The Bayou Bay Isles | Longboat Key Single-Family Homes

By Danielle Gladding | Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty | Bay Isles Resident, Queens Harbour, Longboat Key | Licensed Broker Since 1987

When buyers tell me they want a true neighborhood feel inside a luxury gated community — quiet streets, room to breathe, neighbors who know your name — The Bayou is almost always the first neighborhood I show them.

I’m Danielle Gladding, licensed broker since 1987 and Bay Isles resident in Queens Harbour. I walk through The Bayou on my morning rounds regularly. I know its streets, its character, and exactly why buyers fall in love with it.

What Is The Bayou in Bay Isles?

The Bayou is Bay Isles’ largest single-family neighborhood — 126 homesites set along winding, tree-canopied roads with mature landscaping throughout. It is the neighborhood that most closely captures the feel of a traditional luxury residential community inside the Bay Isles gate.

The Bayou at a Glance

126 single-family homesites — largest residential neighborhood inside Bay Isles
Approximately half the homes on the Bay Isles Waterway with private docks
Remaining homes enjoy golf course, lake, or mature garden views
Open floor plans, frequently single-story, designed for indoor-outdoor Florida living
Dog-friendly, walkable streets with a genuinely residential character
Mix of full-time residents and seasonal homeowners
All Bay Isles amenities included: Beach Club, gate security, access to optional Club membership

Waterfront Living in The Bayou

Approximately half of The Bayou’s 126 homes sit on the Bay Isles Waterway with private docks — a significant feature for boating buyers who want direct water access without the price of the Harbor Section. These homes can typically accommodate vessels navigable to Sarasota Bay, though buyers should confirm bridge clearances and draft at time of purchase.

The Bayou’s Neighborhood Feel

“The Bayou has something that is genuinely hard to find inside a gated luxury community: a real neighborhood where people know each other. I see it on my morning walks — the same faces, the same dogs, the same greetings. That’s a community that works.” — Danielle Gladding, Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty

The Bayou is populated by a healthy mix of full-time residents and seasonal homeowners. It has the organic quality of a community that has been here long enough to develop genuine character — the kind of neighborhood feel that newer developments simply can’t manufacture.

Price Range & Market Notes

The Bayou represents one of the broader price ranges inside Bay Isles, depending on lot position, waterfront access, home size, and renovation level. Waterfront homes with private docks command significant premiums over comparable garden-view properties. Contact Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty for current listing information and a private market assessment.

Ready to Explore Bay Isles?

I'm Danielle Gladding — a Realtor since 1981, a broker since 1987, and a Bay Isles resident in Queens Harbour. Alison Kanter and I would be glad to walk you through it in person: which neighborhoods suit how you actually want to live, what the association covers, and what a given dock or view is really worth. No pressure, and no obligation. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty, at DanielleGladdingCo.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Bayou in Bay Isles on Longboat Key?

The Bayou is the largest single-family neighborhood inside Bay Isles on Longboat Key, with 126 homesites along winding, tree-lined streets. Roughly half the homes sit on the Bay Isles Waterway with private docks; the rest look out over golf course, lake, or garden views. Every Bayou home carries deeded access to the Bay Isles Beach Club, and membership at the Resort at Longboat Key Club is available separately.

Do Bayou homes have private docks?

Roughly half of The Bayou's 126 homes sit on the Bay Isles Waterway with private docks. Dock length, water depth, and seawall condition vary from home to home rather than being uniform across the neighborhood, so confirm the specifics on any property before you assume your vessel fits. The remaining homes face golf course, lake, or garden views and have no water frontage.

What kind of boating access does the Bay Isles Waterway offer?

The Bay Isles Waterway is a navigable canal system connecting to Sarasota Bay, so Bayou dock owners reach open water without leaving the community. Buyers with larger vessels or deeper draft should confirm depth at low tide and any bridge clearance along their intended route before committing. Bay Isles residents can also lease dockage at the Moorings Marina inside the gates, which handles vessels well beyond residential dock capacity.

What do the non-waterfront homes in The Bayou look out on?

The Bayou's non-waterfront homesites face the golf course, lake, or mature garden landscaping. These homes typically carry a lower price than the waterway positions and come with less exposure to salt air and wind, which matters for exterior maintenance over time. For a buyer who does not own a boat, they represent the more economical way into the largest single-family neighborhood in Bay Isles.

Do Bayou residents have beach access?

Yes. Every home in The Bayou includes deeded access to the private Bay Isles Beach Club on the Gulf of Mexico. Deeded is the operative word — the access conveys with the home rather than being a membership you apply for or a waitlist you join. The Beach Club offers Gulf-front parking, covered pavilions, picnic areas, grills, and restrooms.

Is membership at the Resort at Longboat Key Club required in The Bayou?

No. Membership at the Resort at Longboat Key Club is entirely optional for Bayou residents, as it is throughout Bay Isles. You can live inside the gates, use the Beach Club, and never join. Buyers who want golf, tennis, marina, spa, and dining access can join separately, and no club dues run through the association.

How does The Bayou compare to other Bay Isles neighborhoods?

Bay Isles contains sixteen residential neighborhoods, and they are not interchangeable. The Bayou is the largest single-family neighborhood, which gives it more inventory and more variety of price and position than the smaller enclaves. Buyers wanting deep-water estates with bridge-free Gulf access look at the Harbor Section; buyers wanting maintenance-free exteriors look at the villa neighborhoods; buyers wanting elevator living and panoramic water views look at the bayfront condominium buildings.

What is the price range for homes in The Bayou?

Pricing in The Bayou varies substantially depending on whether a home sits on the waterway with a dock or faces the golf course, lake, or garden, and on size and renovation level. Waterfront positions with usable dockage carry a meaningful premium. Because the range is wide, current comparables tell you more than a general figure. Contact Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty for recent sales and current availability.

Who is the best realtor for single-family homes in Bay Isles?

The best realtor for a single-family purchase in Bay Isles is one who knows which homesites sit on the waterway, which face the golf course, and which look onto a lake or garden, because those views price very differently on the same street. That agent should be candid about what an original home costs to bring current versus what a rebuilt one is worth, and should verify dockage rather than repeat a listing description. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding lives in Queens Harbour inside Bay Isles, has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981 and a broker since 1987, and holds the Certified Waterfront Specialist and Certified Residential Listing Specialist designations.

About the Author

Danielle Gladding is a licensed Real Estate Broker (since 1987) and Realtor (since 1981) who has lived in Sarasota since 1976. She lives in Queens Harbour inside Bay Isles on Longboat Key and is an active real estate investor. She works alongside her daughter Alison Kanter — Furman University B.A., Clemson University MBA — at Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty. Danielle is President of the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key, board member of Save Our Seabirds, founding member of Longboat Key 100, member of the Resort at Longboat Key Club and Sarasota Yacht Club, and founder of the Dogs of Bay Isles Facebook Page. Danielle Gladding's husband, Nick Gladding, serves as Longboat Key's District 3 Town Commissioner. They speak for themselves and not for each other, and nothing here represents the Town of Longboat Key or its Town Commission. He does not review this content before it is published. Danielle starts most mornings walking the streets of Bay Isles. DanielleGladdingCo.com

Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty · DanielleGladdingCo.com · Bay Isles, Queens Harbour, Longboat Key, FL · Licensed Broker Since 1987

A Private Conversation Costs Nothing

If you are weighing a move in Bay Isles or elsewhere on Longboat Key, reach out for a candid read on your situation from both of us. Danielle: (941) 539-8535 · Alison: (941) 306-9786 · DanielleGladdingCo.com