A nearly native Floridian, Ilene Denton has lived in Sarasota since her senior year in high school. Besides her long journalism career, she had a 10-year stint as deputy director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. (Ask her about some of her backstage shenanigans sometime.)

Neighborhood Guide

Welcome to Palmer Ranch

Sarasota County’s largest master-planned community is a haven for the good life.

06/15/2020 By Ilene Denton

The Future Was Female

Who Was the Celebrated Pioneer Who Gave Palmer Ranch Its Name?

Bertha Honore Palmer was a famed Chicago socialite—and so much more.

06/15/2020 By Kay Kipling and Ilene Denton

Neighborhood Guide

Neighborhood Guide: Palmer Ranch

Your guide to Sarasota County’s largest master-planned community.

06/15/2020 By Ilene Denton

Neighborhood Guide

New Home Communities Come to Palmer Ranch

Check out these six new-home developments.

06/15/2020 By Ilene Denton

A Home with History

Pioneering Bertha Palmer’s Circa 1918 Siesta Key Cottage is Reborn

Along with a brand-new main residence and outdoor living area, it forms a charming Point of Rocks estate.

06/15/2020 By Ilene Denton

Palmer Ranch Neighborhood Guide

Active Lifestyles Thrive in Palmer Ranch

Golfing, bicycling the Legacy Trail, swim clubs and more—there’s lots to do for all ages.

06/15/2020 By Ilene Denton

Flashback

Flashback: Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams Loved Sarasota

No fish tale: The baseball superstar’s other Sarasota passion was fishing.

06/15/2020 By Ilene Denton

Real Estate

The Lake Club Marks Record Home Sales to Date in 2020

The gated Lakewood Ranch community saw 57 sales of homes and builder lots.

06/12/2020 By Ilene Denton

Reopening

Discover Sarasota Sightseeing Trolley Tours Resume June 19

‘I’m hopeful,’ says operator Tammy Hauser. ‘It’s a forward-moving thing.’

06/09/2020 By Ilene Denton

Flashback

Take a Peek at Jarred Wilson's Extensive Collection of Vintage Postcards

With a collection of more than 1,000, Wilson primarily collects postcards from the linen era, before 1960, with images of Sarasota and Bradenton.

06/09/2020 By Ilene Denton

What Your Money Can Buy

What $1,225,000 Buys for a Siesta Key Sailboat Property

Plus a water-view Gran Paradiso residence and a model home in Bradenton’s Moss Creek.

06/08/2020 By Ilene Denton

Top Sale

Aquadisia Beachfront Estate on Siesta Key Sells for $10.5 Million

The largest residential sale year to date in Sarasota County took just two weeks from showing to closing.

06/05/2020 By Ilene Denton

Real Estate

Neal Communities’ May Home Sales Up 47 Percent Over May 2019

‘Things are good here and bad up north,’ says company founder Pat Neal. ‘And interest rates are lower than they’ve been since World War II.’

06/03/2020 By Ilene Denton

Flashback

Flashback: Galloway’s Furniture Store, 1959

Behind a former Visionworks store once stood this architectural jewel.

06/02/2020 By Ilene Denton

Past and Present

Home Tour: A Thoroughly Modern House With a Midcentury Spirit

The owners' desire was to blend the best of the past with the best of the present.

06/01/2020 By Ilene Denton

Of Course

Taylor Morrison Debuts New Golf Course at Esplanade Azario Lakewood Ranch

For a limited time, the course will be open for public play.

05/29/2020 By Ilene Denton

What Your Money Can Buy

What $535,000 Will Buy You in an Osprey Bayside Condo

Plus a John Cannon model in Parrish and a home in Bradenton’s Legends Bay.

05/27/2020 By Ilene Denton

Flashback

Flashback: Acrobats at the Circus Hall of Fame, 1973

Filled with circus memorabilia and daily live performances, the privately-owned museum operated from 1956 till 1980.

05/26/2020 By Ilene Denton

Test of Time

Historic Preservation Groups Launch Sarasota 'Six to Save' Initiative

The new program shines a spotlight on six historic properties we’re at risk of losing.

05/20/2020 By Ilene Denton

Flashback

Flashback: Siesta Beach Amateur Sand Sculpture Contest, 1976

A free, family-friendly tradition for 46 years on America’s No. 1 beach.

05/20/2020 By Ilene Denton