Many people who check out the modern, two-story Gulf Gate Library, which opened early this year, don’t realize that they’re in the midst of one of Sarasota’s more appealing “affordable” neighborhoods.
A closed footbridge over the Gulf Gate Executive Golf Course. Staff photo / Harold Bubil
Gulf Gate Woods is just west of Beneva Road, across from Palmer Ranch and Country Club of Sarasota; most of its 423 residences are tucked away to the south of the library parking lot, with Curtiss Avenue the main street.
Past a simple entrance sign, a winding road divided by a median strip meanders through pleasant, quiet sections filled with attractive homes and surrounded by mature trees and foliage. There are sidewalks and streetlights throughout the neighborhood. Some of the houses line fairways of a golf course; others back onto a smattering of lakes and preserves.
As a part of the earlier Gulf Gate subdivision, Gulf Gate Woods was developed in the 1970s and ‘80s, and the homes tend to be larger than those in the surrounding neighborhood. The majority is three-bedroom, three-bath family residences with two-car garages, but some houses have as many as five bedrooms.
This updated house at 2987 Captiva Drive in Sarasota is listed for sale at $269,900 by Lary Brzostek of Re/Max Alliance Group. Built in 1977, it has three bedrooms and two baths in 1,549 square feet. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 7-2-2015.
The predominant architecture is Florida Ranch with a wide variety of layouts and facades — wood, brick, stucco, stonework, and different kinds of siding — making the neighborhood anything but cookie-cutter. Many of the homes have swimming pools. A good number have been updated and renovated.
Enforced deed restrictions include a prohibition of boats and trailers being stored on the properties, and require all homes to have tile roofs, adding to the charm of the community. Most houses range in price from around $200,000 to $400,000.
“Gulf Gate Woods is very nicely kept up. Homeowners take pride in the appearance of their homes,” says Debbie Hering, a Realtor with Horizon Realty International.
She has worked all of the Gulf Gate neighborhoods for the past 21 years, and likes Gulf Gate Woods for its location and friendly atmosphere. “You see families, bikers and runners, and people walking their dogs,” she says. “It is known as a ‘community of good neighbors.’ ”
Gulf Gate Woods is part of the Gulf Gate Community Association, founded in 1963, which also includes Gulf Gate and a few streets of Colonial Terrace. Although membership and the annual fee of $50 are voluntary, most of the homeowners participate, with many contributing to their community in a variety of ways — joining the 24/7 security patrol, volunteering at the library, helping out their neighbors and working with the local government to improve the community.
One resident recently obtained approval by the HOA board to work with Sarasota County to refresh the medians on Gulf Gate Drive. Work is scheduled to begin later this summer.
Property owners include working professionals, retirees, snowbirds and a few investors. “You’ll also find young families because of the desirable school districts,” says Hering.
Parents send their kids to Gulf Gate Elementary, Sarasota Middle and Riverview High schools. They appreciate the quiet, secluded atmosphere and minimal traffic.
Hering likes to point out the convenient location and nearby amenities. The Gulf Gate Library is within walking distance. Siesta Key beaches are two miles away. There are numerous shopping, restaurant and entertainment opportunities within easy driving distance — from unique, picturesque shops and eateries in Gulf Gate Village, which also sports an active night life, to Cosco and the movie theaters at the Westfield Sarasota Square Mall.
For active residents, the public Gulf Gate Golf Course offers both an 18-hole short course with some water hazards, and a 9-hole executive course. Several private courses are close by. Bikers and walkers can take advantage of the Legacy Trail. The Sarasota Sports Club, formerly the Serendipity Racquet Club, has tennis courts, a fitness center and a clubhouse literally across Beneva Road.
According to Hering, there has been increased real estate activity as prospective buyers have discovered Gulf Gate Woods’ reasonably priced homes and congenial atmosphere. Even though inventory is low, 10 homes sold in the past six months, ranging from $220,200 to $360,000. Currently, five listings are active, from $230,000 to $449,000, with six pending sales.
“Affordable living and good neighbors — Gulf Gate Woods is a great community,” says Hering.
