Feature
Scene Snaps: Sarasota Then & Now
April 2022—In honor of our 65th anniversary edition, readers shared these recollections of Sarasota—then and now.
Richard Perlman shares, “My first trip here was to the Lido Biltmore (now called the Limetree Inn on Lido and still standing). For the past 25 years since moving here in 1996, I have lived in the home I built at Sandhamn Place on Long Boat Key.”
Donna Leigh-Estes and her sister Dawn enjoyed the beach near the Long Boat Key Club in the early 1990s. After Donna’s husband passed away in 2018, she returned to Sarasota and now enjoys the beautiful sunset from her lanai. “Much has changed in Sarasota since the early 1990s, however the natural beauty of the area remains,” she says.
Linda Gifford says her grandson Logan loves to go boating with his “Pop Pop,” aka Dan Gifford. Logan lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and enjoys the beautiful waters in Sarasota whenever he visits.
Carla Bright says “Here I am with OWEN of Owen’s Fish Camp. Everytime someone comes to visit, I take them there for seafood. Best of old school Florida charm and character.”
Says Marlane Wurzbach, “My husband, children and I were introduced to Sarasota when my parents moved here in the 1980s. When they first moved from Westchester County, NY, they tried retirement in Key Largo, but soon realized that Sarasota had a more rounded lifestyle for full-time residents (and better golf too!). They bought a house on Spyglass Hill Road in TPC Prestancia, and we spent many warm and wonderful spring vacations with them.
After my father died, my mother moved next-door to a Sarasota condo, Fairway Woods, and remained in Sarasota until her death in 2000. My husband Allen and I finally got our own dream retirement home in 2016 and plan to stay here forever! You’ll find Allen riding his bike every day along the calm and beautiful streets near us in Harbor Acres. And you’ll find me painting local scenes in acrylics which I exhibit for sale at Art Uptown Gallery on Main Street.”
Shopping with mom, Helen Kraemer, at St. Armand’s in 1989.
Marlane with a special exhibit of her Sarasota historic architecture paintings.
Artist Jerome Chesley leads an art crawl gallery tour for recent visitors.
Paul Yungst, MD, captured this iconic remembrance of local landmark, the Ringling Causeway, at dusk.
Katherine (Kittie) Kelly and her sister made headlines in Sarasota Scene in this article from 1962. In the years since, Kelly has handled, collected, and loved all the creatures of Florida. Her favorite snake? The Indigenous Florida Blue Indigo.
Says Kelly, “The Shrimp Lady! Anyone and everyone who traveled over the N. Siesta bridge knew this great gal. She was therefor decades and sold shrimp and other items. I think until early 70s. We would buy from her and have fresh shrimp for dinner!”
In the late 50s, this sign hung on the east side entry of the Out of Door School on Siesta Key.
This plan for a 1954 theatre addition adjacent to the old original west side of the Ringling Museum never came to fruition.
Kelly’s mother, Kay von Schmidt, and Dr. Eugenie Clark take stats on a Tiger Shark at the old Mote (Cape Haze ) location in south Siesta Key in the early 60s.
Kelly and her family at their first house on Siesta Key, a 1924 beach cottage.
Logo for the first environmental grassroots organization in Sarasota, Save Our Bays, circa late 1960s.
Join us! Enter by May 2 for the theme of
“Vacation & Travel” and you may be in our June Summer Issue!
Have you recently traveled somewhere incredible? Taken a vacation nearby, or far away? Whether by land, air, or sea, we want to see photos of your journey. Submit your photos and brief description to editor@scenesarasota.com to be considered for the June issue.
*Note that photos must be of a recent trip within last 2 years.
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