The Future

Can bigger be better? Plus: fantastic Florida road trips and the coffee lover's guide to Sarasota.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

Calling the Shots

Meet Nate March, Announcer for the Bradenton Marauders

"If I’m not entertaining, then no one’s listening."

02/28/2018 By Hannah Wallace

Made in SRQ

Made in SRQ: Super-Sensitive Musical Strings

What better way to compliment that Stradivarius you've got laying around?

02/28/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Mr. Chatterbox

Mr. Chatterbox Takes Us on the Artists Studios Tour

A group of 10 or so visual artists—all first rate and nationally known—have banded together to give you a view of what the artistic life in Sarasota is all about.

02/28/2018 By Robert Plunket

Best of Sarasota

Road Trips

Five Perfect Spring Road Trips

Feeling a touch of spring fever? Take to the highway—and the waterways—for some fun destinations, from laid-back Sanibel/Captiva to historic Winter Park and beyond.

03/01/2018

Caffeine Dreams

The Coffee Lover's Guide to Sarasota

A guide to the best cups around.

02/28/2018 By Megan McDonald and Cooper Levey-Baker

Eat & Drink

Wakeup Call

Three Killer South County Breakfast Spots

Three killer South County breakfast spots.

03/01/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Caffeine Dreams

How to Get a Professional Coffee Set-Up In Your Own Home

Perq Coffee Bar helps coffee lovers assemble elaborate in-home systems.

02/28/2018 By Hannah Wallace

Caffeine Dreams

The Coffee is Great (and So is the Scene) at These Nine Fine Spots

In no particular order, here are the best places to get a jolt of joe—plus, three coffee carts we love.

02/28/2018 By Megan McDonald

Caffeine Dreams

In Praise of Starbucks, Kind Of

Making peace with the great green empire.

02/28/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Caffeine Dreams

The Best Convenience Store and Fast Food Coffees

Cooper Levey-Baker tastes and tells.

02/28/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Review

Restaurant Review: Element

Marsha Fottler samples modern Mediterranean at downtown’s new Element.

02/28/2018 By Marsha Fottler

Fashion & Shopping

Heat Index

Trend Report: Ultraviolet

Here's how to incorporate the Color of the Year into your home and closet.

02/28/2018 By Heather Dunhill

Health & Fitness

Caffeine Dreams

Who Knew? Coffee’s Good for You!

Yep, there are some health benefits.

02/28/2018 Photography by Megan McDonald

Home & Real Estate

Real Estate Guide 2018

The Next Hot Neighborhoods

Five under-the-radar places that are ready to rise.

03/01/2018 By Robert Plunket

Exit Interview

14 Amazing Objects in the Ca d'Zan Mansion

Outgoing curator Ron McCarthy shares his favorite parts of the Ringlings' Italianate home.

02/28/2018 By Ilene Denton

Gardens in Paradise

Sarasota Garden Club's Garden in Paradise Kicks Off This Month

The Flower Streets show off their finery at this annual tour.

02/28/2018 By Ilene Denton

Only in Sarasota

Only in Sarasota: Rae House, Siesta Key

Illustrator John Pirman sketches a restored Sarasota School of Architecture house on Siesta Key.

02/28/2018 Illustrations by John Pirman

News & City Life

The Future

What Does the Future Hold for Sarasota?

Does bigger mean better?

02/28/2018 By David Hackett

One Day

A Day in the Life of Publix's Adam Mangold

We follow Publix associate Adam Mangold on his rounds.

02/28/2018 By Pam Daniel

Big Ideas

Other Cities Have Tackled Growing Pains in Innovative Ways—Would They Work Here?

Affordable housing, renewable energy, bike sharing—here's how these initiatives could work in Sarasota.

02/28/2018 By David Hackett

Stats

Essential Info About the Sunshine Skyway Bridge

One of America's largest bridges is just north of us.

02/28/2018 By Susan Burns

Why I Care

Retired Attorney Steve VanderClay Befriends Those with Mental Health Challenges

Compeer currently connects volunteers with 42 people with mental health challenges.

02/28/2018 By Ilene Denton

What I've Learned

Life Lessons from Diversity Consultant Michele Redwine

Michele Redwine shares what she's learned over her long career in arts and educational administration.

02/28/2018 By Susan Burns

Second Chances

Should Former Felons Have the Right to Vote?

More than 6 million Americans are barred from voting because of a felony conviction—including more than 1.6 million in Florida.

02/28/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

From the Editor

From the Editor: Times Are Changing

Opening notes from our new editor-in-chief Susan Burns.

02/28/2018 By Susan Burns

Travel & Outdoors

Road Trips

Winter Park Offers Small-Town Charm and History with Grown-Up Amenities

Winter Park's got Old Florida attractions, excellent restaurants and great shopping.

03/01/2018 By Megan McDonald

Road Trips

Explore the St. Johns River on a Super-Comfortable Houseboat

It's a wonderful river to explore by boat, because there are so many ecosystems—rivers, lakes, creeks and springs—that are all connected.

03/01/2018 By Pam Daniel

Road Trips

Kennedy Space Center Aims to Inspire Future Astronauts

You can plan a trip to Kennedy to coincide with a SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral; videos of takeoffs and landings are breathtaking.

03/01/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Road Trips

Sanibel-Captiva’s Laid-Back Atmosphere Recalls Vacations Past

The Chamber of Commerce slogan for the islands is “250 kinds of shells, 230 kinds of birds, 15 miles of beach, zero traffic lights,” and that should give you an idea of what to expect.

03/01/2018 By Kay Kipling

Road Trips

For Old Florida Island Idyll, Head to Boca Grande

Boca Grande—that idyllic Old-Florida town on Gasparilla Island south of Englewood—retains its small-town charms while the rest of Southwest Florida has burgeoned around it.

03/01/2018 By Ilene Denton