St Armands Circle

St Armands Circle is an area near Lido Beach where four streets with restaurants and shops meet up in the middle at a circle. Although it was planned by circus magnate John Ringling after he bought St Armands Key in 1917, it looks like it was built around the 1950s because the architecture is plain like a strip-mall. Although well-known as a good place to shop and eat, this area did not delight me at all. It is basically just four streets of featureless architecture. The circle in the middle makes for a pedestrian nightmare, so that each time you want to go to a different shop or restaurant you might need to cross the dangerous roundabout. If this area were pedestrian-only it would be a lot more charming. There are lots of nice palm trees and some shady spots to sit out and relax, such as outside the Starbucks. The statues in the circle are lovely, though out of place in their ornate style as compared with the "strip-mall in Florida" look behind them.
After shopping or eating, relax at gorgeous Lido Beach, by taking the west-headed street (John Ringling Blvd) out of the circle.

Directions

St Armands Circle is located on St Armands Key. It consists of shops and restaurants on John Ringling Pkwy, John Ringling Blvd (east and west of the circle), and Blvd of the Presidents.
Starbucks Coffee, 443 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota FL 34236.
Parking is free and along the road.

Click on map for interactive view