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Star Search

By Robert Plunket May 14, 2008

Scouting out Sarasota homes fit for an Idol.

By Robert Plunket

Syesha may not end up the last one standing on American Idol, but whatever happens she’s going to have a sensational career. And when she’s not in L.A. or New York, she’s going to need a place in Sarasota to come to and relax, recharge her batteries, get back to her roots. So I’ve taken a look at what is currently on the market and come up with a selection of the three most glamorous places available. These are homes with enough Star Power to match Syesha’s.

The best fit? A house designed by Carl Abbott at the south end of Longboat Key. It’s called Sundial and it has the perfect look for our girl—elegant, hip, modern. It’s also got a great gimmick: The main house contains the living area and the master, while the guest house, just across the pool, has four guest bedrooms. This way she can host AI reunions and not have to deal with that weepy Brooke all the time.

The Carl Abbott house on Lonboat Key.

Sundial is big—over 5,700 square feet—and has its own dock. It’s located in a little cove off New Pass and is a short walk up to the beach and that great bar at the Longboat Key Club. At $5,250,000, it’s not cheap, but she’ll get a one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece that can hold its own with anything in the world. Plus the beach, boating, privacy—what more could a celebrity want? Barbara Ackerman at Coldwell Banker is the lister. Syesha can reach her at 387-1820.

50 N. Central Ave.

Now if she prefers a place she can fly into for a weekend without ever having to worry about trimming the mangroves, there’s a penthouse at 50 N. Central Ave., at Five Points, that’s perfect. It’s 3,500 square feet, with three bedrooms, four baths, a double-sided fireplace and three terraces (one with an outdoor kitchen.) The big selling point here is the views. We now have a new housing type in Sarasota: the urban penthouse with sensational views not just of the water but of the new buildings all around you. And this penthouse tops them all in this regard. It’s priced at $3,450,000. Hannerlee Moore at SKY Sotheby’s is the listing agent: 383-7171.

2810 Bay Shore Road

And finally, if she wants something simpler, there’s a little jewel box of a house at 2810 Bay Shore Road, in Indian Beach. Built back in the 1940s, it has been beautifully updated with one-of-a-kind custom touches, especially the countertops, floors and wall treatments. It’s just two bedrooms (about 2,500 square feet) but has a spacious, airy feeling and a beautiful view of the bay. The living room, with its high, arched windows, is particularly nice. In the back is a pond with a private island, perfect for communing with your thoughts and/or writing hit songs. The overall effect is old Palm Beach, or even Havana before the revolution. Little surprises are everywhere; check out the Gustav Klimt ceramic tiles embedded in the walls. It’s very well priced at $1.5 million. Phyllis Garfinkel is the listing agent: 302-6400.

And good luck, Syesha, on tonight’s results show.

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