Bird Key
Surrounded by the emerald waters of Sarasota Bay, Bird Key is an exclusive enclave of 500 single-family homes. Once the province of Northern retirees, its manicured, security controlled, quiet streets and striking vistas of Sarasota Bay, and the city skyline have drawn some younger residents in recent years, including celebrities. Sporting deep water canals, its own private yacht club and spectacular bayfront homes-many with their own deep water dockage-to call Bird Key a boater's paradise is an understatement. Bird Key is all this, and much more. Numbered among Bird Key's current residents are professionals of every stripe, including doctors, attorneys, entrepreneurs and celebrities.
Residents of Bird Key appreciate its privacy, security, and close proximity to world-class shopping at St. Armand's Circle, lovely Lido Beach and the dazzling downtown theater district. Developed in the 1950's by Arvida, the island is a boater's paradise, with many of its homes situated directly on the bay or on deep-water canals.
Today, many of the 1950s-style homes are being renovated or rebuilt, among them some of the biggest, most extravagant homes in town. Bird Key also boasts its own prestigious yacht club. Bird Key is a fashionable island neighborhood with sparkling vistas that begin at sunrise and end with blazing sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. At night, the expansive Sarasota skyline glistens to life across a shimmering expanse of Sarasota Bay.
In the early 1920's, circus entrepreneur John Ringling purchased Bird Key as part of his ambitious plans to develop the magnificent strand of barrier islands that include Lido and Longboat Keys. He built the first Ringling Causeway for easy access to and from the Keys, St. Armands Circle and downtown Sarasota. The newest causeway, no longer a draw-bridge, opened in January of 2004 and is a study in sleek contemporary design and convenience.
