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Sarasota Magazine

July-August 2025

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Women who triumphed against the odds. Plus: A journey down the Myakka River, painter Syd Solomon's legendary artists' retreat, our favorite ways to cool off and more.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

Art House on the Phillippi

Decades Ago, Painter Syd Solomon’s Phillippi Creek Home Became a Magical Gathering Spot for an Endless Stream of Famous Artists

Solomon's son Mike remembers those years.

07/10/2025 By Kay Kipling

Still a Thrill

Art Deco Style Remains Forever Cool, as an Upcoming Exhibit at Sarasota Art Museum Shows

The show will display more than 100 Art Deco posters dating from the 1920s and ’30s, from the collection of part-time Sarasotans Bill and Elaine Crouse

07/09/2025 By Kay Kipling

Eat & Drink

A Passage to India

Tikka Indian Cuisine Has Opened a Second Location on Fruitville Road

For the last several years, the restaurant has held the No. 2 spot in Yelp’s list of Florida’s highest-rated restaurants.

07/18/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Mango Mecca

The Mango's Deep Roots in America Started in Manatee County

More than 140 years ago, some of the first mango trees in America were established in Bradenton.

07/02/2025 By Isaac Eger

Come One, Come All

Restaurant Review: Ringside at Cirque St. Armands Beachside

Ringside at Cirque St. Armands Beachside welcomes diners with a modern menu and circus memories.

07/02/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Every Day Is Sundae

Beat the Heat With These Sweet Treats

Chill out with locally made gelato and ice cream.

07/02/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Fashion & Shopping

What's in Store

Bringing Back the Old General Store at Burns Mercantile

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll find it at Burns Mercantile.

07/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Health & Fitness

Queen of Dragons

Angela Long Is Team USA's First-Ever Breast Cancer Paddlers Coach

She’s taking America’s team to the world competition in Germany this month.

07/02/2025 By Susan Burns

Home & Real Estate

Tech Savvy Kitchen

Five Kitchen Gadgets That Are as Cool as They Are Useful

Everything you need for a tech-savvy kitchen.

07/07/2025 By Megan McDonald

Going Up

A Roundup of Every Single Downtown Sarasota Condo Project Right Now

Nine new projects could add another 717 condo units and 153 hotel rooms to the city.

07/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

News & City Life

Wild and Scenic History

Decades Ago, Visionary Sarasota County Commissioners Saw the Value of Protecting the Myakka

Their efforts led to the adoption of Florida’s Myakka River Wild and Scenic Designation and Preservation Act.

07/24/2025 By Susan Burrns

Stats

How Much Does It Actually Cost to Live in Sarasota and Manatee Counties Right Now?

According to the United Way Suncoast's 2025 ALICE Report, the basic survival budget for a family of four is $104,425 in Sarasota County and $95,004 in Manatee County.

07/07/2025 By Megan McDonald

In Their Own Words

Patricia Pete of Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library on the Power of Libraries

"We want kids to know that this is a safe place for them to come.”

07/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

High Stakes

Urbanist Brent Toderian Says Tall Buildings Are Not the Problem

“Sarasota has a huge disconnect between the types of developments being built and the actual needs of the community."

07/02/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

How Seven Local Women Turned Adversities Into Achievements

Their stories are inspirational.

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Danielle Wondrak Uses Her Own Childhood Grief to Heal Other Children

“There are more than 6,500 grieving children in the counties we serve. I’m grateful that I was in the right place at the right time to get this program started.”

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Jennifer Martin Is Thriving After Paralysis

“When your world changes, you have to make a decision. Are you going to sit there and not do anything?"

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Emily Meinke Stood Up to Dr. Larry Nassar’s Sexual Abuse

“A lot of people don’t disclose an assault because the legal system is so intimidating. Our goal is to make survivors feel safe so that more people are held accountable.”

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Anastasia Vavrenyuk Started a New Life in a Foreign Land

“I’m a little bit in shock at how this business has taken on a life of its own.”

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Barbara Chase Overcame Homelessness to Help Others in Need

“It feels so worthwhile to help others,” she says.

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Sigrid Olsen Conquered Business Collapse and Breast Cancer

“When I work with women in my retreats, I share with them my three-part process: Pause, breathe and reflect.”

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Resilient, Unbreakable, Strong

Sonya Johnson Overcame Decades of Drug Addiction

“I live my recovery out loud in both my professional and personal lives,” Johnson says.

07/02/2025 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Travel & Outdoors

Creature Encounters

All the Wildlife You'll Spot on the Myakka River

You'll see alligators, for sure—but also fish, turtles, river otters, manatees, bobcats, deer and raccoons.

07/17/2025 By Miri Hardy

Only in Sarasota

Bird Talk at Sarasota Jungle Gardens

Scarlet macaw Alberta is known for her sweet temperament, beautiful tail feathers, and a love of wooden toys, neck rubs and making a mess.

07/14/2025 By John Pirman

Wild and Scenic

Kayaking the Myakka River

Our Gulf beaches are world famous, but Sarasota has another great body of water—the Myakka, celebrating its 40th anniversary as Florida’s only “Wild and Scenic River.”

07/10/2025 By John McCarthy

Flashback

Photo: Sarasota Sun-Debs, 1949

Photographer Joseph Janney Steinmetz captured this scene that year, which shows a ballet instructor giving the Sun-Debs a movement lesson on the sunny shores of Lido Beach.

07/03/2025 By Megan McDonald

Swim Meet

What It's Like to Swim With the Stingrays at the St. Regis Longboat Key

Get up close and personal with stingrays and marine animals at The St. Regis Longboat Key’s Under the Sea lagoon.

07/02/2025 By Megan McDonald

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