Three Things: The Good Old Days

Sarasota back in the day was a world unto itself — off the beaten path, a quirky resort peopled by eccentric bohemians, circus folk and no-nonsense natives. Informality was the keynote. The homes were simple, unpretentious and designed to stay cool in that pre-air-conditioned era. An influx of wealthy new residents has changed all that, of course. The town is more glamorous these days. The houses are bigger, and the summers seem as busy as the winters. But if you look carefully, you can still find traces of times gone by, when Sarasota was small, remote and special. Here are three homes currently on the market that bring back the feeling of the good old days.

Bungalow Reborn
2324 Hickory Ave.

The building boom of the 1920s saw bungalows spring up all over town, and middle-class retirees and the working people who lived here year-round snapped them up. They can still be found, in all sorts of condition and price ranges, though few are as appealing as this beautifully restored Craftsman-style home in the Indian Beach neighborhood. Built in 1925, it has three bedrooms, two baths, and the all-important front porch complete with ceiling fans. Many of the original touches are still present, but it’s the high-end renovation that makes this house special: a spectacular kitchen and an enlarged master bath with marble floors, a freestanding soaking tub and a rainfall shower.

Priced at $419,000. For more information, call Janine Poppa of Michael Saunders & Co. at 929-5643.

The Avant-Garde Arrives
4112 Roberts Point Road

A perfect storm of talent and creativity arrived after World War II in the form of a group of writers and painters who soon turned Sarasota into one of the country’s most noteworthy artist colonies. These newcomers wanted something new — simple yet sophisticated — and that’s how the Sarasota School of Architecture was born. This 1960 home on Siesta Key is a wonderful example of the look. Built of Ocala block, it’s on the small side (1,150 square feet), but it is full of original, intact features — check out the angled kitchen cabinetry. Located in one of the Key’s most prestigious neighborhoods and now surrounded by much larger and newer mansions, it’s a charming reminder of our town’s stylish past.

Priced at $486,000. For more information, call Martie Lieberman of Premier Sotheby’s at 724-1118.

The High Life
1510 Hyde Park St.

Before World War II, Sarasota had the reputation of attracting socially prominent residents with old money, who retired here and built Florida versions of the big homes they lived in up north. One of the grand survivors is this 1.14-acre estate on its own private island, connected to the mainland by a palm-lined land bridge. The Colonial revival home has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths and the atmosphere of an old Katharine Hepburn movie. The main rooms are elegantly traditional in style, with various porches and terraces opening to views of the bay. Thoroughly updated, the property includes a saltwater pool and a tennis court.

Priced at $8,995,000. For more information, call Joel Schemmel of Premier Sotheby’s at 587-4894.