Don’t Forget to Vote Tomorrow!!

{photo source} Tomorrow is election day here in Sarasota, with three out five commission seats up for grabs. That means if you live in districts 1, 2, or 3 (that means everyone in the city of Sarasota) your vote counts!! In 2009, when two at-large commission seats...

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Sustainable Sarasota: Harnessing Demographic Assets

You don't have to be a marketing guru to know that youth sells. Everything it seems, including cities, are sold to the youth. Picture crowded sidewalks in the vaunted Creative City—a bunch of stylish 20 and 30 somethings, right? But as important as the energy and...

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New Year’s Resolutions to Improve Your Neighborhood

{photo source} There's a Greek proverb that says, "A city grows great when men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit." The idea, of course, is that for future generations to thrive present generations must be proactive. If done right, change in cities...

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Getting Smart About Water

photo source Along with air, water is the most important resource on planet Earth. You'd think something so important would be treated like gold, but think about how much is lost through running hoses and faucets, leaks, and inefficient washing machines. We can do...

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Follow-up: Keeping Payne Park Skate Park Open

photo source Found this article from the Pelican Press on Dan Giguere, who we mentioned in the last post, and the future of the Payne Park Skate Park. We at Laurel Park Management think that Payne Park as a whole and the Skate Park in particular have been...

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New Police HQ Honors Environment, Local Architecture, and Heroes of 9/11

If you live in Laurel Park, chances are good you’ve seen downtown Sarasota’s new police headquarters being built between Ringling Boulevard and the north end of Payne Park. What could have been another monstrosity inspired by strip malls has fortunately turned into something quite special. The architectural firm in charge of the project incorporated both elements of the celebrated Sarasota School of Architecture and enough green features to seek LEED certification. To top it off, final negotiations are underway to install a 40-foot remnant from floors 90-92 of the World Trade Center—a fitting tribute to and stark reminder of the dangers policemen and women can encounter.

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Selby Library: More than Just Books!

Summer is the slow season here in Southwest Florida. The heat and humidity can make napping on the hammock seem like a full day’s work. But for those not lulled into a heat coma until the snowbirds return Selby Library and its sister branches have plenty of activities lined up. On today’s schedule:

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The Dark Side is Laurel Park’s Gaming Paradise

Sure, Laurel Park is a historic neighborhood known for its restored Arts & Crafts and Florida Cracker cottages and its proximity to Main Street and downtown Sarasota—not to mention Burns Square and the Sarasota Bayfront. And sure, as the epicenter of Florida’s cultural coast Sarasota is well known for its fine arts. But did you know that Laurel Park also boasts one of the best comics and gaming shops you’ll ever find? The Dark Side, located at 408 S. Washington Boulevard (in a small plaza alongside a yoga studio and barber shop, among several others) is both a comic book shop and the home of Sarasota’s biggest gaming community.

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