Lakewood Ranch · Sarasota County

Waterside Place

Lakewood Ranch's waterfront town centre, and the newest of the Ranch's commercial cores. It sits on the Sarasota County side of Lakewood Ranch, which surprises people who assume the whole of the Ranch is in Manatee.

What distinguishes it from Main Street is the water: the district is built along a lakefront, and that is the reason it draws people from outside the Ranch rather than only serving it.

The water is not only scenery. A resident water taxi, The Jolly Rancher, runs between the district and four of the Waterside communities, which is an unusual thing to be able to say about a town centre in this market.

Be precise about who gets it. It is a residents-only service for Emerald Landing, LakeHouse Cove, Nautique and Shoreview. Wild Blue at Waterside sits in the same district and is not on that list, so being in Waterside is not the same as having the taxi.

What it is built around

The Plaza, Lakefront Park, Waterside Park, Gateway Park and The Yard
Farmers market
Movie in the Park and the Sights + Sounds series
Splash park
Restaurants, bars and a brewery
Marina and the resident water taxi

Eating and drinking here

Tenants the district itself publishes. Hours, menus and prices change weekly and are deliberately not listed, so check with the restaurant before you go.

Osteria 500

Italian · restaurant · italian

Forked at Waterside

restaurant

Good Liquid Distilling Co.

brewery-distillery · bar

The Lounge by Good Liquid Distilling Co.

bar

Good Liquid Brewing Co.

brewery-distillery · bar

Agave Bandido

Mexican · restaurant · mexican-latin

Deep Lagoon Seafood & Oyster House

Seafood · restaurant · seafood

Allswell

restaurant

Eatalia

Italian · restaurant · italian

Carved

restaurant

Quincy's Original Lobster Rolls

Seafood · seafood · casual

Duck Donuts

coffee-sweets

Kilwins

coffee-sweets

Kore Steakhouse

Steakhouse · restaurant

O&A Coffee Supply

coffee-sweets

Communities this serves

The part a restaurant list cannot tell you: what it costs to live within reach of this district, and who actually lives there. Figures are recorded sales from the county, not asking prices.

Waterside - Avanti

Median recorded sale $373,000. 48% of the 166 finished houses carry a homestead exemption, which reads as a mix of full-time and seasonal owners.

Waterside - Bungalow Walk

Waterside - Emerald Landing

Water taxi

Median recorded sale $776,000. 30% of the 164 finished houses carry a homestead exemption, which reads as largely second homes and seasonal owners.

Waterside - Kingfisher Estates

Waterside - LakeHouse Cove

Water taxi

Median recorded sale $900,000. 42% of the 624 finished houses carry a homestead exemption, which reads as a mix of full-time and seasonal owners.

Waterside - Nautique

Water taxi

Median recorded sale $519,000. 49% of the 222 finished houses carry a homestead exemption, which reads as a mix of full-time and seasonal owners.

Waterside - Shellstone

Median recorded sale $1,297,000. 15% of the 82 finished houses carry a homestead exemption, which reads as largely second homes and seasonal owners.

Waterside - Shoreview

Water taxi

Waterside - The Alcove

Waterside - Wild Blue

Median recorded sale $2,175,000. 21% of the 220 finished houses carry a homestead exemption, which reads as largely second homes and seasonal owners.

Quick answers

What is Waterside Place?

Which communities have water taxi access to Waterside Place?

Waterside - Emerald Landing, Waterside - LakeHouse Cove, Waterside - Nautique and Waterside - Shoreview. It is a residents-only service, so living elsewhere in Waterside does not include it. Schedules change, so confirm current times before planning around them.

Which communities are closest to Waterside Place?

Waterside - Avanti, Waterside - Bungalow Walk, Waterside - Emerald Landing, Waterside - Kingfisher Estates, Waterside - LakeHouse Cove, Waterside - Nautique, Waterside - Shellstone, Waterside - Shoreview, Waterside - The Alcove, Waterside - Wild Blue. Each of those has a page on this site with the county's recorded sale prices, the fee structure and the build years.

Is Waterside Place in Sarasota or Manatee County?

Waterside Place is in Sarasota County. The question comes up because this part of the market straddles the Sarasota and Manatee county line, and a mailing address is not a reliable guide to it: University Parkway is the boundary itself, and the 34243 ZIP covers ground in both counties. The county decides which property appraiser holds the record, which tax collector bills you and which county services apply, so it is worth establishing for any specific address rather than assuming it from the postal town. Confirmed against Sarasota County certified tax roll.

Source: Sarasota County certified tax roll, which records the Waterside Place parcels in Sections 8 and 9, Township 36S, Range 19E, in Sarasota County. Tenants, parks and events from lakewoodranch.com, the official Waterside Place page.. Last verified 2026-10-02. Business information changes frequently. Contact an establishment directly for current hours, menus and availability.

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What’s Being Built Nearby

Thinking about living near Waterside Place?

Tell me which communities you are weighing up and I will send you what they actually cost to own, what the county records say sold there, and what is approved to be built around them.

Or call or text (941) 350-0224.

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