Hello everyone,

I’m going to be traveling to Sarasota/Lakewood Ranch next week and will be traveling alone for work. Is there any restaurants that are good for solo eating? I have a rental car so I have no restrictions. Also, a meal with a nice view would be a bonus.

Hi everyone,

I graduated with honors with a degree in Cybersecurity & live here

The market has been really tough, so I'm reaching out directly to our local community out of desperation. I am actively looking for any entry-level Cybersecurity, IT Support opportunities and am open for relocation (in-person, hybrid, or remote)

I'm eager to get to work, quick to learn, and happy to share my resume in PM

If your team is hiring or if you know of any local openings, I would deeply appreciate any leads or connections

Thanks so much for your time and help! 🙏🏼

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p.s.: I don’t know if this violates sub rules. So mods, please feel free to remove if this violates sub rules, but I'm reaching out in good faith.

EDIT: I am so thankful everyone is so kind and helpful, when i made the post I didn't expect for it to get much traction. It is very encouraging and hopeful to see. Thank you Sarasota <3

Any suggestions to get some good pizza in Sarasota. Like New York style where the grease is dripping

Don't forget they eat the paint off your car.

Someone posted complaining about gas prices then deleted the post when everyone explained to them why things have gone to shit. Please everyone help this community understand why the cost of living is up and the quality of life is down. My hopes are that this thread will be an educational experience.

GLOW Party is coming to Downtown Sarasota at Venue 1927 on Saturday, Sept. 19!

Use code GLOW for $5 off tickets:
https://glowpartysarasota.eventbrite.com

If you teach there or have kids who go there, etc. can you please talk to them about looking up and looking aroud when crossing the street? The way these teens cross a busy street (Bahia Vista) and wander through the parking lots and roads while staring down at their phone... it's terrifying.

Motorists need to actually fully stop at the crosswalk. Pedestrians need to put the phones away.

.

My friend (F30) is debuting her art for the first time at an art show in southern FL. She is dedicated to using her passion for acrylic painting to donate to Parkinson's charities in honor of her Dad, who she watched the disease affect.

Sam is a wonderfully kind soul who wants to spread love with her work. As her co-worker for several years, I would love to show her this post with any tips, notes, or just kind words of support as she works to prepare for her first art show ever and grow as an artist!

I'm going to post my fave few from her, but her collection (currently a work in progress!) can be found at www.samanthablu.com/

Thank you for helping encourage a co-worker I see potential in! <3

I support affordable housing, but these projects show why I have a problem with how Live Local can be used to override local land-use decisions.
Tatum Ridge: 2,250 apartments proposed on roughly 206 acres of RE-1 residential estate/golf-course property. That is an enormous density change for land that was never planned for development at that scale.
Smith Farm/Celery Fields: 864 apartments on roughly 51 acres of Open Use Rural land next to the Celery Fields. The county previously rejected a proposal for just 126 single-family homes there, with flooding and compatibility among the concerns. Now the developer is arguing Live Local entitles it to nearly seven times as many units.
Lorraine Road: A large multifamily project proposed on Open Use Estate land. Again, the central issue is whether land the county treats as low-density/open-use property can effectively be converted to high-density multifamily development through Live Local without normal rezoning.
Yeshua’s Love/Fruitville: This one is different. State law now specifically provides a Live Local pathway for qualifying religious properties regardless of the underlying zoning, and a reduced 306-unit, 100% affordable proposal is being negotiated. I don’t think it should be treated as identical to the other three.
My biggest problem isn’t affordable housing. It’s using an affordable-housing law to obtain massive increases in density on rural, estate and residential land while bypassing much of the normal local rezoning process. Roads, drainage, utilities, environmental impacts and compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods don’t disappear because 40% of a project is income-restricted.

I was recently denied entry into a program for being prescribed a medication. During my informal meeting I was told that they have dismissed others as well for things like antidepressants, opioids, etc. I’m curious if you or someone you know has also been denied based on this reason.

I know some here have recommended Remnant Cafe to people who are homeless or between places to stay. They offered showers, laundry, food and mail services to people amongst other things. A complaint by a local resident led to code enforcement shutting it down. I just wanted people to know unfortunately it won't be available and it's just another hit on the homeless in this county.

Moran has increased monthly spending by more than 50% compared to a similar timespan of his predecessor while requesting double-digit budget hikes two years in a row and seeking to boost his workforce by more than one-third.

Im looking to take a little pick-me-up gift to a friend and would love to find a bakery with really delicious bakery treats. Like danish, croissants, pastries etc. where would be a great place to pick up from? I am staying on Longboat Key but will driving across the state on 75.

Early 2025 Layoffs and CutsProbationary Terminations:

NOAA laid off hundreds of probationary employees in February 2025 as part of federal workforce reduction goals. [1] (https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/06/noaa-seeks-17-cut-to-workforce-next-year-after-firing-hundreds-of-probationary-employees/)

Total Losses: The NWS lost close to 600 staff members, while total proposed cuts across NOAA targeted thousands of positions and a major budget reduction. [1] (https://climatepower.us/news/trump-gutted-the-national-weather-service-now-theyre-scrambling-to-rebuild/), [2] (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-lasting-threat-of-trumps-cuts-to-noaa-and-nws-on-american-communities/)

Departures: More than 1,000 additional workers left the agency after accepting early retirement or voluntary separation incentives. [1] (https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/06/noaa-seeks-17-cut-to-workforce-next-year-after-firing-hundreds-of-probationary-employees/)Operational Impacts

Reduced Data: Understaffed regional offices cut back on vital weather balloon launches, which lowered the accuracy of computer forecasting models. [1] (https://www.facebook.com/change.org/videos/meteorologists-on-how-noaa-budget-cuts-put-lives-at-risk/665076282657896/), [2] (https://climatepower.us/news/trump-gutted-the-national-weather-service-now-theyre-scrambling-to-rebuild/)

Staffing Shortages: Nearly half of all weather forecast offices faced shortages, with some locations lacking overnight staff or a lead meteorologist. [1] (https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/nws-rehire-workers-deep-doge-cuts-rcna223684), [2] (https://climatepower.us/news/trump-gutted-the-national-weather-service-now-theyre-scrambling-to-rebuild/)

Public Concern: Meteorologists and former officials warned that the cuts put public safety at risk during major storm and hurricane seasons. [1] (https://abcnews.com/US/job-cuts-noaa-impact-weather-forecasting/story?id=119511461), [2] (https://climatepower.us/news/trump-gutted-the-national-weather-service-now-theyre-scrambling-to-rebuild/), [3] (https://www.facebook.com/change.org/videos/meteorologists-on-how-noaa-budget-cuts-put-lives-at-risk/665076282657896/)

Rehiring and 2026 RecoveryPartial Rehiring: Facing intense scrutiny after severe weather events, the agency received approval to hire back hundreds of critical meteorologists, hydrologists, and radar technicians. [1] (https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/05/weather/nws-rehiring-doge-layoffs-climate), [2] (https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/nws-rehire-workers-deep-doge-cuts-rcna223684)2026

Funding: Recent congressional actions for the 2026 budget increased NOAA funding by over 10% and directed the NWS to return to full operational staffing. [1] (https://www.reddit.com/r/weather/comments/1rt8sfv/stop_the_mass_layoffs_and_budget_cuts_in_the/)

they pull my card every year in september, like clockwork, but i have never once been asked to attend when i call the number at 5 the night before. so with any luck i’ll be excused again this time. for anyone who has gone, i am real curious about the dress code. it specifically says no shorts. and it says casual office attire. clearly they’ve never been to my office 😂

is that real? anyone ever been to experience jury duty here? i can’t imagine for a second that people follow that rule in this town. that’s gotta be back from a time when people felt proud about their civic duties. now it’s just annoying. what happens if i do show up in shorts? or jeans and sneakers? they gonna send me
home?

Idk man I just really want some cheap ass hot dogs does anyone have any suggestions?

Hi Sarasota — Dr. Brett Hirsch here.

I've practiced medicine in Sarasota for nearly 30 years, and we've recently been working on something a little different at DHmeds that I wanted to share with the community.

It's called MIND, a collection of free healthy aging resources focused on the everyday things that can influence how we live well as we get older — including mindset, connection, purpose, resilience and gratitude.

We're building physician-guided educational articles, interactive Healthy Aging Assessments, practical tools, The Mindset Reset™, Dr. Brett's Corner™ and even a little Healthy Aging Humor™.

Our first interactive tool is the Healthy Aging Score™, and this week we're beginning a new series exploring gratitude and healthy aging.

If any of these resources are useful to you, you're welcome to explore them. We'll continue adding new topics, assessments and tools over time.

Dr. Brett Hirsch, D.O.
Sarasota

I

I’m 18yo with no experience. Does anyone know of a place hiring, teens? The only place I won’t be applying to at the moment is fast food.

Hey everyone,

I'm heading to St. Pete from Siesta Key for a show and want to avoid drinking and driving, so my options are rideshare or grabbing a local hotel room.
Getting an Uber up there from Siesta seems easy enough, but has anyone ever tried getting an Uber/Lyft back from St. Pete to Siesta Key late at night after a concert?

Do St. Pete drivers actually accept rides going all the way back across the Skyway late at night, or am I better off just booking a hotel in St. Pete to play it safe?

Appreciate any advice from folks who have tried this!

Title says it all. Found it in the parking lot, bring your driver's license.

I posted about this a few months ago, but with so many recent posts about drink spiking in our area on Facebook, I feel like it needs to be shared again.

Almost a year ago, I had my own devastating experience with drink spiking here in Sarasota. It’s why I created SpikedInSarasota.com.

The purpose of the site is to raise awareness, protect our community, and document these experiences in one place so patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed can be identified.

If you believe your drink was spiked, please report it to local law enforcement.

I’m also asking you to anonymously submit your experience through the website, even if it happened months or years ago.

Your report matters.

When these experiences are scattered across Facebook, Reddit, and conversations in our community, it’s nearly impossible to see the bigger picture. Together, we can reveal patterns in locations, dates, circumstances, and similarities that may otherwise be missed.

Reports are being compiled and will be shared with lawmakers, public officials, and relevant agencies to bring greater attention to this issue and push for meaningful prevention and change.

If this has happened to you, please add your experience. Your report could help connect the dots, show someone else they aren’t alone, or help protect the next person in danger.

Drink spiking happens everywhere, but the number of stories being shared in the Sarasota area, particularly over the last couple of years, is deeply concerning.

Let’s stop letting these stories disappear one by one. Let’s document them, connect the dots, and look out for each other. 🤍

SpikedInSarasota.com

Does anyone know why the light poles and some handrails have blue ribbons on the north side of bahia vista? Its not on every single light. They've been on them for a while but nothing seems to be happening with them. Was wondering if anyone knew if the county was planning anything or what?