to some of the best beaches anywhere. But a local movement is afoot that might just put Sarasota on the map as, of all things, a college town. New College of Florida is regularly ranked one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Ringling College of Art + Design has renowned animation and graphic design programs. East-West College trains students to become doctors of Eastern medicine. State College of Florida, formerly Manatee Community College, offers a vast array of affordable courses and programs that round out the local educational menu. Oh, and the Asolo Performing Arts Center is also home to Florida State University’s graduate theater arts program. This extraordinary post-secondary diversity has been gradually coalescing, and while I’m not sure any studies have been done to verify this, one gets the sense that more and more high school and college students and recent grads are deciding to stay in sunny Sarasota and put their stamp on the place.
On most nights of the year the beautiful Florida skies provide stellar views, but for a week each April Laurel Park residents are given a front row seat to a different sort of stargazing. The Sarasota Film Festival is now in its 12th year, and the 2010 edition promises to be even better than last year’s. A vast assortment of films—from star-studded features to international documentaries to innovative shorts—are slated to show at nearby venues, including the Hollywood 20 Cinemas, Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, even Whole Foods! Most events can be reached on foot from Laurel Park Management’s downtown Sarasota apartments.
The “Arts & Crafts” movement popularized at the turn of the 20th century and coinciding with the birth of the classic American Bungalow has been rediscovered at Bungalow Builders, LLC. We trade excess square footage for efficient use of space and include rich architectural details, intimate nooks, character and comfort. Our homes are designed for low maintenance and low operating costs.
Each of our new (old) homes includes a traditional front porch, classic proportions and authentic materials all within an energy conscience compact footprint. We believe in a “less is more” design philosophy that results in an authentic Bungalow home. We respect every future home owner and home site and work tirelessly to create that special place to call home.
Sailor Circus now in its sixth decade of operation has grown from a small high school gymnastics class in 1949 to the present spectacular 4 ring youth circus production known world wide as the Greatest “Little” Show on Earth. Students from the 4th through 12th grades in Sarasota and surrounding counties have an opportunity to experience the performing arts in a circus atmosphere. Our dedicated students practice 20 – 30 hours a week and are trained by volunteer coaches who are retired circus performers, sailor circus alumni and enthusiastic parents. More than 200 volunteers donating over 25,000 hours of their time each season to PAL Sailor Circus demonstrates strong community involvement.
The City of Sarasota will participate in the international energy conservation effort known as Earth Hour by darkening City Hall, 1565 First Street, and the old Federal Building, 111 S. Orange Ave., Sat., March 27, 2010 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Decorative lights on the Ringling Bridge and Season of Sculpture along the bayfront also will be extinguished during Earth Hour. Residents are encouraged to participate as well.
Towles Court is home to dozens of artist’s studios, galleries, and restaurants that line streets shaded by stately hundred-year old moss-draped Oak trees. On the third Friday of each month, store owners break out the cheese, wine, and crackers and throw open their doors until 10 p.m., inviting the community to stroll around the neighborhood and check out the unique arts and crafts on offer. Visitors can chat with the artists, dine alfresco at one of the restaurants scattered around the complex, or just grab a spot on a bench in the main courtyard and enjoy the live music that always accompanies these events.
One of the great advantages of living in Laurel Park is the ability to walk to Downtown Sarasota’s world-class cultural and artistic events such as performances by the Sarasota Opera. The opera season is winding down, so don’t miss out on your chance to catch Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, Hansel and Gretel, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, or Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco. Tickets start at $19, and $10 rush tickets for students are also available.
Major League Baseball is back in Sarasota as the Baltimore Orioles’ 2010 spring training campaign gets underway. With young studs like Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, familiar faces such as Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts, and welcome additions including Kevin Millwood, Garrett Atkins, and a returning Miguel Tejada, the Orioles look primed to cause some damage in the potent AL East. The club’s local impact, however, extends beyond the Major League camp.
