Presenting

Cul tural Coast SHOPPING Find the latest couture fashions at The Met on St. Armands Circle. T The Cultural Coast offers a unique shopping experience, creatively driven by independent businesses that simultaneously fulfill a retail niche and the passions of the owners. Along the charming tree-lined streets of Downtown Sarasota, you'll find hand-picked one-of-a-kind treasures at places such as Coquillage, a shop known for its European coastal chic furniture and home accessories. These stores are recognized for dispensing the kind of personal service only shop owners provide. St. Armands Circle is a retail and dining destination for tourists and residents alike. An assortment of shops cater to a wide variety of clientele. From the beach retail giant Alvin's to fashion connoisseur, The Met, "The Circle" offers a tremendously diverse shopping experience. One shouldn't overlook the fantastic consignment shopping available in the area. If you are looking to recycle couture clothing or pick up a vintage find, some of the highend consignment shops, such as Fifi's Consignment in the Southside Village, offer a posh selection of designer names in meticulous condition. Sarasota is also home to a giant outlet mall, Ellenton Premium Outlets. Famous retailers such as Coach, J.Crew, Michael Kors and Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th are only a few of the 130 stores with discounted goods to enhance your wardrobe or spruce up your home. The Cultural Coast also has several traditional indoor malls, including the giant Westfield Sarasota Square Mall – convenient to Venice and Osprey, and Gulf Gate Mall near the southern bridge to Siesta Key. Even the most discriminating fashionista can find a retail home at Westfield Southgate Mall. Located near Siesta Key and Downtown Sarasota, luxury goods and high fashion can be found in stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, and Dillards. To the south, Downtown Venice and Downtown Punta Gorda both offer charming historic shopping districts filled with locally owned boutiques and art galleries. In Punta Gorda, Fisherman's Village is a bayfront outdoor mall with an eclectic assemblage of shops and restaurants. The big news in local shopping is the building of the new University Park Mall. This new shopping mecca is designed to be one of the largest shopping malls built in the past several years in the U.S. Whimsical artwork lines the street in Englewood 42 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE

• Cover