Want an urban/surburban lifestyle balance? Survey says Venice is the best place in Florida
VENICE – Venice was named the place in Florida that best balances big city living and suburban atmosphere and No. 5 in the country in a survey conducted by STORAGECafe, a nationwide online search company for self-storage units. Only one other Florida city, Boca Raton, which ranked 12th, made the national top 20.
The city frequently makes lists compiled by the self-storage company.
For example, in October 2021, Venice was named the top snowbird destination and in January 2021 it was the 11th best suburb in the nation and tops in Florida for a city feel.
“I think it’s a jewel that’s being uncovered and they’re starting to find it,” said Venice Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kathy Lehner. “This little gem that we had stashed here – along with the millions of sharks' teeth are being dug up – no pun intended.
On a previous list: Storage company ranks Venice the 11th best suburb in the nation and tops Florida list
“I moved here 37 years ago so it was this little gem that I chose over a bigger city that I was used to, be it Tampa or Fort Myers,” she added. “It was this nice, little town and you know what, even though we’re growing and we’re getting bigger we’re still I would say quieter than some of our surroundings, such as Sarasota, Fort Myers, St. Pete – they are really booming and as much as we are we still have that little hometown feel.”
Venice Mayor Nick Pachota called the increased exposure bittersweet.
“It’s great from the standpoint that we’re doing something right and that brings people to us, but at the same time, as somebody who grew up here, there’s just a lot of development right now and it’s moving really fast,” said Pachota, who added that it’s a daunting task to keep up with that development and make sure it stays in line with infrastructure.
Like Lehner, he too pointed to the small-town feel in Venice as an appeal, then added, “One of the advantages to moving back here with my family was all the water activities that we have. There’s just a lot of fun stuff to do here.”
Here’s more about how STORAGECafe arrived at its survey and what other cities ranked in the top 10.
From 2019: Venice ranks No. 2 among livable Florida cities
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Venice ranked high for residential options and amenities
STORAGECafe uses the city of Venice in developing its rankings, a spokeswoman for the website said via email but it also uses aspects of communities nearby in unincorporated Sarasota County and even the city of North Port in its formula.
Venice gets credit for its lively streets, diverse residential population, and entertainment opportunities. The site alludes to the fact that in addition to its traditional snowbird appeal, it’s also a destination for “zoombirds,” who can telecommute to work.
The outside areas come into play as the site references a 15% increase in the local population over the past five years, as well as a nod to Stillwell at Wellen Park – located in the city of North Port – as one of the bigger developments in the area.
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Stillwell, developed by Coastal Ridge Real Estate as a build-to-rent community of 274 single-family homes, could see its first residents as soon as June 5, according to that company’s website.
How the rankings were compiled
To compile the list of the best suburbs with urban flair, StorageCAFE analyzed 912 cities with a population between 10,000 and 100,000 people in the largest metropolitan area.
Factors considered included housing affordability and diversity, demographics, business environment, shopping and dining, health, education, safety, transportation, and self-storage prices and availability.
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And the best place is…
The small city that best combines that urban feel and suburban comfort was Edina, Minnesota, with almost 53,500 residents according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
It earned points for a strong business sector – with almost 58 businesses per 1,000 residents, and 125 square feet of office space per capita – amenities and transportation.
No. 2 was Falls Church, Virginia, followed by Palo Alto, California, Franklin, Tennessee, and then Venice. To see all of the rankings, visit https://bit.ly/43TvM6X.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Venice first in Florida, fifth in U.S. for city-suburb balance: survey
