Downtown Sarasota’s historic heart — Laurel Park and Towles Court, two walkable districts of 1920s bungalows, restored cottages, brick streets, and artist studios, minutes from Main Street and the bay. The alternative to high-rise downtown living, guided by Danielle Gladding and Alison Kanter.
Walk two blocks east from the high-rises of downtown Sarasota and the city changes underfoot. The pavement gives way to older streets and canopy oaks. The towers give way to bungalows with deep porches, restored cottages behind picket fences, and — a few blocks on — the painted clapboard studios of Towles Court, where the buildings themselves are the art. This is the part of downtown most people drive past on the way to dinner without ever realizing what it is.
This guide covers the historic district downtown. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981 and a broker since 1987. Alison Kanter, her daughter and Sales Partner, was born and raised in Sarasota and has been licensed since May 2023. They work every transaction together.
Laurel Park and Towles Court are downtown Sarasota’s historic heart — its only true neighborhoods of single-family homes inside the urban core. For buyers who want everything downtown offers but cannot imagine living in a tower, this is, quite often, the answer most of them did not know existed.
We are Danielle Gladding and Alison Kanter, a mother-daughter Sarasota luxury real estate team whose combined market memory goes back to 1981. Alison has walked clients through these streets for years. This page is the candid guide to both districts — the homes, the history, the lifestyle, and the tradeoffs that come with owning a nearly-century-old house in a protected historic district. When you are ready for a private conversation, our information is at the bottom of this page.
The fast picture for buyers who like to start with the facts.
• Location: Two adjacent historic districts in the southeast quadrant of downtown Sarasota, just east and south of Main Street and the bayfront, within the city’s urban core
• History: Among Sarasota’s earliest residential neighborhoods, developed largely in the 1910s–1920s land-boom era; both are designated historic districts with preservation oversight
• Laurel Park: The larger district — a walkable grid of bungalows, craftsman and Mediterranean-revival cottages, and small-scale infill, much of it lovingly restored
• Towles Court: A compact, beloved arts district — brightly painted historic cottages converted into artist studios, galleries, and small businesses, with a residential character and monthly art walks
• Building stock: Predominantly 1920s single-family historic homes, with restorations, sensitive renovations, and occasional period-appropriate new construction
• Walkability: A short walk to Main Street, Burns Court’s art cinema, the bayfront, and downtown dining; five to seven minutes to St. Armands and Lido Beach by car
• Property tax climate: Florida — no state income tax, homestead exemptions for primary residents
Laurel Park and Towles Court sit side by side and share a sensibility, but they are not the same place. Here is the clear-eyed distinction.
Laurel Park is the larger and more residential of the two — a quiet grid of historic homes on brick and oak-lined streets, anchored by a strong, organized neighborhood association and a genuine sense of community. The housing stock runs from modest restored bungalows to substantial, beautifully renovated historic homes, with prices to match the range. A purchase here is a purchase of a neighborhood as much as a house. The streets are walkable and shaded, front porches sit close to the sidewalk, and much of the housing stock has been carefully restored under the historic district rules. It is the rare downtown address where you can walk to the opera and still know everyone on your street.
Towles Court is smaller, more whimsical, and unlike anywhere else in Sarasota — a cluster of historic cottages painted in bold colors, many operating as artist studios and galleries, woven together with a residential core. The district hosts art walks and has a creative, bohemian-meets-restored character that buyers either fall in love with immediately or find a touch eclectic. For the right buyer — someone who wants charm, color, and a connection to a working arts community — there is nothing else like it downtown. We will be candid about which homes are residential, which are mixed-use, and what that means for financing and lifestyle.
Just west sits Burns Court — a tiny, exquisite enclave of historic bungalows around the beloved Burns Court art cinema. It is often spoken of in the same breath as Laurel Park and Towles Court, and homes here come up rarely. If one does, we will tell you the moment we hear.
BUYER DUE DILIGENCE — WHAT OWNING A HISTORIC HOME ACTUALLY INVOLVES These are beautiful homes, and we want you to buy one with clear eyes. Owning in a designated historic district means exterior changes — windows, rooflines, additions, even some paint and fencing decisions — may be subject to historic-preservation review and guidelines. That protects the neighborhood’s character and your investment, but it also means you cannot do whatever you want to the exterior on a whim. Beyond preservation rules, century-old homes carry the realities of their age: original plumbing and electrical, foundation and settling issues, roof and window condition, insurance and flood considerations, and the difference between a true restoration and a cosmetic flip. We walk every buyer through inspection priorities specific to historic Sarasota homes — and we know which local contractors genuinely understand historic restoration and which will cost you dearly. Relationships built since 1981 matter most here. |
People do not buy here for square footage. They buy for a way of living that almost no other Florida luxury address offers: a historic, walkable, single-family neighborhood inside a real downtown. Here is what those days look like.
From most homes in either district, Main Street, the bayfront, the Saturday farmers market, the opera, and a dozen restaurants are a short walk away — yet you come home to a porch, a yard, and an oak-shaded street rather than a lobby and an elevator. It is the best of both worlds, and it is genuinely rare.
Towles Court’s studios and art walks, the Burns Court cinema, the galleries of Palm Avenue, the Sarasota Art Museum, and the full downtown cultural calendar are all within walking distance. For buyers who want to live inside the arts rather than visit them, these districts are the most immersive address in the city.
Like the rest of downtown, these districts put St. Armands Circle about five minutes west and Lido Beach about seven. You get a historic neighborhood, a walkable city, and the Gulf beaches — a combination you will not find together anywhere else on Florida’s west coast.
Guiding Sarasota buyers since 1981, we find the reasons cluster into clear patterns. If two or three of these resonate, you are probably looking in the right place.
• A historic single-family home inside a walkable downtown — the alternative to tower living
• Genuine neighborhood character: porches, brick streets, canopy oaks, and an organized community
• An immersive arts scene, from Towles Court studios to the Burns Court cinema
• Walkable to Main Street, the bayfront, and downtown dining
• Restoration opportunities for buyers who love historic homes
• The islands and Gulf beaches minutes away
• Tax-favorable Florida residency — meaningful for buyers relocating from high-tax states
Most agents will show you a charming house. That is not the same as helping you understand what owning a century-old home in a protected district really means. Here is how our process actually works.
1. The lifestyle conversation. Laurel Park’s quieter residential grid, or Towles Court’s artful color? Move-in-ready restoration, or a project? Full-time, or a downtown pied-à-terre? How much do the preservation guidelines matter to your plans? The answers point you to the right district and the right house.
2. The house-and-history filter. Inside the right district, Alison filters for long-term fit — the quality of any prior restoration, the systems and structure, the preservation constraints on what you may want to change, flood and insurance realities, and resale strength. On historic homes, a cosmetic flip and a true restoration look identical in photos and are worlds apart in reality.
3. The negotiation and close. Relationships built since 1981 matter most here. We often know the home’s history, the seller’s situation, and which renovations were done right. Many of these homes change hands quietly, before they ever hit the market.
4. The handoff. After closing, the same team is who you call for a historic-restoration contractor, a preservation-savvy architect, or a designer who understands these homes. Relationships built since 1981 are not handed off at the closing table.
Danielle Gladding has been a Sarasota Realtor since 1981 and a Broker since 1987, with memory of these districts going back to when she arrived in Sarasota in 1976. She holds a Luxury Homes Certification along with the ABR, Certified Waterfront Specialist, and Certified Residential Listing Specialist designations, and is a Longboat Key resident in Bay Isles’ Queens Harbour.
Alison Kanter is Danielle’s daughter and business partner — a Sarasota native, Furman University graduate, and Clemson MBA. Neither of us is assigned a territory — we both work the full market. She lives in Palm Aire and knows these historic streets and the downtown market intimately.
What makes our team exceptional is not that we are similar. It is that we are different in exactly the right ways. Danielle brings market memory going back to 1981 — including the long history of these very homes — intuition, and relationships. Alison brings analytical precision, corporate discipline, and tech-forward thinking. When you work with us, you get two perspectives, and they balance each other completely.
If you are weighing a home in Laurel Park or Towles Court, the most useful next step is a confidential, no-pressure conversation. Not a pitch. A conversation.
Tell us what you are trying to accomplish, your timeline, and your concerns. We will tell you which district fits you, which homes are genuinely restored versus cosmetically flipped, what the preservation guidelines will and will not let you do, and what the real tradeoffs look like. If you are selling, we will give you a private valuation — twenty minutes — and an unvarnished read on your home’s position in today’s market. Call Danielle at 941-539-8535 or Alison at 941-306-9786.
— Danielle & Alison | Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty
Laurel Park is a historic residential district in downtown Sarasota, just east of Main Street, known for its walkable grid of 1920s bungalows, craftsman and Mediterranean-revival cottages, brick streets, and canopy oaks. It is a designated historic district with an active neighborhood association and remains a true single-family neighborhood inside Sarasota’s urban core.
Towles Court is a small historic arts district in downtown Sarasota made up of brightly painted 1920s cottages, many of which serve as artist studios and galleries alongside a residential core. Known for its monthly art walks and bohemian-meets-restored character, it sits adjacent to Laurel Park and offers a creative, walkable downtown lifestyle unlike anywhere else in the city.
Laurel Park and Towles Court consist mainly of 1920s-era single-family historic homes — bungalows, craftsman cottages, and Mediterranean-revival houses — many of which have been restored or sensitively renovated. Some Towles Court cottages operate as mixed-use studios and galleries, so buyers should confirm whether a specific property is residential or mixed-use.
Homes in Laurel Park range widely — from smaller restored bungalows at the entry end to substantial, fully renovated historic homes at the top, depending on size, condition, and restoration quality. Because these are historic homes with significant variation, contact Danielle Gladding and Alison Kanter directly for current pricing on any specific property.
Owning a home in a designated historic district such as Laurel Park or Towles Court means exterior changes — including windows, additions, rooflines, and some paint and fencing decisions — may be subject to historic-preservation review and guidelines. These rules protect the neighborhood’s character and property values but limit what owners can alter on the exterior, so buyers should understand them before purchasing.
Laurel Park and Towles Court are within a short walk of downtown Sarasota’s Main Street, bayfront, restaurants, the Saturday farmers market, and the opera, while offering single-family homes with porches and yards rather than high-rise condos. St. Armands Circle and Lido Beach are about five to seven minutes away by car.
Laurel Park and Towles Court are excellent choices for buyers who want a historic, walkable, single-family neighborhood inside downtown Sarasota rather than tower living. They offer genuine neighborhood character, an immersive arts scene, and strong long-term value, though buyers should plan for the realities of owning a century-old home and the preservation guidelines that come with a historic district.
Laurel Park is the larger, quieter, more purely residential of the two historic districts, with a grid of restored homes and an active neighborhood association, while Towles Court is a smaller, more colorful arts district where many historic cottages serve as studios and galleries. They sit side by side and share a walkable, historic character but differ in scale, energy, and the mix of residential versus mixed-use properties.
The realtor to work with in Laurel Park is one who understands the historic district rules before you make an offer, not after. That agent should be able to explain what can be altered on the exterior of a contributing structure, what requires review, and how that shapes a renovation budget and timeline. Should also be able to speak to how older construction affects insurance, and to what the walk to downtown actually means day to day rather than as a selling line. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding arrived in Sarasota in 1976, has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981, and has held a broker’s license since 1987. Alison Kanter was born and raised in Sarasota and has been licensed since May 2023.
Downtown Sarasota — the wider downtown market Laurel Park sits inside
Buying a historic home downtown — what the district rules allow and what they do not
Golden Gate Point — the condominium alternative a short walk away
Bay Point Park — a small West of the Trail enclave nearby
Downtown Sarasota luxury condos — the condominium market a few blocks west
Walk two blocks east from the high-rises of downtown Sarasota and the city changes underfoot. The pavement gives way to older streets and canopy oaks. The towers give way to bungalows with deep porches, restored cottages behind picket fences, and — a few blocks on — the painted clapboard studios of Towles Court, where the buildings themselves are the art. This is the part of downtown most people drive past on the way to dinner without ever realizing what it is.
This guide covers the historic district downtown. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981 and a broker since 1987. Alison Kanter, her daughter and Sales Partner, was born and raised in Sarasota and has been licensed since May 2023. They work every transaction together.
Laurel Park and Towles Court are downtown Sarasota’s historic heart — its only true neighborhoods of single-family homes inside the urban core. For buyers who want everything downtown offers but cannot imagine living in a tower, this is, quite often, the answer most of them did not know existed.
We are Danielle Gladding and Alison Kanter, a mother-daughter Sarasota luxury real estate team whose combined market memory goes back to 1981. Alison has walked clients through these streets for years. This page is the candid guide to both districts — the homes, the history, the lifestyle, and the tradeoffs that come with owning a nearly-century-old house in a protected historic district. When you are ready for a private conversation, our information is at the bottom of this page.
The fast picture for buyers who like to start with the facts.
• Location: Two adjacent historic districts in the southeast quadrant of downtown Sarasota, just east and south of Main Street and the bayfront, within the city’s urban core
• History: Among Sarasota’s earliest residential neighborhoods, developed largely in the 1910s–1920s land-boom era; both are designated historic districts with preservation oversight
• Laurel Park: The larger district — a walkable grid of bungalows, craftsman and Mediterranean-revival cottages, and small-scale infill, much of it lovingly restored
• Towles Court: A compact, beloved arts district — brightly painted historic cottages converted into artist studios, galleries, and small businesses, with a residential character and monthly art walks
• Building stock: Predominantly 1920s single-family historic homes, with restorations, sensitive renovations, and occasional period-appropriate new construction
• Walkability: A short walk to Main Street, Burns Court’s art cinema, the bayfront, and downtown dining; five to seven minutes to St. Armands and Lido Beach by car
• Property tax climate: Florida — no state income tax, homestead exemptions for primary residents
Laurel Park and Towles Court sit side by side and share a sensibility, but they are not the same place. Here is the clear-eyed distinction.
Laurel Park is the larger and more residential of the two — a quiet grid of historic homes on brick and oak-lined streets, anchored by a strong, organized neighborhood association and a genuine sense of community. The housing stock runs from modest restored bungalows to substantial, beautifully renovated historic homes, with prices to match the range. A purchase here is a purchase of a neighborhood as much as a house. The streets are walkable and shaded, front porches sit close to the sidewalk, and much of the housing stock has been carefully restored under the historic district rules. It is the rare downtown address where you can walk to the opera and still know everyone on your street.
Towles Court is smaller, more whimsical, and unlike anywhere else in Sarasota — a cluster of historic cottages painted in bold colors, many operating as artist studios and galleries, woven together with a residential core. The district hosts art walks and has a creative, bohemian-meets-restored character that buyers either fall in love with immediately or find a touch eclectic. For the right buyer — someone who wants charm, color, and a connection to a working arts community — there is nothing else like it downtown. We will be candid about which homes are residential, which are mixed-use, and what that means for financing and lifestyle.
Just west sits Burns Court — a tiny, exquisite enclave of historic bungalows around the beloved Burns Court art cinema. It is often spoken of in the same breath as Laurel Park and Towles Court, and homes here come up rarely. If one does, we will tell you the moment we hear.
BUYER DUE DILIGENCE — WHAT OWNING A HISTORIC HOME ACTUALLY INVOLVES These are beautiful homes, and we want you to buy one with clear eyes. Owning in a designated historic district means exterior changes — windows, rooflines, additions, even some paint and fencing decisions — may be subject to historic-preservation review and guidelines. That protects the neighborhood’s character and your investment, but it also means you cannot do whatever you want to the exterior on a whim. Beyond preservation rules, century-old homes carry the realities of their age: original plumbing and electrical, foundation and settling issues, roof and window condition, insurance and flood considerations, and the difference between a true restoration and a cosmetic flip. We walk every buyer through inspection priorities specific to historic Sarasota homes — and we know which local contractors genuinely understand historic restoration and which will cost you dearly. Relationships built since 1981 matter most here. |
People do not buy here for square footage. They buy for a way of living that almost no other Florida luxury address offers: a historic, walkable, single-family neighborhood inside a real downtown. Here is what those days look like.
From most homes in either district, Main Street, the bayfront, the Saturday farmers market, the opera, and a dozen restaurants are a short walk away — yet you come home to a porch, a yard, and an oak-shaded street rather than a lobby and an elevator. It is the best of both worlds, and it is genuinely rare.
Towles Court’s studios and art walks, the Burns Court cinema, the galleries of Palm Avenue, the Sarasota Art Museum, and the full downtown cultural calendar are all within walking distance. For buyers who want to live inside the arts rather than visit them, these districts are the most immersive address in the city.
Like the rest of downtown, these districts put St. Armands Circle about five minutes west and Lido Beach about seven. You get a historic neighborhood, a walkable city, and the Gulf beaches — a combination you will not find together anywhere else on Florida’s west coast.
Guiding Sarasota buyers since 1981, we find the reasons cluster into clear patterns. If two or three of these resonate, you are probably looking in the right place.
• A historic single-family home inside a walkable downtown — the alternative to tower living
• Genuine neighborhood character: porches, brick streets, canopy oaks, and an organized community
• An immersive arts scene, from Towles Court studios to the Burns Court cinema
• Walkable to Main Street, the bayfront, and downtown dining
• Restoration opportunities for buyers who love historic homes
• The islands and Gulf beaches minutes away
• Tax-favorable Florida residency — meaningful for buyers relocating from high-tax states
Most agents will show you a charming house. That is not the same as helping you understand what owning a century-old home in a protected district really means. Here is how our process actually works.
1. The lifestyle conversation. Laurel Park’s quieter residential grid, or Towles Court’s artful color? Move-in-ready restoration, or a project? Full-time, or a downtown pied-à-terre? How much do the preservation guidelines matter to your plans? The answers point you to the right district and the right house.
2. The house-and-history filter. Inside the right district, Alison filters for long-term fit — the quality of any prior restoration, the systems and structure, the preservation constraints on what you may want to change, flood and insurance realities, and resale strength. On historic homes, a cosmetic flip and a true restoration look identical in photos and are worlds apart in reality.
3. The negotiation and close. Relationships built since 1981 matter most here. We often know the home’s history, the seller’s situation, and which renovations were done right. Many of these homes change hands quietly, before they ever hit the market.
4. The handoff. After closing, the same team is who you call for a historic-restoration contractor, a preservation-savvy architect, or a designer who understands these homes. Relationships built since 1981 are not handed off at the closing table.
Danielle Gladding has been a Sarasota Realtor since 1981 and a Broker since 1987, with memory of these districts going back to when she arrived in Sarasota in 1976. She holds a Luxury Homes Certification along with the ABR, Certified Waterfront Specialist, and Certified Residential Listing Specialist designations, and is a Longboat Key resident in Bay Isles’ Queens Harbour.
Alison Kanter is Danielle’s daughter and business partner — a Sarasota native, Furman University graduate, and Clemson MBA. Neither of us is assigned a territory — we both work the full market. She lives in Palm Aire and knows these historic streets and the downtown market intimately.
What makes our team exceptional is not that we are similar. It is that we are different in exactly the right ways. Danielle brings market memory going back to 1981 — including the long history of these very homes — intuition, and relationships. Alison brings analytical precision, corporate discipline, and tech-forward thinking. When you work with us, you get two perspectives, and they balance each other completely.
If you are weighing a home in Laurel Park or Towles Court, the most useful next step is a confidential, no-pressure conversation. Not a pitch. A conversation.
Tell us what you are trying to accomplish, your timeline, and your concerns. We will tell you which district fits you, which homes are genuinely restored versus cosmetically flipped, what the preservation guidelines will and will not let you do, and what the real tradeoffs look like. If you are selling, we will give you a private valuation — twenty minutes — and an unvarnished read on your home’s position in today’s market. Call Danielle at 941-539-8535 or Alison at 941-306-9786.
— Danielle & Alison | Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty
Laurel Park is a historic residential district in downtown Sarasota, just east of Main Street, known for its walkable grid of 1920s bungalows, craftsman and Mediterranean-revival cottages, brick streets, and canopy oaks. It is a designated historic district with an active neighborhood association and remains a true single-family neighborhood inside Sarasota’s urban core.
Towles Court is a small historic arts district in downtown Sarasota made up of brightly painted 1920s cottages, many of which serve as artist studios and galleries alongside a residential core. Known for its monthly art walks and bohemian-meets-restored character, it sits adjacent to Laurel Park and offers a creative, walkable downtown lifestyle unlike anywhere else in the city.
Laurel Park and Towles Court consist mainly of 1920s-era single-family historic homes — bungalows, craftsman cottages, and Mediterranean-revival houses — many of which have been restored or sensitively renovated. Some Towles Court cottages operate as mixed-use studios and galleries, so buyers should confirm whether a specific property is residential or mixed-use.
Homes in Laurel Park range widely — from smaller restored bungalows at the entry end to substantial, fully renovated historic homes at the top, depending on size, condition, and restoration quality. Because these are historic homes with significant variation, contact Danielle Gladding and Alison Kanter directly for current pricing on any specific property.
Owning a home in a designated historic district such as Laurel Park or Towles Court means exterior changes — including windows, additions, rooflines, and some paint and fencing decisions — may be subject to historic-preservation review and guidelines. These rules protect the neighborhood’s character and property values but limit what owners can alter on the exterior, so buyers should understand them before purchasing.
Laurel Park and Towles Court are within a short walk of downtown Sarasota’s Main Street, bayfront, restaurants, the Saturday farmers market, and the opera, while offering single-family homes with porches and yards rather than high-rise condos. St. Armands Circle and Lido Beach are about five to seven minutes away by car.
Laurel Park and Towles Court are excellent choices for buyers who want a historic, walkable, single-family neighborhood inside downtown Sarasota rather than tower living. They offer genuine neighborhood character, an immersive arts scene, and strong long-term value, though buyers should plan for the realities of owning a century-old home and the preservation guidelines that come with a historic district.
Laurel Park is the larger, quieter, more purely residential of the two historic districts, with a grid of restored homes and an active neighborhood association, while Towles Court is a smaller, more colorful arts district where many historic cottages serve as studios and galleries. They sit side by side and share a walkable, historic character but differ in scale, energy, and the mix of residential versus mixed-use properties.
The realtor to work with in Laurel Park is one who understands the historic district rules before you make an offer, not after. That agent should be able to explain what can be altered on the exterior of a contributing structure, what requires review, and how that shapes a renovation budget and timeline. Should also be able to speak to how older construction affects insurance, and to what the walk to downtown actually means day to day rather than as a selling line. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding arrived in Sarasota in 1976, has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981, and has held a broker’s license since 1987. Alison Kanter was born and raised in Sarasota and has been licensed since May 2023.
Downtown Sarasota — the wider downtown market Laurel Park sits inside
Buying a historic home downtown — what the district rules allow and what they do not
Golden Gate Point — the condominium alternative a short walk away
Bay Point Park — a small West of the Trail enclave nearby
Downtown Sarasota luxury condos — the condominium market a few blocks west
Get assistance in determining current property value, crafting a competitive offer, writing and negotiating a contract, and much more. Contact Us today.
