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Sarasota Shopping -
First Street
Along First Street, between Whole Foods and Selby Public
Library is a block of distinctive shops including Jane Boutique,
WriteOn Sarasota, Petropolis, Simply Spoiled, Nuovo Salon,
and other tony destinations. Around the corner, next to
Pino's Restaurant, is Juno & Jove, a high-style lifestyle
boutique with clothing, accessories, and home furnishings
all created sustainably.
Downtown Shopping
Sarasota Shopping - Westfield Sarasota Square Mall
More like the traditional malls you find all over the country,
this is the moderate-price, sprawling, family destination,
anchored by J.C. Penney, Sears, Dillard's, Macy's, a jewelers'
court with several shops, a multiplex cinema, and an extensive
food court. Nothing to write home about in terms of atmosphere,
but if you're looking for something, you'll probably find
it here.
Sarasota Shopping - Lakewood Ranch Main Street
This upscale planned-community was created from farmland
located just east of I-75, on University Parkway, about
20 minutes northeast of Sarasota. Its retail and dining
district is called Lakewood Ranch Main Street, and can be
reached by turning north from University Parkway onto Lakewood
Ranch Boulevard. Main Street is a few blocks down, on the
right. Chico's, Natural Discoveries, and The Stacked Heel
are among the shopping offerings. Starbucks, The Serving
Spoon, Astoria Fine Russian Cuisine, Saijo Sushi, and the
Polo Grill invite you to dine. The Lakewood Ranch Cinema
is an interesting hybrid of multiplex and art film house,
so you can extend your shopping and dining into entertainment
fun.
Best places to shop
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Sarasota Shopping
Sarasota boasts a variety of distinct shopping districts. Because
they often contain charming eateries, you can easily make
a day of it. Just pick a neighborhood, and shop 'till you
drop, as they say. To make the trudging easier, there's
a convenient valet parking system in Downtown Sarasota,
which will return your car to you at any designated location,
no matter where you first dropped it off.
Sarasota Shopping - Main Street
Along the several blocks of Main Street,
you'll find numerous clothing shops, including local names
such as Lotus, The Lemon Tree, Freaky Tiki, Rousseau's,
and natiional brands such as Brooks Brothers and Jake.
When you're ready for a snack or meal break,
the choices are extensive and quite international.
Main Street
Sarasota Shopping - Burns Square
This charming and sophisticated neighborhood feels European,
and it consists of three streets just east of Mound (the
name for Tamiami Trail as it wraps the Bayfront): Burns
Court, home of the Burns Square Cinema, Sarasota's art film
house; Pineapple Avenue, with its charming collection of
interesting restaurants, antique and gift shops, and galleries;
and Orange Avenue, with the very popular Woman's Exchange
consignment emporium, and quaint shops. You can get to Burns
Square by turning east on Orange Avenue from Tamiami Trail.
Be sure to check out the block of Orange Avenue south of
the intersection with Pineapple, where you'll find L Boutique's
three elegant shops: women's clothing, kids' clothes, and
shoes. At the convergence of Orange and Pineapple is Citrus
restaurant (hey, it's Florida...gotta love that citrus!),
where you can enjoy the passing crowd while munching on
tasty breakfast and lunch fare. If it's Season, and parking
is challenging, there's a free City parking lot on Orange
Avenue, just past the Kanaya residence tower
Sarasota Shopping - St. Armands Circle
Lido Key Sarasota
St. Armands Circle has sidewalk cafés and fine dining, boutique shopping, art galleries. St. Armands was originally designed by the circus magnate John Ringling. From the Circle, coconut palms stretch down to Lido Beach, which reaches to South Lido Park, a great destination to explore nature trails, canoe, kayak, and picnic, with great views of the water.
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Sarasota Shopping - Southside Village
A shopping and dining oasis that runs along S. Osprey
Avenue and Hillview Street, a few blocks south of downtown
Sarasota.
Southside Village
Sarasota Shopping -
Gulf Gate and Sarasota Pavilion
Funky Florida is one way to describe Gulf Gate, Gateway,
and Superior Streets with international
restaurants and gift shops that bring a taste of home to
Sarasota's many European visitors.
Gulf Gate
Sarasota Shopping -
Siesta Key Village
This is one of Sarasota's wonderful getaways. As soon as
you cross the Siesta Bridge, you'll feel tensions release
and you're really on vacation. For beachwear and supplies,
the Beach Bazaar and Siesta T's are staples.
Siesta Key
Sarasota Shopping - Southgate Mall (Westfield Shoppingtown)
Located at the busy intersection of Tamiami Trail and Siesta
Drive, this is a small, upscale mall, anchored by Saks Fifth
Avenue, Macy's, Dillard's, and Talbots, with numerous shops
and kiosks in between, including Chico, Restoration Hardware,
Ann Taylor, Lenscrafters, GNC, and Nuovo (Aveda) Salon.
The food court is small, but it includes two gems: Cosimo's
Pizza and Restaurant, and TooJays Gourmet Deli. Papa's Cafe
has gelato and Italian sandwiches and salads. Southgate
Mall is bright and cheerful, with floor-to-ceiling windows
and a skylight lining its entire, curved length.
Sarasota Shopping - Palm Avenue
Palm Avenue and Main Street form an outdoor-cafe nexus,
with Epicure restaurant on one corner and Sarasota News
and Books on the other. Palm Avenue is best known for its
splashy art galleries, and the well-attended First Friday
Art Walk, from 6-9PM every month.
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