This police report: 11:45 a.m., April 2, 2013 — 500 block of S. Orange Avenue. Suspicious Person. A man walked into an optometrist’s office and asked for an appointment. When the woman working at the front desk told him there were no appointments available, the man said, “You’ll see, your fate will be determined.”
Laughs, relocated: McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre finally confirmed this December longstanding rumors of a move to downtown. With the announcement that the comedy club would move into the former Shaner’s location downtown, we can all look forward to sharing a few more laughs in the downtown area.
Get cultured: The arts scene is far from obscure here, but it’s been missing one thing: young people. With this year’s revamped Sarasota Culture Collective, more and more young professionals are getting involved in the fine arts. We approve.
Walk the line: Local daredevil Nik Wallenda did Sarasota proud this summer when he completed his most awe-inspiring stunt to date: a nail-biting 30-minute tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon that had viewers all over America gripping the edges of their seats. He even ran the last stretch. Yep. He was running. Over the Grand Canyon.
Taste test: There are plenty of excellent dining options in Sarasota, and 2013 saw several standout restaurants open their doors, including Matto Matto, Social, Roast, Lolita Tartine, Antoine’s, LeAnh’s and more. Now we have more options than ever to show how classy we are.
Turn it up: The road ahead is a long one for an ideal live music scene, but we made a few strides this year. Under new management, the Cabana Inn has all but shed its former reputation and become a haven for some of the best local musicians. Old School also opened as one of the few places to see live music on Main Street. The city commissioners are even warming up to the idea — they approved this December a Sarasota Arts and Cultural Alliance proposal to install six public pianos downtown.
New director: Acclaimed Estonian conductor Anu Tali was named fifth director of the Sarasota Orchestra. With her at the helm, we're confident she'll take the orchestra to new heights.
Stop the presses: Our little slice of Gulf-Coast paradise made big waves this year, appearing in Business Insider’s list of the United States’ most exciting cities, and both the Chalk Festival and the Sarasota Ballet graced the pages of the New York Times. Not to brag ...
Rack em! Nordstrom Rack opened its doors in Sarasota this fall, and based on the reactions of my more fashion-forward coworkers, this is a big deal. I'm running out of excuses for my abysmal wardrobe.
Oar my goodness: For the first time in more than 20 years, the World Rowing Championships will be held in the United States, and Sarasota this year won the bid as the hosting city. In a time when sports-tourism is an increasingly important revenue source, this is huge for Sarasota.
Celebrity sightings: It’s not uncommon to see the occasional celebrity in Sarasota; a handful of stars call our city home. 2013 boasted an impressive list of out-of-town guests, however, including Aubrey Plaza, Anna Paquin, Dylan McDermott, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long, Emeril Lagasse, Ryan Lochte and more. We totally kept our cools.
Birds of a feather: Fried-chicken aficionados applauded this year’s arrival of PDQ, the Yahweh of the yard-bird biz, according to its diehard fans. Plus, everybody knows that politically unaffiliated chicken always tastes best.
Glasses to glasses, dust to dust: There are countless ways to memorialize a loved one. But eulogies, legacy donations and memorial funds are just so … traditional. Go big or go home, right? That’s what one Sarasota man thought this October when he scattered his deceased fiancé’s ashes in the Lenscrafters in Westfield Southgate Mall, prompting a complete mall shutdown and hazmat alert. After leaving the mortal world, I can only hope to be memorialized in such a disturbingly bold way — is mummification still an option?
