Their Space

With its beautiful bayfront, good restaurants and theaters, downtown Sarasota has attracted residents for decades. Traditionally, most have been retirees, often moving in from the islands to be closer to hospitals and urban amenities. But in the last few years, a younger crowd, encouraged by the promise of new shops and services and excited by the prospect of living close to work, has started to move into our growing supply of downtown condos. As you’ll see from a peek at some of their places, they’re bringing new design as well as demographic energy to the once-sedate downtown lifestyle.

Dining on their eighth-floor terrace, watching the sunset fade to crimson and the lights of downtown flicker on, Michael and Kathy Bush savor that big-city feeling with a side helping of small-town pride.

“Sarasota is moving forward, and we live in the center of the energy and activity,” says Michael, whose mid-century modern home furnishings store, Home Resource, was among the first upscale retailers to inhabit Central Avenue in the Rosemary District.

Residents of Washington, D.C., and London prior to Sarasota, the Bushes were always engaged in the urban lifestyle, fond of walking as a primary means of transportation and melding into a cityscape of motion and color. Michael happened to be at the business luncheon when the 100 Central condominium project was announced, and he quickly placed his name on the list. “We were among the very first persons called to view plans and make a commitment,” he says. “There was nobody else there that morning, and we had about 45 minutes to spend half a million dollars, visualizing what the place would look like and what view we wanted. We jumped in.”

The 1,700-square-foot condominium faces due west and has a master bedroom, kitchen, living areas and a den. An expansive terrace serves as the al fresco dining room, with a custom-designed glass and metal table and sweeping city views all the way to Sarasota Bay. Kathy did a masterful job opening up the space, says Michael, by eliminating a wall going in to a second bedroom and creating more living room. The extra bedroom was superfluous, Kathy explains, because 100 Central offers a guest suite in the complex for the convenience of overnight company. 

Their neighbors are an eclectic, social group, ranging from the mid-30s to one lively octogenarian, and they get together once a month, sailing away for a couple of hours on LeBarge or barbecuing poolside for Fourth of July and then enjoying the fireworks. The downtown location offers close proximity to the Bushes’ sailboat on Longboat Key and an excellent starting point for Michael’s favorite form of exercise.

“I have such a gorgeous run up to Ringling Museum,” he says, “zipping around the back side of Van Wezel and on the open bay through parts of Indian Beach. There are these little pockets of houses that look like small-town Connecticut and other times where all you can see is water.”

And the view from their condo is amazing. “At night the water disappears and the lights of the city come on,” says Michael. “The transformation is fascinating to observe and offers such a different perspective.”

If Michael is all about the sights, Kathy revels in the sounds. “In the early morning it is so quiet, and that surprised me,” she says. “I can hear isolated sounds, like someone sweeping the street or a little piece of music playing. Church bells ring and, slowly, voices can be heard. One or two cars will appear, and gradually the bustle begins. I love hearing the city waking up.”

She also delights in having more time to themselves by eliminating the commute to work and walking into a restaurant where everybody knows their names. “I suppose all downtown residents have a comfortable place they return to again and again,” Kathy says. “Our favorite spot is Mattison’s.” 
                                                                
Twenty-something Andrew Foley left his family’s 7,200-square-foot luxury condominium in the historic Orange Blossom Hotel for a 760-square-foot home on the third floor of 1350 Main. His floor-to-ceiling glass windows and sliding doors showcase the street scene rather than his former sweeping view of Sarasota Bay. The interior is minimalist, the surround distinctively urban.