Sarasota  |  Siesta Key  |  Longboat Key  |  Lido Key  |  Lakewood Ranch Lakewood Ranch A PLANNED COMMUNITY Lakewood Ranch extends its roots back to the early 1900's with John Schroeder who selected this land for its abundant natural resources and beauty. Used as a means of cattle ranching, vegetable and citrus farming for many years, Real Estate was added to the mix back in 1994. With its 19 years of planning, Lakewood Ranch makes a sound investment for home buyers and a great place to live. Lakewood Ranch Lifestyle Lakewood Ranch Shopping & Dining Lakewood Ranch Real Estate Local Attractions Area Golf Courses Lakewood Ranch Demographics LAKEWOOD RANCH LIFESTYLE Lakewood Ranch, which is located in Northern Sarasota and Manatee Counties, is definitely a place to live, work and play. Lakewood Ranch provides all of the essential elements for a wonderful life: beautiful homes, shops filled with all that one needs, job opportunities, and places to and have fun with neighbors and friends. With half of this master-planned community set aside for recreation and open space, the selection of activities is virtually endless. Fifty-four holes of championship golf designed by Arnold Palmer's design team include 18 daily-fee and 36 private holes at a grand private country club that also includes tennis, swimming and fitness. Open to all are community parks and nature preserves with a wealth of opportunities for fun. Neighborhood lakes vary in size from small fishing ponds to a 160-acre body of water that stretches nearly a mile from end to end. Pedestrian trail systems are found everywhere. Residents can walk, jog, bike, scooter, or blade from one place to the next on miles of connecting sidewalks and pathways. Fun is a big part of the master plan and residents know there is always something to do at Lakewood Ranch. Three commercial park locations, located around University Parkway, are designed with the same historic Florida ranch flavor as the residential homes, enriched by wetlands, preserves and lakes. With a master plan that requires fifty percent of all property to be left as open or recreational space, businesses can select locations from within a multitude of beautiful campus-like settings. LAKEWOOD RANCH SHOPPING & DINING Shopping and diing also sets Lakewood Ranch apart. Several shopping centers provide residents with all the day-to-day conveniences needed for a stress-free life. And so much more is on the way. In the months and years ahead, Lakewood Ranch will become one of Florida’s premier upscale shopping destinations. Market Square on University Parkway and Gateway North on State Road 64 create the backbone for the goods and services at this rapidly growing community. Both shopping centers are anchored by Publix supermarkets, and feature a variety of smaller retail shops and service providers. Everything from groceries to flowers, to dining and beauty needs are waiting for you. Luxuries, as well as all the necessities, will excite the most sophisticated buyers as they browse the many shops and restaurants along the main thoroughfare planned along a lakefront Main Street. Smaller boutique-style stores will supply temptations galore as visitors and residents enjoy a relaxing stroll through the latest retail enticements. The financial Center already features banks, as well as insurance companies and other offices. Manatee Healthcare System opened a 120-bed hospital in September 2004. The acute-care hospital has emergency services, intensive care, same-day surgery, in-patient surgery, and a women’s care center, as well as medical offices and a diagnostic center. LAKEWOOD RANCH REAL ESTATE Lakewood Ranch boasts many upscale real estate developments and gated maintenance-free communties. Over the past few years, Lakewood Ranch has experienced a strong real estate market with soaring prices. A recent article in the Herald-Tribune referd to "the rising price of real estate as 'white gold'". The scarcity of premium property is what's driving real estate values upward. Real estate developers and realtors in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch alike believe it won't be long before prices in Sarasota are as high as Naples and Boca Raton. Real Estate investors are flocking to Lakewood Ranch to buy condos and luxury property with spectacular views. Golfers want to retire here. Baby boomers are picking out properties before they retire. LAKEWOOD RANCH ATTRACTIONS Vacationers of Lakewood Ranch are just minutes from many local attractions and sights. Some of the area's top attractions include the following: The Ringling Estate Cà d'Zan, John and Mable Ringling's Venetian Gothic mansion on Sarasota Bay, is one of America's important historic houses. Cà d'Zan-which means "House of John" in Venetian dialect-took two years to complete at a cost of approximately $1,500,000. The house is open for tours daily. www.ringling.org Mote Marine Laboratory Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, non-profit research organization dedicated to excellence in marine science. Public outreach is accomplished through the Mote Aquarium, an educational museum providing marine programs for all levels, from elementary-school children through adults. www.mote.org Marie Selby Botanical Gardens The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is best known for its living collection of more than 6,000 orchids. Selby's 11 bay-front acres are an open-air and under-glass museum of more than 20,000 colorful plants, many collected in the wild on nearly 100 scientific expeditions to tropical rainforests. www.selby.org Sarasota Jungle Gardens Stroll peaceful gardens, watch exotic bird and reptile shows, and look at monkeys, flamingos, swans, wallabies, and other animals at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, an area attraction since the 1930's. Located north of downtown Sarasota, the lovely gardens will delight everyone in the family. www.sarasotajunglegardens.com G.W.I.Z. The Gulfcoast Wonder and Imagination Zone, is a hands-on science center located in the Blivas Science and Technology Center. GWIZ is a state-of-the-art science and technology center that offers an array of interactive, hands-on exhibits, as well as educational programs for the community. www.gwiz.org Asolo Theatre The Asolo Theatre's mission is to present high quality professional theatre for its community. The Asolo, which is not-for-profit, performs primarily in rotating repertory with a resident company to celebrate the actor-artist, to attract regional, national and international audiences. www.asolo.org AREA GOLF COURSES Golf Course Name County Holes Phone Number Bobby Jones Golf Complex Sarasota 45 (941) 365-4653 Boca Royale Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 474-7475 Calusa Lakes Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 484-8995 Capri Isles Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 922-1312 Foxfire Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 921-7757 Gulf Gate Golf Course Sarasota 18 (941) 921-5515 Heritage Oaks Sarasota 18 (941) 926-7600 Jacaranda West Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 493-2664 Legacy Golf Course Sarasota 18 (941) 907-7067 The Meadows Country Club Sarasota 54 (941) 378-5957 Misty Creek Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 921-5258 Pelican Pointe Golf & Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 496-4653 Plantation Golf & Country Club Sarasota 36 (941) 497-1479 Rolling Green Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 355-7621 Sabal Trace Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 426-2804 Sarasota Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 371-2431 Serenoa Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 925-2755 Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 966-1800 Sunrise Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 924-1402 Tatum Ridge Golf Links Sarasota 18 (941) 378-4211 Village Green Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 922-9500 Waterford Golf Club Sarasota 27 (941) 484-6621 Venice Golf & Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 493-3100 LAKEWOOD RANCH DEMOGRAPHICS Source of Data: Idcide DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LAKEWOOD RANCH St. Petersburg 37   miles Jacksonville 235  miles Tampa 49   miles Ocala 140  miles Fort Myers 76  miles Panama City 373  miles Miami 217  miles Pensacola 474  miles Key West 346  miles St. Augustine 222  miles Daytona Beach 181  miles Tallahasee 281  miles Ft. Lauderdale 204  miles West Palm Beach 189  miles Orlando 127  miles Michael Saunders & Company - Licensed Real Estate Broker 1801 Main St. Sarasota, Florida 34236  Direct: (941) 374-2920  |  Fax: (941) 951-6667 Site Maintained & Hosted by Professional Web Designs