Downtown Island of Venice:
Venice was recently voted as America's top place to live by Relocate America. Last fall, Where to Retire magazine listed Venice as one of the top eight most -walkable cities. Downtown Venice and its environs are connected by a vast park system. The Venetian Waterway Park enables walkers to circle the entire island on foot. Venice alone contains 27 parks. Downtown Centennial Park gazebo hosts free concerts weekly and is the site of a farmers market on Saturdays selling local produce, flowers and arts & crafts. On Venice Ave is a free public recreation center with basketball, tennis, shuffleboard courts and children's playground etc. open until late in the evening. Historic downtown Venice is built entirely in the Renaissance style of the famous Italian city for which it was named. In 1920 the city planner John Nolan designed the downtown area to be walkable and accessible. It contains only independently owned unique boutiques, restaurants and hotels.
Local downtown Venice Island attractions:
On the third Thursday of every month shops and restaurants stay open late for the Thursday Stroll, which draws thousands of people. Live music emanates from the gazebo and street performers entertain the strollers. Horse and buggy tours of the city are available year round at the entrance to Centennial Park. The Venice Cultural Center offers concerts, plays, and lectures at discount prices. The Venice Art Center was recently restored and enlarged and displays rotating exhibits of local and out- of -state artists as well as offering art classes. Venice has an assortment of unusual and charming restaurants and bars, as well as a lively night life. The Miami Ave. tea house If teacups could talk, is a shabby-chic Victorian delight where you can relax and enjoy a traditional cup of tea & authentic British scones while taking a break from shopping in the adjacent antique district. In the evening, Phat Cats jazz bar hosts live jazz and serves up delicious food.
Nearby attractions-Sarasota:
Some of the many cultural attractions in nearby Sarasota include The Ringling Museum of Art, Ca d'Zan restored Venetian estate of John Ringling, Mote Marine Laboratory, aquarium & research center, Selby Botanical Gardens with its renown collection of orchids & epiphytes, Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Florida West Coast Symphony, Sarasota Opera, FSU Dance, Sarasota Ballet, multiple theaters & art galleries, world renown Dali museum in St. Pete. Tampa attractions include Busch gardens, Tampa Aquarium, Adventure Island Water Park, Lowry Park Zoo.
Of special interest for the kids in Sarasota are G Wiz Children's Museum, Jungle Gardens, Spanish Point Historical Site & Indian Burial Grounds, Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, Ringling Circus Museum, Planet Fun, Sarasota Car Museum, Pirate's Cove, Water Park, Mote Marine Wildlife & Nature boating expeditions, deep sea charter cruises, Dolphin Watch cruise, Canoeing & nature tours at Myaka state Park or Oscar Scherer Park.
Golf:
Golf Information Venice/Sarasota is one of the golf capitols of the world with more than 60 area golf courses including a new highly acclaimed Arnold Palmer designed course. Local courses run the gamut from public and semi-private to exclusive & private. They range in location from Venice to North Sarasota, nearby Englewood, Bradenton and Palmetto. A true golf addict has over sixty courses to choose from. Most local golf courses offer lessons, fully stocked pro-shops and snacks. The closest courses are Calusa Lakes, at 1995 Calusa Lakes Blvd in Nokomis; Sorrento Par 3, at 1920 Bayshore Rd in Nokomis; and Venice East Golf Club, at 107 Venice East Blvd in Venice. Some private clubs including Lakewood Ranch, Oak Ford, and Waterford are all partially open to the public if you reserve ahead. The famous Concession designed by Jack Niklaus for the Ritz & the Founders designed by Robert Trent Jones are nationally renowned courses in Sarasota.
Other Activities:
polo, cricket, croquet
