Bay View Acres, off Stickney Point Road near the bridge to Siesta Key, is easy to miss.
Every day hundreds of people drive past the entrance points — Avenue A, Avenue B&C and Avenue D — on their way to and from the barrier island, unaware of the pleasant waterfront neighborhood just to the south.
Developed in the 1950s, the area has an old Florida ambience with generously sized lots, mature oaks and foliage, and plenty of wildlife.
As a West-of-the-Trail neighborhood, Bay View Acres shares many of the qualities of its fellow waterfront subdivisions to the north and south. It’s quiet and charming, appeals to boaters and active homeowners, and has a variety of houses for residents of all sorts.
Off the water are affordable, two- and three-bedroom, Florida ranch style-homes; commanding luxury estates priced in the millions are found along the shore. A few of the large waterfront homes date back to the initial development phase, but many others — bona fide mansions of 8,000 square feet or larger — have been put up in place of teardowns along Little Sarasota Bay and both sides of the canal that enters the bay from the east.
The subdivision has more than 120 living units, most of them single-family residences, and including two duplexes and one triplex. The neighborhood is not completely built-out. Three vacant lots remain, although they’re not on the market at this time.
Over the past 24 months, 22 properties have sold, ranging in price from $102,000 (a condo) to $199,000 (an off-the-water house) to $1.69 million (a waterfront home).
What separates Bay View Acres from other neighborhoods near the Tamiami Trail is its proximity to Siesta Key.
“It is one of the three closest subdivisions from the mainland to the island,” says Bryan Guentner of Re/Max Platinum Realty. “You can walk or ride your bike to shopping areas or Siesta Beach.”
He continues, “It’s a quiet subdivision, close to everything, but without the hustle and bustle.”
Guentner, who has a listing 6713 Avenue B, also likes the maritime amenities.
“The waterfront is superior because it is deep sailboat water and protected, with no bridges to the Intracoastal Waterway,” he comments.
The canal where his listing, a two-story, Key West- or island-style home, is situated was dredged in 2012. The 29-foot dock comes with a sitting bench, a cleaning station, a kayak launch and a covered boat house. “You can fish right off the dock,” says Guentner.
The home itself, built in 1982, has vaulted ceilings and plantation window shutters, and was completely updated recently with granite counters and brand-new appliances. All but an upstairs picture window have been replaced with impact-resistant glass.
“It’s a great property with multiple living areas — perfect for an extended family,” says Guentner.
Although it’s on the water, the property is situated high enough off the canal not to be considered part of a coastal flood zone. It turns out that’s true for about 90 percent of Avenue B. According to Guentner, homeowners can get flood insurance if they want to, and many do, but the rates are quite reasonable.
Newcomers to Bay View Acres can look forward to having an eclectic mix of neighbors, most of them year-around retirees, professionals and families with children.
The district schools are Gulf Gate Elementary, Brookside Middle and Riverview High.
But what makes the area most appealing is its location. “It’s only 15 minutes from downtown Sarasota and 10 minutes up Clark Road to I-75,” says Guentner.
Gulf Gate Mall and Gulf Gate Village are a short walk up the street. When Benderson Development’s Siesta Promenade project, a 250,000-square-foot retail lifestyle center on the corner of Stickney Point Road and U.S. 41, is completed, Bay View Acres will have a “neighborhood” complex of restaurants, shopping and entertainment virtually across the street.
Three homes are on the market, one off the water at $370,000 and two on the canal at $735,000 and $849,000. A $399,900 listing closed Wednesday at $363,500, the price reduced for a major repair.
