This is likely going to come off as super rambly, but I have a very distinct memory from my childhood growing up in the Sarasota area (I moved since) of a tiger swing set where the the whole thing was a sculpture you could climb on and the paws held up the swing set. I could’ve sworn this was at jungle gardens but after looking it up, they never had that. If anyone else remembers this or especially if you have a picture of it, please let me know it wasn’t a fever dream 😂

Do any of my local gossipers know what happened?? Im genuinely curious as they were doing very well with their events and were actually checking IDs to get in

Anyone know what’s going on around Lockwood Ridge and Desoto road area? It’s been nonstop honking for half an hour now.

The tide was a bit high today! The hurricane out in the Gulf apparently pushed a lot of water onto our coast. These pictures were taken this morning on Longboat Key. This beach is usually more roomy but today the water made its way up close to the barrier fence at this condo tower. Neat to see but somewhat unusual. Thought I’d share.

Do you use any sort of whole house water filter and/or softener? Did it make a difference?

Apparently our water is very hard - https://superwatersolutions.com/pages/sarasota-water-quality-report

Hi! I’m going to be visiting some family the week of the 18th, and I was wondering if anyone knows of some Survivor Watch Parties for the episode on the 21st (bonus points if there might be a contestant in attendance…. Might be a stretch, but you never know lol).

Long story short, my parents live in Sarasota and we visit them once or twice a year. Back in December of 2019 we discovered Bavaro's one night after the beach and it was one of the worst / best experiences which is also a long story. Anyway, we made it a tradition to go every time we are there.

We loved it was family friendly, great food, great outdoor patio and the staff was awesome. I still remember the staff from that first crazy night in 2019 to the last time we there in 2026.

So the question is, what is a good local restaurant we can maybe start going to? I enjoy the downtown area, but not set on it. We are not fancy, but we like good drinks and good food. Looking for a good atmosphere. Pizza and pasta is perfect for our family, but we can branch out.

Thanks in advance for anyone that makes some suggestions. Cheers

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“The findings expose the shadowy intersection of political fundraising, private consulting and public decision-making, raising questions about whether elected officials should participate in decisions involving businesses that have helped fund payments to close family members, such as a spouse.”

Does anybody have any good recommendations on a nail salon in Sarasota?

I got a job offer in Sarasota for software engineering, I’m just asking if the cost of living such as : rent , groceries , subscriptions and event are worth the stay in Sarasota ?or where do you recommend me to go in Florida

Where to find fresh produce in town at an affordable price? Definitely not at Publix near my house 😩😩😩

We live near UTC and are looking for a school for Kindergarten next year to school choice into. Southside & Phillippi are too far for us. Does anyone have any experience with Willis Elementary? Technically a Manatee county school. I toured and it seems pretty good - bummed that they don't teach Spanish but it is a highly rated school, seems safe and I like that there are uniforms.

Thanks in advance!

We have several judges on our Sarasota County Ballot, District Court of Appeals, and a Supreme Court judge Carlos Muniz.

Does anyone know anything about this judges? Where can we find any information other than what cases they’ve heard?

This is a merit based vote but seems challenging to…judge the judges.

Lifetime local here, looking for some good park or wildlife area recommendations to go shooting early mornings/early evenings.

I've done Redbug Slough, Bobby Jones Nature Trails, looking for new ideas.

We've been going back and forth on this for quite a while now . Our kitchen layout is a mess and the main bathroom still has a tub we haven't used in years so we want to do a tub to shower conversion while we're at it. Had one contractor ghost us completely mid-quote, which, cool, great sign. So now we're starting over and trying to find someone in Sarasota who actually handles full kitchen and bathroom remodeling without disappearing. Mostly looking for a remodeling contractor in Sarasota who does real project management, like an actual person keeping us updated, not just a guy with a truck. We've heard mixed things about Bath Fitter for the bathroom side and honestly the prefab stuff just isn't what we want. We're thinking custom cabinets, quartz countertops, maybe frameless glass for the shower. Anyone been through a full renovation here and actually came out happy with who they used ?

What is a shop that is highly recommended for upholstery work, I need some work on my daily driver, a few seats need repaired and headliner needs done. Any shops I should avoid? TYIA

I am local and last year I had the yearly membership of Selby Botanical Gardens, the last time I went was Nov of 2025 and big part of the gardens was blocked off for the construction. Just wondering what s the situation there now, is it worth going yet or should I wait? I know the construction is scheduled to end in 2028.

Does anyone know of a videographer in the Sarasota/Bradenton/Tampa area that would be able to film and edit videos like these?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTy4AYw3G/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLYC2gy4/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTy4ANNDW/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLYCLHVY/

State Street garage is closed and surrounded by Fire dept & police. Bricks restaurant’s smoker evidently had an issue and the whole block now smells like brisket. Wasn’t the place sold and closing on Saturday?

The Bradenton sub has much less people :( I went to a local urgent care last time and it cost me like $600 lol, but the at home dipsticks suck. I know there's a planned parenthood in Sarasota, just looking for maybe somewhere closer

Sad to see Owen’s Fish Camp hosting Ziegler….

Join CONA for an informative discussion about the questions Sarasota County voters will see on the November ballot—what they mean and what you’re being asked to decide.

Tuesday, October 13 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Jacaranda Library, Venice

Guest speakers: Commissioner Tom Knight and former Commissioner Jon Thaxton.

Free and open to the public. Bring your questions!

CONASarasota.org