Sarasota: the 'sexiest small city in America'

Sarasota has consistently been ranked one of the best places to retire. But his month, real estate blog Movoto gave it a more provocative distinction: the No. 1 sexiest small city in America.

To produce the list, Movoto used variables including the number of bars and clubs, adult stores, massage parlors, lingerie stores, strip clubs and hotels per capita in cities with a population between 50,000 and 60,000, and factored in the climate, because "hotter means fewer clothes." The real estate blog cited Sarasota's weather and lingerie stores as determining factors in the No. 1 ranking.

"The average summer temperatures here are also very high, which means swimsuit weather is a regular thing," blogger Laura Allen states in the article.

Bradenton came in third on the list, with a specific mention of Da Vinci's Gentleman's Club.

"Sarasota blew away the competition with the first-place ranking in hotels and nightlife," Allen wrote. "We guess if you meet someone special at a club one night, it’s not too hard to find a nearby hotel room at the spur of the moment."

With five hotels slated for downtown, it appears Sarasota may be a longterm contender for the sexiest small city in America.

The 10 sexiest small cities in America, according to Movoto:
+ Sarasota
+ Pensacola
+ Bradenton
+ Marietta, Ga.
+ Carson City, Nev.
+ Ocala
+ Grand Junction, Colo.
+ Lancaster, Pa.
+ Chapel Hill, N.C.
+ San Marcos, Texas