Last week I went over several of Golden Gate Point‘s condominium complexes. In a continuing effort to acquaint you with the options available in and around Sarasota, I’m continuing this series today with part one of a downtown bayfront feature. Downtown’s bayfront area enjoys easy access to all the cultural amenities, restaurants, and shopping of the Main Street & Rosemary districts, and its prime location west of trail right on Sarasota Bay has views that rival the best our keys have to offer. In short, this area is a win-win. Add on the up-and-coming developments of The Bay and Quay Sarasota, and you have some amazing options for active, vibrant downtown living right on the water. Let’s find out more about some of these great buildings:

Beau Ciel

990 Blvd of the Arts, between Condo on the Bay & Van Wezel Performing Arts Center

What you need to know:

• Built in 2003
• 44 residences on 18 stories
• Floor plans range in size from about 2,300 to over 8,000 square feet
• Design of Beau Ciel was inspired by Sarasota School of Architecture’s acclaimed Paul Rudolph
• All recent sales in this building have topped $1 million
• Beau Ciel means “beautiful sky” in French and those who picked the name were not kidding; Beau Ciel offers seemingly endless clear blue sky vistas and full water views — some of the best in Sarasota.
• Amenities include a fitness center, lagoon-style pool, social room with bar, catering kitchen, media room, game room, meeting space, and a top-notch board room. Beau Ciel also enjoys shared a relationship with Hyatt Regency next door, which includes room service & use of hotel amenities as well.

Condo on the Bay

888 & 988 Blvd of the Arts, fanning the entirety of a waterfront peninsula

What you need to know:

• Built in 1982
• 272 residences in two 18-story buildings, including a block of townhomes
• Floor plans range in size from 1,200 to over 5,000 square feet
• Recent sales range in price from just under $500,000 into the low millions
• If you ask almost anyone, they will say the best water views in Sarasota can be found at Condo on the Bay: expansive, completely unobstructed views from these buildings carry over Sarasota Bay to all the keys and out to the Gulf of Mexico from the west side of the buildings, and from the east: the sparkling downtown skyline.
• Condo on the Bay is one of only a few downtown complexes that have boat docks available. The townhome section is situated on the boat basin where deepwater dockage is offered to Condo on the Bay residents.
• Amenities include 24-hour manned guard gate & security, concierge services, tennis courts, 2 swimming pools, a fitness center with multiple fitness rooms + a sauna, fishing pier, boat and kayak launch

Lawrence Point

97, 99, & 101 Sunset Drive, tucked between the Ritz-Carlton & Sarasota Bay

What you need to know:

• Built in 1978
• 40 residences in 3 mid-rise buildings right on the water
• Floor plans range in size from about 1,500 to nearly 3,000 square feet
• Sales in this small complex are rare, but all recent sales have been in the high hundred thousands.
• These buildings were designed by famous Sarasota Modern architect, Tim Seibert, who recently passed away but left Sarasota with many of his creations, including these beautiful bayfront condos.
• Amenities include a club room, a heated swimming pool adjacent, on-site storage, under-building parking accessible directly to/from a well-secured lobby and elevator, and on-site building manager

Le Chateau

37 Sunset Drive, the pink building at the base of the Ringling Bridge

What you need to know:

• Built in 1971
• 26 residences on 7 floors
• Floor plans range in modest size from 800 to about 1,500 square feet
• Rarely available given its small size & impeccable location, all recent sales in Le Chateau were under $1 million
• Absolutely rare downtown is BEACHFRONT and Le Chateau has it — the 240′ of water frontage includes a small private beach just for residents.
• Amenities at Le Chateau include a heated bayfront pool, private beach, a recently renovated downstairs lobby, community storage, assigned carport, and on-site property manager

Check back next post when we’ll go over the three Ritz Carlton properties that are located in Sarasota’s downtown bayfront district, as well as Sunset Towers (which you’ll recognize if you ever cross the Ringling Bridge) and the new VUE. If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling in the downtown area, I’d be honored if you reached out.