A Downtown Pied-à-Terre

With everything to do downtown—just chosen Sarasota’s "Best Neighborhood" by our panel of real estate experts—many people are considering a pied-à-terre there. Literally a "foot on the ground," a pied-à-terre is a small apartment in the most glamorous and convenient part of town, designed and decorated for overnight use.

One of our favorite options is this one-bedroom, 830-square-foot charmer in Le Chateau, that pink, New Orleans-esque building near the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. The apartment is on the ground floor; you push back the sliding glass doors and walk out to a terrace that overlooks the bay. Just steps away are the pool and a tiny beach. We can just picture relaxing here on a lazy Sunday afternoon, resting up from dinner at MoZaic, a performance at the opera, and a nightcap at Epicure.

Some pied-à-terre buyers are local residents who want to join in the urban fun. Others are out-of-towners, drawn here by Sarasota’s growing reputation as a sophisticated getaway. And of course there’s no reason a young professional couldn’t live here full-time. The price ($295,000) is certainly right, you’re in the middle of everything, and the perfect waterfront setting makes it a rare find.  —Bob Plunket

No. 13, 37 Sunset Drive

$295,000

Listed by Laura Pearson, Coldwell Banker

(215) 510-0428

For more real estate news and gossip, check out Bob Plunket's blog, Real Estate Junkie.