Englewood, Florida: An Attractive City for Retirees and Others

Walletpop.com is a successful evaluation site for American cities and personal finance and it has recommended 20 Best Places to Retire. Englewood, Florida is Number One on the list, locates near Sarasota.

On the Southwest Coast of Florida at Lemon Bay, the non-city, or Census Designated Place/CDP, includes its own airport - Buchan Airport - and is across the water from the Manasota Key. Walletpop reports that the city is full of artsy people, many Seniors 65+, but also families with children and that the best neighborhood for retirement is Town Center. This is zipcode 34223 with homes for sale in that and zip code 34224.

According to Zillow and Trulia real estate trackers:

• About 1,000 homes are usually for sale in this area, with about 250 lots for vacant sale as well.
• Price Range: $17,900 to $6.5 Million.
• Median Price: roughly $185,000
• Over a dozen houses in foreclosure, going to auction, at any time..

The Manasota Key barrier island supports five separate beaches in Englewood, the most developed being Englewood Beach with restaurants, picnic tables, public showers, and other amenities. Along the Manasota Key, other outdoor activities are also popular, including snorkeling, dolphin tours, short cruises, sailing and others. All of these activities, plus Englewood itself are accessible from Highway I-75.

Stump Pass State Beach is at the south end of the key and offers swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. Shell collectors find this secluded area great for shelling in the winter months especially. Overall, the beach is quiet and peaceful, with far ranging views of the Gulf of Mexico.

Manasota Beach is to the north, a large beach of white sands and very few buildings nearby to break the scenery. Swimming is the number one activity.

Oscar Scherer State Park and beach is north of Stump Pass, offering nature trails, swimming, canoeing, and other activities.

Blind Pass Beach and park includes quite a lot of vegetation, although not much for shade. A variety of wildlife inhabits this area. Australian pine trees created some shade for animals and humans until the government decided it necessary to eliminate non-native plants for the betterment of the environment and wildlife. The white sands are beautiful.

The Myakka River flows to the northeast of Englewood in Sarasota County, surrounded by a state forest that was purchased in the 1990s for revitalization, protection, and recreation purposes. Yearly, new improvements appear that include additional activities and new trails and campgrounds.

Native plants and wildlife in this park are very interesting and include alligators, turtles, American chameleons (anoles), and armadillos that are considered invasive, having come from Texas and Mexico. Some new birds have been spotted recently, one being the Black-bellied Whistling Duck.

One of the newer species of turtle discovered to be in this forest is the stinkpot or musk turtle, a small species that releases a scent to ward off predators. A two-legged salamander called the Dwarf Siren is also found here. It has two forelegs with 3-toed feet. An interesting fish found in the park is the walkng catfish, which can scuttle across land. The Florida Panther has also been sighted in the park, among over a hundred species of wildlife.

A canopy walkway built 25 feet above the ground in the trees allows vsitors to see many wildlife species on a half-hour walk through 100 feet of walkway and up into a tower with an even wider view. The contruction was completed nearly 50% by volunteers.

Another interesting CDP near Englewood to the south is Rotunda, laid out in a circle (see photo below) and originally planned to have a golf course in each subdivision.

The housing developers that contructed the community built a fresh-water canal around the outside of the circle. This canal also flows down into each of the pie-shaped community subdivisions, where ponds and lakes also occur within the community to offer boating and fishing. A protected wetlands here prevents further commercial and housing development to the south of the circle. In fact, Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park covers 42,000 acres and 70 miles of shoreline.

A number of wildlife species are abundant in this community and the adjacent large preserve-wetlands, including local alligators, bald eagles, herons, and further south: manatees, dolphins, and ibises.

Of several thousand job listings, the following are the most frequently in top demand:

1. Truckers - Owner Operators
2. Construction Installers (see labor projections, below)
3. Hygienists and Dental Assistants
4. Company Truck Drivers, CDL and Mechanics
5. Retail Salespeople
6. Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists
7. Managers and Assistant Managers
8. Event Specialists
9. Speech-Language Pathologists and Therapists
10. Bank Tellers
11. Registered Nurses (RNs)

Within a 25-mile radius of Englewood, Florida are these high demand employers:

1. Community Health Systems
2. HCA Health
3. Vista Health System
4. Lee Memorial Health
5. Venice Regional Medical Center
6. Englewod Community Hospital
7. HCR ManorCare
8. Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
9. Charlotte Regional Medical Center
10. Genesis Healthcare
11. Pizza Hut
12. CVS/pharmacy

1. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
2. Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
3. Glaziers
4. Cost Estimators
5. Brickmasons and Blockmasons
6. Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
7. Heating, A.C., and Refrigeration
8. Personal and Home Care Aides
9. Tile and Marble Setters
10. Training and Development Specialists

• Charlotte County Technical Center. 18150 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, FL 33948. Phone 941-255-7500.
• Florida Gulf Coast University.10501 FGCU Blvd. S.; Fort Myers, FL 33965. Phone 800-590-3428.
• New College of University of South Florida
• Ringling School of Art and Design
• State College of Florida: Manatee-Sarasota. PO Box 1849, Bradenton, FL 34206. Phone 941-752-5000. Three locations plus an online campus.

Relocation Information

Englewood Cape and Haze Area Chamber of Commerce. 601 S Indiana Ave, Englewood, FL 34223. Phone 941-474-5511.

The Englewood - Cape Haze area lies in the South end of Sarasota County and the West end of Charlotte County on the Gulf of Mexico.

Homesteading Tax Break

In January 2007 voters approved tax reform that allows the first $50,000 value of a new home to be tax-exempt. See the Chamber of Commerce site above for more information.

• Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce