Sarasota’s Rosemary District is alive & well and a GREAT place to explore!

Happy New Year! As the saying goes for a new year, “out with the old, in with the new” but not necessarily in the Rosemary District of Sarasota. Within the last year the Rosemary District has been coming alive with new businesses, condos, apartments, and restaurants right next to historic buildings and areas.
Take a walking tour through the Rosemary District starting at 5th Street and Central Avenue and head north. You will find many salons, dance studios, pet salon, Uptown Eatery open for breakfast and lunch, the Grace Howl gallery of contemporary art, Central Avenue Express convenient store, a wellness spa, kickboxing, home decorating shops, and much more. Just east of Lemon Avenue and 6th Street (Boulevard of the Arts) is Sarasota Kayak Tours Outpost/Bike Sarasota for rentals.
You could eat your way through the Rosemary District between Central and Orange Avenues with an abundance of eateries which would make anyone a gourmand and a knowledgeable gastronomy (the art of good eating). If you are interested in Thai food you should head to Spice Kitchen, a family owned and operated restaurant. They also own Maximillian’s Café, a famous and somewhat hidden lunch place, located at Goodrich Avenue and 10th just outside of the Rosemary District. There’s the Overton, Lolita Tartine, Blue Rooster, Station 400, The Rosemary, the soon to open Rosemary & Thyme, IT – Italian Tradition, Mandeville Beer Garden, the Artisan Cheese Company, and you can even get breakfast and lunch at the convenient store.
There are also two hotels with restaurants, The Modern with Rudolph’s restaurant and Hotel Indigo with h2o bistro located at Boulevard of the Arts and Cocoanut Avenue. There are even two schools, the Sarasota Military Academy and Sarasota School of Arts & Science. The Rosemary District is a community within Sarasota that offers everything you need and only a few blocks from downtown Sarasota and the theater and entertainment district.
Many buildings built in the early 1920s still exist and there are historical markers located throughout the area. The Rosemary Cemetery established in 1886 where many prominent Sarasota founding families are buried is located at 8th Street and Central Avenue.
Enjoy your walking tour of this great area! At the end your tour, stop by the Artisan Cheese Company for some local fresh ice cream. If you are not interested in walking, we offer a trolley tour of downtown Sarasota which includes the Rosemary District. Check out our tours at: www.sarasotasuncoasttours.com and www.keyculinarytours.com