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Located near the border between Sarasota and Charlotte counties, Englewood Florida offers many big city amenities in a small city package. This quiet community enjoys a relaxed atmosphere and offers a myriad of things to do. Whether you are looking for beaches, fishing, shopping, hiking, biking, arts or just someplace new to visit, Englewood FL is sure to be a hit. If you are moving to the area, be sure to add Englewood Fla to your list of places to review. Choose from a broad selection of Englewood homes, from waterfront villas to Englewood condominiums to single family homes and all in between.
Getting to Englewood is pretty straightforward. If you are driving south from Tampa or Sarasota on Interstate 75, take Exit 193, Jacaranda Boulevard, and turn right (West) onto Jacaranda and drive for 5 miles to State Road 776. Then turn left (South) on State Road 776 and in just another 5 miles, you will be in Englewood. If you are driving north from Fort Myers, take Interstate Exit 191 and turn left (West) on River Road. Englewood is 13 miles down River Road.
If you are an air traveler, your best bet is to arrive at (SRQ) Sarasota International Airport or (RSW) Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. Some people find that they can find the best pricing and flights from (TPA)Tampa International Airport.
Englewood Florida is an unincorporated community with utility, social and emergency services provided by either Sarasota or Charlotte County, depending on the location. But don’t let the lack of a formal local government fool you. The local Chamber of Commerce works proactively to insure the economic growth of Englewood. One part of that growth is the comprehensive Arts community. The Lemon Bay Playhouse, housed at the Englewood Community Theatre, has been providing performances since its start in 1987. It also has children’s workshops and provides Readers Theatre, a spoken theatre for nursing homes, churches and other civic groups. It has been described as “watching a radio show”. The Englewood Writers Guild, the Englewood Art Guild and ArtSpace Productions also provide significant contributions to the high level of art appreciation, as well as individual sculptors, painters and artists of all disciplines. These combine to bring a menagerie of arts and crafts and add color to the downtown commercial district. A walk downtown would not be complete without browsing the many picturesque shops and stores that support the area artists. Englewood hosts many festivals through the course of the year, allowing its residents and merchants to shine as they entertain with venues like March Madness Seafood Festival, Englewood Rotary Fine Art Festival, Pioneer Days and more.
The downtown area is the real history of the locale. It started in 1878 when William and Mary Goff bought 60 acres and built a house near Lemon Bay and what would soon be known as Dearborn Street. Then, in 1896, the Nichols Brothers laid out, or “platted” a new town, which they named Englewood after their hometown in Illinois. They also included the names of the streets and the order as their home in Illinois. They named the footpath used by the Goff’s as Dearborn Street.
In 1916, Pete Buchan built a two story structure at the end of Dearborn Street. He was tired of paying hire rent for his current store and wanted to expand his operation. The building included a store, post office and living quarters for his family on the second story. He also constructed a 250 foot dock out into Lemon Bay. Due to the lack of viable roads at that time, the dock became an important source of supply for Buchan’s store and the community. The store becoming known as Buchan’s Landing, the social hub of the area, and Dearborn Street became the commercial district.
Englewood even managed to have a casino for a short time, when Harry Chapin built the Royal Casino on stilts in Lemon Bay. Just a short distance from Buchan’s Landing, the Royal Casino was connected to shore via a bridge/dock, and enjoyed a brief span of success. Live music, slot machines, fine food and whisky were available, and it drew people from all over. When the Florida Land Boom ended, the casino closed and was rented out as a fish house for several more years.
Fishing has always been important in Englewood, given it location on Lemon Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. It still attracts anglers of all types and skills, from freshwater lakes inland, to the deep sea charters and all in between. Fishing charters are available for just about any size party. Small boats and personal watercraft are available for rent also. You can plan for just a few hours, or the whole day. If you are a boat owner, boat ramps are numerous throughout Englewood Florida Area and most marinas offer slips for overnight, weekly or monthly rental. Stump Pass is the nearest waterway from the Gulf of Mexico to Lemon Bay. Others are Gasparilla Pass, 6 nautical miles South, Boca Grande Pass, 10 nautical miles South, and Venice Inlet, 14.5 nautical miles North.
For the beach goers, the beaches on the barrier island, Manasota Key offer the best accommodations. Englewood Public Beach in Charlotte County has a wide beachfront, with recreation areas, picnic tables, concessions and paved parking. Several restaurants, shops and nightclubs are close by to Englewood Beach.
To the north are two more beaches, Blind Pass Beach and Manasota Beach both in Sarasota County. Manasota Beach offers the standard beach amenities, such as parking, boardwalks, sheltered tables, grills, bathhouses and year round lifeguards. It also has 14 acres of some of the most magnificent beach you will find. Blind Pass Beach offers free parking, showers and restrooms, but does not have any lifeguards. It does have a nature trail with dunes and wildflowers and is considered to be the most isolated beach on the key. The Hermitage House, a historic beach home, is located here and has recently been renovated. Sarasota County has built and maintains a docking area on the Intracoastal Waterway side of Manasota Key.
For hiking, biking and birding enthusiasts, two state facilities with similar names are close at hand. Myakka State Forest is but a short drive to the east. Two loop trails are available for foot or off-road bicycle traffic. The ecology is primarily flatwoods with some hardwood hammocks, making for great wildlife viewing. To the northwest is Myakka River State Park, offering up dry prairie and wetlands for biking, hiking or birding. An interactive Visitors Center supplies a wealth of information about the area’s habitat and inhabitants. Other state parks in the area include Don Pedro Island State Park and Gasparilla Island State Park, both island parks with wildlife preservation mandates.
Closer to Englewood, Indian Mound Park is an historic site dating back to 1000 BC. It is the location of a group of Calusa Indians, who lived along Lemon Bay. A nature trail, pavilion picnic tables and boat ramp are available. Just to the south is Lemon Bay Park Environmental Center that provides tours and hikes through the flatwoods, oak scrub and wetlands. Wildlife viewing is extensive, so bring your binoculars and cameras.
If sports is your game, you are not left out. The Englewood Florida area provides you with two multi-sport complexes to fulfill your sports needs. The Englewood Sports Complex has tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, and little league baseball, along with full service concessions and restrooms. The Tringali Recreation Complex provides basketball, skating and tennis, along with teen dances in its active Youth Programs. Eight golf courses within the immediate area allow for a variety of tee times and challenges. For the serious and not so serious tennis players, the Englewood Tennis Club has full services to aid you in your personal tennis goals.
Demographically, Englewood is like much of Florida, with a large retired population. The 2000 Census gives the area’s median age at 63.0 years, with the median household income at $31,806. The total population at that time was 16,196. Englewood has enjoyed significant growth in the real estate market, and homes of all ranges are available for new arrivals or real estate investment.
Englewood schools are managed by either Sarasota or Charlotte county, again depending on which county the school is in. Both counties elect a five member board, who in turn appoint a superintendent. Both counties have received awards for excellence and work together in this “border region” to provide for the continuing education of children. Private schools are also available in the area. Higher education can be accomplished in nearby Port Charlotte at Florida Gulf Coast University, Port Charlotte Campus or Charlotte Vocational Technical Center.
Good healthcare is always a concern, but you can put those concerns to rest here. Englewood has a 100 bed full service facility at Englewood Community Hospital. With a broad range of specialties, from Orthopedics, cardiac care, stroke recovery services, emergency room to outpatient surgery, Englewood Community Hospital will take care of all your medical needs.
Englewood continues to maintain its small town charm as it moves forward with the times. Surrounded by protected lands and waterways, it enjoys a high level of natural beauty and pristine environment, while allowing the continued enjoyment and use of these wonderful resources. Everyone should be so lucky as to live in an area like Englewood.
Englewood has many real estate opportunities for investors, retirees, or anyone else looking to live the Florida Lifestyle. Whether you want a home in Englewood Florida, an Englewood Florida Condo, or Englewood Pre Construction, or Englewood Luxury Home, you will find it here. Prices for homes start about 150k up. Contact us below to buy or sell your own piece of Englewood Florida Real Estate!
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