Sarasota Livin'

Cooltown Studios is fast becoming one of my favorite blogs... I always find something I like. Downtown Sarasota is becoming a better place because of the mixture of entertainment, retail and I think residential development all going on making it more of a destination area.

CTS quotes Michael Beynard of the Urban Land Institute. This article goes into detail on some of the interesting things going on...

"Entertainment, culture, and education are being woven together. Retail entertainment is being combined successfully with cultural and educational facilities. Museums and performing arts centers are trying to adapt to decreased public funding and to the strong competitive pressures brought about by societal changes. Retail entertainment offers these institutions an opportunity to broaden their markets and compete more effectively for consumers’ time and attention in a crowded marketplace. In turn, cultural and educational institutions act as key anchors for retail entertainment destinations, providing the unique local character, cultural context, and educational aspects essential
for long-term project success."