A Tranquil and Unique Lifestyle
Englewood is a tranquil community located on
the west coast of Florida on the peninsula
immediately north of Charlotte
Harbor. The area is
roughly divided between Sarasota county to the
north and Charlotte
County to the south and
is unique in that respect. It is a peaceful community only recently discovered
by many of its area residents.
This primarily residential community was founded in 1896 as a lemon
growing center, and it later flourished as a lumbering and sawmill area. Most
of the first settlers came to the Englewood
area in the early 1900's and the area did not really grow significantly until
the early 1950's. In the post-war boom years the Englewood area really started to come into
its own. Banks and storefront shops came to the area and residential
development began in earnest.
Most of the growth in the Englewood area and
the adjacent barrier islands first started paralleling the shoreline of Lemon Bay.
In the Late 1950's the Intracoastal Waterway
project greatly modified many of the shorelines and rendered a great deal more
usable waterfront land. During the ensuing years growth in the area was steady,
but not dramatic.
Englewood is easily accessible by automobile
via Interstate 75 which provides access to the Sarasota
/ Bradenton and
Fort Myers Southwest Regional airports. Englwood's own Buchan Field and the
nearby Venice Air Park
have small private aircraft facilities.
Many areas of the community are accessible by boat through Lemon Bay
and the many rivers, creeks and man-made canals that empty into the Gulf
waters. Englewood
has the small town atmosphere with large city access.
Life in the Englewood community is still centered around Lemon Bay
and the Gulf waters. Everywhere you look you see the signs of the sea. Pelicans
and seagulls pass serenely overhead and many aquatic animals and water fowl
make their homes in the preserve areas.
Adjacent to the downtown area is Indian
Mound Park
where artifacts have been found that date back to 400 B.C. Once the site of a Calusa Indian
Village, today a huge,
hand-carved wooden Indian stands guard to the park's entrance.
Englewood
has preserved the delicate ecological balance throughout its development The
natural environment contains an unusual amount of exotic plant and animal
wildlife. Most noticeable is the constant abundance of flowering shrubs and
trees and year-round lush green landscaping. Water creatures provide the most
unusual source of interest.
Many factors contribute to the economic health of Englewood. Expectedly, tourism plays a vital
roll by providing various related industries such as food services,
accommodations, sport fishing, leisure activities, retail sales, building,
remodelling, construction and services.
The Englewood
community, located about 40 miles north of Fort Myers and 25 miles south of
Sarasota, was off the well beaten path of US Highway 41. Unless folks were
specifically headed toward Englewood,
they missed it. This kept the area's rural flavor greatly intact. In the 1960's
and 1970's, service industries, office parks and many professionals found their
way to the shores of Lemon Bay. It is only in the last decade that the area was
"discovered" by the fast food chains and large shopping malls. Today
the Englewood area has a population of approximately 45,000 year-round
residents which grows to 65,000 during the winter season.
Florida
taxes are considerably lower than those found in many other parts of the
country. There are some real advantages to establishing Florida residency. Englewood
residents do not pay city taxes since it is unincorporated and located in two
counties. They do pay taxes to the county in which they reside (Sarasota or Charlotte)
which in turn provides local services. Many of the vital community services are
unified, such as bi-county police protection. The area also has a very active
Chambers of Commerce dedicated to business development in the area.
Gem of the Suncoast
The
barrier islands of Manasota Key, Palm
Island and Little
Gasparilla Island to the south are very unique locations. They feature a low
density atmosphere and easy going lifestyle so greatly cherished in today's
world. It is comforting to know that, in all likelihood, it will remain that
way into the next century due to stringent zoning and development standards. Palm Island
and Little Gasparilla are still only accessible by boat.
Manasota Key is accessible via two Intracoastal Waterway drawbridges, one in
Charlotte County
to the south and one in Sarasota
County to the north. The Charlotte County section of the island has a
modest amount of commercial and multi-family development tastefully
intermingled with residential properties. Current building restrictions will
not allow any structures over three stories tall and as a result, the area will
never become a concrete jungle. At the southern extreme end of the island, the
last mile and a half of the Key is a State park and wildlife sanctuary.
Recreation
This pristine area is
renowned for its excellent game fishing and areas dedicated to water sports
activities. This mile and a half long area adjacent to Stump Pass
is accessible only by boat or on foot.
The Sarasota County section of Manasota Key is
exclusively residential. Most of the properties extend from Manasota Key Road to the waters of the
Gulf or from the roadway to Lemon
Bay and offer people a
residential setting for that special dream house. The extreme northern section
of Manasota Key offers the ultimate in privacy and seclusion. This private
controlled-access area is accessible to residents and their guests only.
Englewood is
rich with interesting things to do and see. Water sports are some of the most
active with access to miles of beautiful, white sandy beaches. Manasota Key and
Englewood
beaches have picnic and bathhouse facilities. Fishing, boating and scuba
diving, hunting for shells and shark's teeth (especially on Boca Grande
beaches) are all very popular. For golfers there are seven private and one
public course within 30 minutes drive. Tennis courts dot the area.
Within a two and a half hour drive, there are many attractions too numerous
to mention ranging from the Everglades to Disney World/EPCOT Center and
Univsersal and MGM Studios, Sea World, and just a few more minutes away the
Kennedy Space Center.
Shopping & Dining
Major department stores
are located at Merchants Crossing, Palm
Plaza and Lemon Bay Shopping Center and there are at least
15 small retail centers in the community. The "Englewood Village"
downtown area has many shops and storefront establishments for your shopping
pleasure. Other local merchants dot the area with various retail outlets along
with an array of boutiques to suit the needs of residents and visitors alike.
For your wining and dining pleasure, there is a wide variety of
establishments ranging from elegant waterfront restaurants to quaint seafood or
barbecue restaurants as well as the usual variety of fast food drive-throughs.
Causal dress is usually acceptable.
There are several night spots featuring music ranging from 50's/60's rock and
roll, country & western and easy listening to modem rock for your
entertainment.
Education
The two-county area is served by Englewood Elementary and Vineland
Elementary for K-Grade 5, Ephiphany Catholic School, K-Grade 8, L.A. Ainger
Junior High School for grades 6-8 and Lemon Bay High School for grades
9-12. The Sarasota and Charlotte
Vocational Technical Centers provide additional education and adult and
community programs are also available.
Higher education in the area is provided by the University of South Florida
and New College of USF in Sarasota, Manatee Community College, south Campus in
Venice, Edison Junior College in Fort Myers and Ringling School of Art &
Design in Sarasota.
Religion
Twenty-four area churches encompass most Protestant denominations while
Hebrew fellowship is available in nearby Venice, North Port and Port Charlotte.
The Catholic Diocese of Venice has two local churches, a cathedral, a convent
and a school.
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