Longboat Key, Florida
Encyclopedia
Longboat Key is a town in Manatee
and Sarasota
counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state
of Florida
, located on the barrier island
of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island
, between Sarasota Bay
and the Gulf of Mexico
. It is almost equally divided between Manatee and Sarasota counties. The town of Longboat Key was incorporated in 1955 and is part of the Bradenton
–Sarasota
–Venice
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
.
The United States Postal Service
operates a Post Office
on Longboat Key, with the entire island serviced within ZIP Code
34228. The post office was established on October 10, 1907, as Longbeach and was located in the community of that name on the north end of the key. On February 1, 1958, the name of the Longbeach post office was changed to Longboat Key. There was also a post office named Longboat established on March 27, 1914, in the Sarasota County portion of the key, but it was discontinued on January 14, 1922, and its functions were assumed by the Sarasota post office.
The quasi-governmental form of the Condominium Association
exists in one of its most complex forms in and on Longboat Key, comprising the Federation of Longboat Key Condominiums. In addition to the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, and in concert with the Town of Longboat Key, these entities have made Longboat Key an exemplar of local government and citizen cooperation in participation and management for communities of its type.
Longboat Key is served by two newspapers, published year-round, the Longboat Observer and the Longboat Key News
In recent years, "federalizing" the Key by having the U.S. Congress create the "Longboat Key National Seashore" has been suggested. Currently Longboat Key is located within two Florida counties, Manatee County in the north and Sarasota County in the south, but there have been calls for the Florida Legislature
to pursue an initiative to create a 68th county, "Longboat Key County," to simplify governance of the island. Neither of these initiatives is likely to be passed, however.
The town's population was 7,603 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population of Longboat Key recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 7,622.
, with its circle of shopping and dining, and Lido Key
, and south of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, and Anna Maria
, which are located on adjacent Anna Maria Island
. The nearby cities of Sarasota and Bradenton and the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
round out Longboat Key's varied list of geographic amenities. Gulf of Mexico Drive
runs the length of the island, with ancillary boulevards branching off to residential neighborhoods. From some locations one can see both Sarasota Bay
and the Gulf of Mexico
. At other points the island
widens and accommodates various homes owned both singly and in condominiums, hotels, and sports clubs.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 17.1 square miles (44.3 km²), of which, 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²) of it is land and 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²) of it (71.18%) is water.
Some Longboat Key residents are "snowbird
s," who vacation on or own second homes on Longboat Key, and are present only during the winter months. Others are homesteaders, utilizing the various homestead exemptions provided to Florida citizens who own and occupy their principal residences within the state, as set forth under the Florida Constitution.
There are numerous restaurants on Longboat Key, including Moore's, Mar Vista, The lazy Lobster, The Dry Dock, Pattigeorge's Restaurant, Chart House, the Longboat Key Club Restaurant, (Cafe On the Bay, now The Lazy Lobster,) Euphemia Haye, Maison Blanche, Bayou Tavern, Harry's, (Lynches Landing MOVED). There are also full-service grocery stores, including Publix
, and pharmacies, located centrally.
Most of the Gulf side of Longboat Key comprises beaches.
Almost the entire land area of Longboat Key is now occupied. The remaining older, singly owned houses are as much as 45 years old, annexed to comparatively small parcels, again an outgrowth of the 1/2 acre limitation on homestead property area within municipalities as set forth in the Florida Constitution. In the last few years, these properties have been purchased by new owners who sought to and did demolish them in order build small, ornate homes worth much more, many being valued to amounts on the order of as much as a few million dollars, a peculiar outgrowth of the unlimited-in-value homestead exemption for principal residences from forced sale provided to homestead
ers under the Florida Constitution
. This diverse mix of homes owned both singly and in condominium line the many cul-de-sacs and boulevards branching off main roads towards both the bay and the gulf, with the length of the island served by Gulf of Mexico Drive.
quantity and quality. Salinity
and sediment
ary factors threatened the availability of potable water to island residents, visitors, and businesses. This problem was alleviated sufficiently when the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District
approved a connection to Sarasota County's water supply, augmenting the existing connection to that of Manatee County.
of 2000, there were 7,603 people, 4,280 households, and 2,846 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,546.4 people per square mile (596.7/km²). There were 8,834 housing units at an average density of 1,796.8 per square mile (693.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.24% White, 0.07% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.01% from other races
, and 0.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 4,280 households out of which 3.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples
living together, 1.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.78 and the average family size was 2.11.
In the town the population was spread out with 2.6% under the age of 18, 0.9% from 18 to 24, 5.7% from 25 to 44, 32.4% from 45 to 64, and 58.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 68 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,251, and the median income for a family was $107,983. Males had a median income of $61,157 versus $30,104 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $80,963. About 1.4% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Manatee County, Florida
Manatee County is a county in the state of Florida. According to the 2010 census by the U.S. Census Bureau there are 322,833 people living in Manatee Country.Manatee County is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Sarasota
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, located on the barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island, sometimes called Anna Maria Key, is a barrier island on the coast of Manatee County, Florida in the United States. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by Longboat Pass , on the east by Anna Maria Sound, and on the north by Tampa Bay. Anna Maria Island...
, between Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is an estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States.The bay and its surrounding area appeared on the earliest maps of the area, being named Zarazote on one dating from the early 18th century...
and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It is almost equally divided between Manatee and Sarasota counties. The town of Longboat Key was incorporated in 1955 and is part of the Bradenton
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
–Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
–Venice
Venice, Florida
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 21,015. It is noted for its large snowbird population. Its newspaper is the Venice Gondolier Sun...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Government
The town of Longboat Key has a commission-manager form of governmentCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
on Longboat Key, with the entire island serviced within ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
34228. The post office was established on October 10, 1907, as Longbeach and was located in the community of that name on the north end of the key. On February 1, 1958, the name of the Longbeach post office was changed to Longboat Key. There was also a post office named Longboat established on March 27, 1914, in the Sarasota County portion of the key, but it was discontinued on January 14, 1922, and its functions were assumed by the Sarasota post office.
The quasi-governmental form of the Condominium Association
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
exists in one of its most complex forms in and on Longboat Key, comprising the Federation of Longboat Key Condominiums. In addition to the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, and in concert with the Town of Longboat Key, these entities have made Longboat Key an exemplar of local government and citizen cooperation in participation and management for communities of its type.
Longboat Key is served by two newspapers, published year-round, the Longboat Observer and the Longboat Key News
In recent years, "federalizing" the Key by having the U.S. Congress create the "Longboat Key National Seashore" has been suggested. Currently Longboat Key is located within two Florida counties, Manatee County in the north and Sarasota County in the south, but there have been calls for the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
to pursue an initiative to create a 68th county, "Longboat Key County," to simplify governance of the island. Neither of these initiatives is likely to be passed, however.
The town's population was 7,603 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population of Longboat Key recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 7,622.
Geography
Longboat Key is located at 27.396931°N 82.644751°W. It is north of St. Armands KeySt. Armands Key
St. Armands Key is an island in Sarasota Bay off the west coast of Florida in the United States.A Frenchman named Charles St. Amand bought property on the island in 1893. His name was misspelled in land deeds, and this misspelled name is still used today....
, with its circle of shopping and dining, and Lido Key
Lido Key
Lido Key is a barrier island of the coast of Sarasota, Florida in the United States. The island has sandy beaches that face the Gulf of Mexico. The island has a seasonal nightclub scene, as well as a park called "South Lido Park", which has a beach and a woodland trail...
, and south of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, and Anna Maria
Anna Maria, Florida
Anna Maria, is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,814 at the 2000 census. According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau's estimates, the city grew slightly to 1,867. The city occupies the northern part of Anna Maria Island and is one of three municipalities on the...
, which are located on adjacent Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island, sometimes called Anna Maria Key, is a barrier island on the coast of Manatee County, Florida in the United States. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by Longboat Pass , on the east by Anna Maria Sound, and on the north by Tampa Bay. Anna Maria Island...
. The nearby cities of Sarasota and Bradenton and the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is an airport located between Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida. The airport is shared by both Manatee County and Sarasota County . Most airlines refer to the airport on destination maps and flight status displays as just "Sarasota", as that is the more...
round out Longboat Key's varied list of geographic amenities. Gulf of Mexico Drive
Florida State Road 789
A 19-mile-long road along the Florida’s Gulf Coast, State Road 789 spans Bird Key, St. Armands Key, and Lido Key, in Sarasota; Longboat Key ; and Anna Maria Island...
runs the length of the island, with ancillary boulevards branching off to residential neighborhoods. From some locations one can see both Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is an estuary located off the west coast of Florida in the United States.The bay and its surrounding area appeared on the earliest maps of the area, being named Zarazote on one dating from the early 18th century...
and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. At other points the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
widens and accommodates various homes owned both singly and in condominiums, hotels, and sports clubs.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 17.1 square miles (44.3 km²), of which, 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²) of it is land and 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²) of it (71.18%) is water.
Some Longboat Key residents are "snowbird
Snowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
s," who vacation on or own second homes on Longboat Key, and are present only during the winter months. Others are homesteaders, utilizing the various homestead exemptions provided to Florida citizens who own and occupy their principal residences within the state, as set forth under the Florida Constitution.
There are numerous restaurants on Longboat Key, including Moore's, Mar Vista, The lazy Lobster, The Dry Dock, Pattigeorge's Restaurant, Chart House, the Longboat Key Club Restaurant, (Cafe On the Bay, now The Lazy Lobster,) Euphemia Haye, Maison Blanche, Bayou Tavern, Harry's, (Lynches Landing MOVED). There are also full-service grocery stores, including Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
, and pharmacies, located centrally.
Most of the Gulf side of Longboat Key comprises beaches.
Real estate
Much of the land area of Longboat Key is occupied by either single family homes or condominium apartments. Most of the condominium associations co-own common elements which comprise pools, tennis courts, sites with water views and access to beaches.Almost the entire land area of Longboat Key is now occupied. The remaining older, singly owned houses are as much as 45 years old, annexed to comparatively small parcels, again an outgrowth of the 1/2 acre limitation on homestead property area within municipalities as set forth in the Florida Constitution. In the last few years, these properties have been purchased by new owners who sought to and did demolish them in order build small, ornate homes worth much more, many being valued to amounts on the order of as much as a few million dollars, a peculiar outgrowth of the unlimited-in-value homestead exemption for principal residences from forced sale provided to homestead
Homestead exemption
Homestead exemption is a legal regime designed to protect the value of the homes of residents from property taxes, creditors, and circumstances arising from the death of the homeowner spouse...
ers under the Florida Constitution
Florida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
. This diverse mix of homes owned both singly and in condominium line the many cul-de-sacs and boulevards branching off main roads towards both the bay and the gulf, with the length of the island served by Gulf of Mexico Drive.
Water
A perennial problem for Longboaters was waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
quantity and quality. Salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
and sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
ary factors threatened the availability of potable water to island residents, visitors, and businesses. This problem was alleviated sufficiently when the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District
Southwest Florida Water Management District
The Southwest Florida Water Management District , unofficially nicknamed “Swiftmud” or SWFWMD, is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve water resources. Established in 1961 the agency operates and maintains several large properties and flood protection...
approved a connection to Sarasota County's water supply, augmenting the existing connection to that of Manatee County.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,603 people, 4,280 households, and 2,846 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,546.4 people per square mile (596.7/km²). There were 8,834 housing units at an average density of 1,796.8 per square mile (693.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.24% White, 0.07% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.01% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 4,280 households out of which 3.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 1.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.78 and the average family size was 2.11.
In the town the population was spread out with 2.6% under the age of 18, 0.9% from 18 to 24, 5.7% from 25 to 44, 32.4% from 45 to 64, and 58.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 68 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,251, and the median income for a family was $107,983. Males had a median income of $61,157 versus $30,104 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $80,963. About 1.4% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Longboat Key include:- Lou BenderLou BenderLouis "Lulu" Bender was an American basketball player who helped turn the sport into a popular success in New York City during the Great Depression and helped make Madison Square Garden a destination for the sport. Bender was a three-time All-Ivy League and two-time All-America in the early 1930s...
(1910–2009), pioneer player with the Columbia LionsColumbia LionsThe Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M...
and in early pro basketball, who was later a successful trial attorney. - Maria SharapovaMaria SharapovaMaria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...
Russian professional tennis player and multiple Grand Slam singles champion. - Marcella HazanMarcella HazanMarcella Hazan, maiden name Marcella Polini, is an Italian cookery writer who writes in English. Her cookbooks are credited with introducing the public in the United States and Britain to the techniques of traditional Italian cooking...
Italian cooking instructor and cookbook author. - Al ArbourAl ArbourAlger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
Four-time Stanley Cup winning former coach of the New York Islanders. - Jerry SpringerJerry SpringerGerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
- Lee Scott Former CEO of Wal-Mart
- Frank MocklerFrank MocklerFrank Carpenter Mockler was an American attorney who served as the 47th Governor of American Samoa. Mockler was the county attorney for Fremont County, Wyoming. He was Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1951. He was Secretary of American Samoa under John Morse Haydon...
, 47th Governor of American Samoa