St. Armands: A circle of fun in the Keys
John Ringling loved a threering circus, so it’s no wonder the great showman built a big circle of fun in Sarasota.
St. Armands Circle — smack in the middle of St. Armands Key, between Sarasota’s mainland and the beaches of Lido Key — is a tourist attraction both tacky and grand, kind of like the circus.
With 100-plus stores and restaurants, it’s heaven for strollers who like to shop and eat.
Here are a five of my favorite stops on St. Armands:
King Neptune: Sprinkled around the circle are more than 30 statues based on Ringling’s own Renaissance collection. King Neptune rises from a median right by the famed Columbia restaurant, and statues of lovely ladies — the “Seven Virtues.” There are statues representing music, tropical plants and the bounty of land and sea. There’s even a statue of Michelangelo.
The Shore: This fashion shop is classy-meets-surfercool. It’s my favorite clothing store on the circle, which also features chains like Chico’s and Tommy Bahama.
Blu Kouzina ... for baklava and more: This Mediterranean restaurant is my favorite spot for a fresh Greek salad
and tast y baklava.
“Circle Ring of Fame”: In the center of St. Armands is the Circle Ring of Fame, a walkway of plaques honoring circus stars with ties to Sarasota. Lou Jacobs, the famous Ringling clown, and his daughter, aerialist Dolly Jacobs, who still lives in Sarasota, are celebrated among 115 or so others, including John Ringling.
Shoe stores! There are several good ones here, including Martini Import Shoes, known for comfort/trendy brands like Fly London. A new one is the Charleston Shoe Co., from Charleston, which specializes in shoes made of elastic bands. Check out starmandscircleassoc. com for a directory of shops and restaurants and a “statue walk” map, if you want to see all the statues.