Longtime Philadelphians Denise Creedon and Steve Madva—she’s an executive at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, he’s a commercial litigation attorney—just retired to a bayfront Longboat Key home they purchased in 2012. Active in arts and civic circles in Philly (besides her day job, she’s a painter and sculptor; he just stepped down as chair of the Philadelphia Opera and the Philadelphia Prison System), they’re looking forward to enjoying the many cultural and natural pleasures of Sarasota.

WHY SARASOTA?

After a colleague with a condo at the Colony introduced them to the town, Steve says, “It was top of mind when we started to think of the next phase of our lives. We looked at Santa Fe, Montauk and the Maryland Eastern Shore. Denise gravitates to the water. She’s a master diver and into water sports.”

THE MOMENT WE ARRIVE

Denise: “We push the button on the hurricane shutter, the metal door goes up and it’s like a curtain going up on a stage.”

WE BOUGHT A BOAT

Denise: “We’ve been out on it four times, but we’re committed to it. We’re ready to learn.” Steve: “Our home is on a direct channel to the bay, so we enjoy taking people to Mar Vista. We can get there without hitting anything.”

THE WILDLIFE BLOWS US AWAY

Steve: “We have friendly herons and five wild parakeets; [while boating] we find ourselves in a pod of dolphins. Walking through the Longboat Key Club golf course is like walking through an aviary, from roseate spoonbills to wood storks.” Denise: “We put an aquarium light under the dock and at night we see what’s floating around.”

WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Denise: “Contemporary live music. And the one potential for growth in Sarasota is the contemporary art scene, although the Turrell [Skyspace at The Ringling] and the Patrick Dougherty [stick sculpture in front of the future Sarasota Museum of Modern Art] are exciting.”

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This article appears in the July 2014 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Like what you read? Click here to subscribe. >>