Film Festival Finds
Sarasota is one of the few cities its size that is full of homes that are perfect for celebrity hideaways. Just ask Jerry Springer, Stephen King, Donna Summer, Martina Navratilova, etc, etc. And with the Sarasota Film Festival going on this week, the town is full of stars and producers checking out the local real estate scene. So to make it easier for them, I’ve combed through what’s available and come up with three sensational houses that are definitely movie star-worthy.
3710 Bayou Louise Lane
680 Beach Road
Our next house would be perfect for one of the younger stars, like Woody Harrelson. Woody (here for opening night’s The Messenger) doesn’t want a big pretentious mansion. He wants a cool beach house where he can hang out and relax, have some brews, etc., and 680 Beach Road on Siesta Key couldn’t be more perfect. This is a real old-fashioned beach bungalow, right on the sand, right in the middle of the action – it’s just a short walk to Siesta Village. I imagine this house is being sold for the value of its land – at $3,500,000, it’s rather pricey for a two-bedroom, 2,100 square foot home from 1978. But I wouldn’t tear it down; it’s perfect the way it is. Quintessential Siesta Key, with charm galore, a drop- dead view, and one of the best lots on the key. It’s less private than the other picks, but I imagine Woody will want to hang out on the porch and check out the girls on the beach.
Woody's view from the balcony.
The listing agent is David Drewett and he can be reached at 941-364-4000.
1301 West Way
And finally, the ultimate, the peak of luxury and glamour. It’s got to be Adrienne Vittadini’s home on Westway in Lido Shores. The famed fashion designer built and decorated this home herself and the result is the prettiest house in town, bar none. It oozes low-key European elegance and style. This is not just a great celebrity home – it’s done with such taste and knowledge of design that there’s nothing else quite like it in Sarasota.
At last – a classically inspired mansion that’s not the least bit pretentious
Adrienne's new living room.
And the setting is equally spectacular. It’s gated and private, and faces out to New Pass. You can watch the yachts go by, just past the infinity pool. There’s a dock and staff quarters for your chef and personal assistant. It’s a little over 6,500 square feet, with 5 bedrooms, 5 1/2 baths, and three fireplaces. I particularly like the way the rooms open onto stone terraces over-looking the azure water. And the perfectly proportioned Palladian architecture.