Located in the southwest corner of the University Park district between Sarasota and Manatee counties, Longwood Run in Sarasota is a large subdivision considered to be a pioneer in the residential development practice of setting aside land for nature conservation. When Longwood Run was initially planned nearly three decades ago, developers set aside about 50 percent of land as a nature preserves; as a result, the five sections of the neighborhood are surrounded by green meadows, lakes and ponds.

Longwood Run has hundreds of single-family residences and paired villas built in various architectural styles. You can find large Key West homes at Callista Village, newer Mediterranean-style houses at Magnolia Place, older Florida ranches at Griffon Woods, single-family residences at Del Sol Village, and paired villas at Riviera Club. Pricing start around $225K as of late 2018. You should know that Longwood Run is a neighborhood that has experienced considerable value appreciation over the years, and this has a lot to do with its location.

Residents of Longwood Run enjoy many playgrounds and nature trails in their respective communities, but they also have the convenience of their own park complete with basketball and tennis courts as well as a pavilion and picnic areas; there are also two free ChargePoint stations for electric vehicles, and this is where the Miracle League organizes baseball tournaments. Home ownership at Longwood Run entails a nice membership discount at the nearby Longwood Athletic Club, which features a 2,500 square feet fitness center.

As far as shopping and entertainment, Longwood Run is less than 10 minutes away from The Mall at University Town Center and the Shoppes at University Center. Driving to the beaches at Longboat Key or Siesta Key takes about 30 minutes; you can also drive northwest a few more minutes and visit the less crowded Bradenton Beach in Manatee County.