SARASOTA: ST. ARMANDS KEY
St. Armands Key is one of the most exciting places to shop, dine and relax in all of Sarasota, Florida. Envisioned as an island shopping center, St. Armands packs a lot of entertainment into a small island, just barely connected to the coast by two bridges. St. Armands is a popular location for vacationers and folks stopping by the Florida area, which is partly for it’s luxury accommodations, and also for it’s beautiful island atmosphere. Beyond the spas and good eats however, lies an interesting history tied to the common themes and visions for Sarasota’s development.
St. Armands and John Ringling
Originally, the undeveloped land was purchased by the French traveler Charles St. Amand. However, when the deed was written, his name was misspelled “St. Armand”, which has remained the name of the island ever since. At the time in 1885, he paid a mere $13 for the 130 acres of land that his homestead was built upon.
Sometime after that, the land came into possession of the famous circus owner and real estate developer John Ringling.
Ringling purchased most of the island during the Florida land boom of the 1920‘s. His vision for the island was a packed shopping and entertainment venue, featuring casinos, shopping centers, subdivisions and resorts. He commissioned John J. Watson, a respected architect from Ohio, and the local engineer Leon Pickett to head much of the important work in the island’s design. Most of the early development and infrastructure in St. Armands is thanks to the investment of Ringling, and his ideas for what the island could be.
Despite this, the effects of the Florida land boom collapsing followed by the great depression left little for St. Armands. With no time for people and businesses to really adapt to the area, it quickly became abandoned, with weeds and wilderness growing over the paved sidewalks and streets. It’s been said that at one point following the depression, the derelict development was so covered in overgrowth that it had virtually returned to it’s original state prior to St. Amands claiming the property decades prior.
St. Armands Today
Many years later, economic growth would return to Florida and Ringling’s original goal of an island resort packed with businesses and entertainment would come to fruition. Ringling’s lasting effect on the island continues to this day, as many public projects and beautification projects stay true to his original landscaping plans from the 1920‘s. Inspired by his appreciation of fine art, a statue walk at St. Armands Circle displays a number of art pieces originally from Ringling’s collection.
Today, St. Armands has evolved into a premier location along Florida’s coast. Characterized by coast to coast spas, dining and shopping, the island key very much lives up to the ideas that some like Ringling hoped it would one day achieve. Popular locations and establishments in the area include highly rated restaurants, like Shore St. Armands and the Green Zebra Cafe, while other locations that are popular with the locals include the park at St. Armands Circle and the Harding Circle Historic District.
The St. Armands Circle is a short 20-30 minute drive from our spa location (see the map below). It is a wonderful destination for gourmet dining whatever your taste buds desire. In our humble opinion, the restaurants worth your attention are: Crab & Fin Restaurant, Cha Cha Coconuts, Cafe L’Europe, Shore St. Armands and Cilantro Grill. No need for special links or maps for them because they are all located on the St. Armands circle and you can not miss them.
The hidden gem right off the Circle and a definite must to visit is Cholala Fine Pastries (thank us later!).
Next: Siesta Key