One of the first condo developments built on the bay side of Longboat Key, the Tangerine Bay Club is a unique place offering leisure, luxury and a relaxed lifestyle, not to mention spectacular views of Sarasota Bay.
The gated community was the brainchild of James Clabaugh, a Sarasota developer who went on to build Lighthouse Point, Villa di Lancia and Regent Place on Longboat Key; Sarabande, Tessera and Palm Avenue Villas downtown; and Mandarin Park north of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital medical district.
On the southern portion of the barrier island, across from the Longboat Key Club golf course, Tangerine Bay has the feeling of a tropical resort. With a 34-acre nature preserve next door, the landscaping is verdant, lush and reminiscent of the Caribbean, with lots of shrubbery and mature, tall palm trees. The outdoor breezways on each floor have boxes filled with bougainvillea, their purple and pink flowers cascading over the sides.
Tangerine Bay has 90 condos in 10 buildings designed in a Mediterranean architectural style with canted, red tile roofs. Laid out in horseshoe-like formation, they surround an attractive lagoon. In the midst lies an island with a resort-style, heated swimming pool that has waterfalls and a spa. Three attractive bridges provide access from the living units.
Other amenities include two tennis courts, a fitness center, a clubhouse with bar and kitchen, a walking and jogging path, and a day dock thrusting out into the bay for fishing and boating.
Each of the three residential floors per building has three units. Two-story penthouses with magnificent views occupy the top. The three- and four-bedroom condos have fenced entry courtyards and open, spacious floor plans. Ranging from 2,200 to 3,000 square feet, they’re priced from around $800,000 to $1.5 million. The large, two-car garages on the ground floor that come with each condo are fully enclosed, offering privacy and extra storage.
“It’s a different, more intimate atmosphere from a traditional high-rise with an elevator going to the 18th story,” says Stephanie Shaw of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.
She sold Tangerine Bay residences while it was being constructed from 1991 to 1994 and lived there herself for 12 years. “It wasn’t a difficult sell,” she remembers. “People accepted it and understood its value from the beginning.”
She and her partner, Glo Reber, have listed one of the three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom penthouses. It has a master bedroom suite, another bedroom/den, breakfast area, kitchen and dining room on the first floor. Upstairs is another full bedroom and bathroom suite, and a huge area that can be used as an office space, play area for grandchildren or guest room.
“It has the feel of a single-family home, but the ease of condominium,” says Shaw.
One of the main attractions of Tangerine Bay is its convenient location. To the north, the Longboat Key Education Center and Avenue of the Flowers shops are nearby. In the other direction, Mote Marine Lab is just across the bridge to Lido Key. St. Armands Key, with its restaurants and shops, and downtown Sarasota are within easy driving distance, too.
“For people who love the theater and the arts in season, it’s great,” says Shaw.
Many also appreciate the fact that Tangerine Bay is pet-friendly, allowing two small animals per unit. Maintenance fees of $4,350 per quarter are comparable to similar condo developments on the key.
According to Shaw, the residential makeup has changed over the years. When it started out, it was predominantly older retirees and a good number of Europeans from England and Germany. Since then, Tangerine Bay has become younger, attracting second-home owners in their 40s, 50s and early 60s.
“There are still Europeans, and snowbirds and retirees now,” says Shaw.
In the past 12 months, four units have sold, ranging in price from $730,000 to $1.2 million.
Currently, two condos are on the market, listed at $879,000 and $1,164,900.
