Bellevue Terrace is easy to miss. With no signage marking the streets leading into the neighborhood from Tuttle Avenue and Bahia Vista Street – its western and southern boundaries – it seems like a nondescript residential area. But it is actually an attractive community with a charming old Florida ambiance. Large, mature trees flourish in many front yards and there is ample, lush shrubbery throughout.

The Legacy Trail marks the northern border. To the east at Lockwood Ridge Road, Bellevue Terrace blends seamlessly into its adjacent Pinecraft neighbor, although Bellevue Terrace is part of the city of Sarasota, while Pinecraft belongs to Sarasota County.

The community is essentially a large square subdivided by long residential blocks, plus a small “add-on” pocket of homes along Wood Street in the northeast corner by Locklear Park, a popular recreation venue.

Bellevue Terrace has a well-established, lived-in atmosphere. Homes are mostly Florida ranches, dating as far back as the 1940s and ’50s. Some have received additions, including second stories. Many have been renovated and upgraded. A few have covered lanais and swimming pools in their backyards.

“It’s a charming community, a well-kept secret,” said Roberta Tengerdy, an agent with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “For many people who come here on vacation, it’s the place to be – great for people who want to be here for the season.”

Part of the attraction is the close proximity to Pinecraft, which has a farmers market, quaint shops, and Amish eating establishments. “You can walk to Yoder’s Restaurant and Der Dutchman,” said Tengerdy. “At the same time, Bellevue Terrace is close to downtown and less than 25 minutes to the white sand Gulf beaches.”

Tengerdy and her business partner, Carolyn Collins, also with Premier Sotheby, have repped a unique property at 3060 Courtland Street. The four-bed, three-bath home with 2,357 square feet of living space sits on a 0.4-acre double lot. Built in 1957, it has a brand-new new roof and air conditioner, as well as stainless steel appliances, and granite tile countertops in the kitchen.

“There are very few double lots in Sarasota,” said Collins. “It takes the right people who have a large family that fills the bedrooms and appreciate what has been done and keep it up.”

An additional structure in the backyard, fully insulated and air-conditioned, serves as a two-story, livable, hangar-like structure, ideal for storage or visits by extended family members. The current owner, an avid fisherman, used it as a workshop to make spearguns. There is also a large, covered bay, big enough for two boats or a motorhome.

The backyard includes an outdoor kitchen and a fire pit area. The patio has a spa with a beautiful stone accent wall. There are fruit trees, including banana, fig, blackberry, lime and starfruit.

The property, whose asking price was $975,000, recently went under contract.

The demographics of Bellevue Terrace include a host of families with children who live there year-round. Two of the district schools, Alta Vista Elementary and Sarasota High are only 0.7 and 1.2 miles away, respectively. Brookside Middle is less than two miles away.

Like Pinecraft next door, Bellevue has a large number of Amish and Mennonite residents. “I was leaving an open house and saw more than 30 people on their three-wheel bicycles with baskets and their kids, enjoying the Legacy Trail,” said Tengerdy.

The Anabaptist population is even larger during season, when vacationers from Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania arrive on buses and rent the Airbnbs in the neighborhood.

“You can always tell when season starts because so many more children play at Locklear Park,” said Tengerdy.

The public facility has benches, a picnic pavilion, a playground, two lakes and a paved fitness trail. Another amenity is Pinecraft Park, which runs along Phillippi Creek across Bahia Vista Street. “We hold an annual picnic there,” Tengerdy explained.

Bellevue Terrace’s population tends to be steady because homes don’t come on the market very often. “Changeover doesn’t happen there as much as in other neighborhoods,” said Collins. “People come, raise their kids, and stay for a long time.”

Currently, there are three homes on the market in Bellevue Terrace, ranging in price from $339,000 to $500,000.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota homes for sale in quiet neighborhood next to Amish community