August 29, 2010

St. Armands Circle

I'm told that one of the most desirable retail areas in the U.S. is right here --- St. Armands Circle in Sarasota.  Quite literally, it's a large traffic circle surrounded by interesting boutiques, eateries, palm trees, and statues.   John Ringling, the circus magnate, was the mastermind behind this now thriving area.  In the 1920s, he owned St. Armands Key and envisioned building a luxury shopping area here.  But, before his plans could take off, the Great Depression hit and it took until the 1940s for the area to recover.  By the way, when you're done shopping and dining you can walk (or take your scooter) to the beach ---  it's just two blocks away.

5 comments:

Leslie D. said...

Interesting history about Ringling..SFB Morse (telegraph fame) was responsible for much of Pebble Beach's development here along with a railroad magnate. As the saying goes "He who has the gold makes the rules."

Birdman said...

I'll pass on shopping, but the beach sounds WONDERFUL!

Jessica said...

hmmm... I think I've been there...maybe.

Life Is A Road Trip said...

I guess that explains why it's a circle! I love the Dutch Angle you chose, too. It's one of my favorite ways to photograph.

Lowell said...

We been there a number of times. Did some shopping and ate at one of the restaurants but I can't remember the name. We were there over Christmas break, too, one year (we both were teachers) ... it was very cold as I recall!