Englewood

Englewood was founded on 2,000 acres by the Nicholas brothers, of Englewood, Ill., who intended to establish a town and some lemon groves. But disastrous back-to-back freezes in 1894 and 1895 destroyed all the lemon trees. The town's promoters then decided to focus on the area's good fishing spots. The carefree tempo, still operative today, was also part of the town's soft sell.

An unincorporated community, Englewood straddles two counties -- Charlotte and Sarasota -- and is home to more than 40,000 year-round residents, approximately two-thirds of whom live in Charlotte County, with the remaining one-third residing in Sarasota County.

Home Sweet Home

More than 240 Realtor members of the Englewood Area Board of Realtors are on hand to welcome and assist newcomers to the community. Homes in Englewood range from about $50,000 to $1.5 million. Much of the area's housing inventory enjoys close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, the barrier island of Manasota Key between the Gulf and the Intracoastal and on or near the Intracoastal/Lemon Bay. For a two- and three-bedroom single-family home, prices range from $50,000 to $1 million, with an average of $75,00 and $134,000 respectively. Condominium prices range from $60,000 to $250,000.

Vital Stats

Englewood is mainly within the Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes all of Charlotte County. Unless otherwise specified, numbers are for the MSA.

Population: 134,899
Median age: 52.2
New citizens: 3,420
New job creation: 3.2 percent
Unemployment rate: 3.1 percent for August, 1999
Cost of living: 97.74 percent (U.S. average=100 percent)
Per capita income: $21,535 (1998)
Median household effective buying income: $30,650

Rain & Shine

The weather is wonderful. Most people who live here believe Englewood has a near-perfect climate. Temperatures average 64 degrees Fahrenheit in January: in August they average 81.9, with the average high of 91.5 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer, the breeze from the Gulf of Mexico acts as natural air conditioning.

Class Notes

Extensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend.

Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth.

For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."

Getting Around

State Road 776 provides convenient access to Englewood, connecting with U.S. 41 and I-75 via Jacaranda Blvd. (Exit 35) or the River Road connection with I-75 (Exit 34).

Interstate Highway 75 traverses the county in a north/south direction. U.S. Highway 41 (a.k.a. Tamiami Trail) is the other main north/south road. It runs from Tampa to Miami, roughly paralleling I-75, although it is the older of the two highways and is both farther west--closer to the ocean--and farther south than I-75.

Southwest Florida International Airport offers jet service and connections to areas all over the world from its facility southeast of Englewood and near Fort Myers. Residents and visitors of Englewood often use the Sarasota/Bradenton airport, which a located about an hour's drive north of them.

Great Outdoors

It's truly a water wonderland. Englewood's shorelines are along the Gulf of Mexico, the Intracoastal Waterway, Charlotte Harbor and the Myakka River. Many consider this region a waterfront paradise. To say that residents love the water -- fishing, cruising, sailing -- and the great outdoors is an understatement. Few places in Florida can boast of so many tropical beaches. Don't miss Englewood Beach, Manasota Beach, Blind Pass and Stump Pass. For the natural beauty of Florida and its wildlife, Englewood is rich with parks: Cedar Point, Don Pedro Barrier Island, Indian Mound Park, Kiwanis Park and the Lemon Bay Park & Environmental Center. Also close at hand are the Oscar Scherer State Recreation Area and nearby Myakka River State park.

Good Sports

Prime fishing is found in Lemon Bay and Stump Pass. As an aquatic preserve, Lemon Bay is an underwater ecosystem of mangrove, sea grass and oyster community. The fishing is good -- in part because of excellent ecological management.

Golfers abound. And why not? With eight courses in Englewood alone and many more in the surrounding towns, golf is one of the community's major leisure activities.

To watch professional sports, residents and snowbirds enjoy good hardball both spring and summer at the Charlotte County Stadium complex on State Road 776, directly east of Englewood. For amateur teams and their fans, the Englewood Sports Complex has lots of fields for baseball, softball and soccer.

Youngsters and family groups have plenty of places to play. The Englewood Recreation Center hosts sport fields, tennis courts, playgrounds and picnic sites. Then there's Pelican Pete's Playland, more commercial but lots of fun, with offerings of miniature golf, go-carts and arcade games. Sports fields are the major draw at San Casa Athletic Complex, while the Trangaili Community Center features a teen center, meeting facilities and tennis courts.

Hot Times in the City

Throughout the year, Englewood hosts many activities for its residents and visitors. Among them are: the Pioneer Days Festival, the Seafood Festival, the Manasota Beach Art Show, the Englewood Rotary Fine Arts Festival, the Boca Grande Tarpon Tournament, fireworks and other Fourth of July festivities and numerous other events throughout the year.

There are several cultural opportunities, too, including the Lemon Bay Playhouse, the Lemon Bay Fine Arts Series and activities sponsored by the Englewood Performing Arts Association.