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Things are starting to slowly pickup in Rosemary after the initial surge that was happening at the top of the bubble...

Bradenton Herald has a good story about the "Rosemary renaissance"

Rosemary District reinvented into vibrant area

SARASOTA - Business owners in the historical Rosemary District don't try to hide their excitement when they talk about the renaissance sweeping a neighborhood with a troubled past.

Hip. Energetic. Full of life. There's always something happening in Rosemary, its business tenants say. New Yorkers say it reminds them of SoHo. San Franciscans think it resembles Soma, the area south of Market Street.

A mixture of renovated buildings, new construction, retail, restaurants and services make up the business component of what was once an overlooked and segregated black neighborhood called Overtown.

White Sarasotans buried their dead in the Rosemary Cemetery, the city's first, beginning in the early 1900s. Col E. Morrill named the cemetery in 1906. The word symbolizes healing, safety and remembrance and in due course became the name for the entire district.

Overtown and Rosemary District now are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as Sarasota's first documented black community.

In the past 18 months, about 18 new businesses have moved to the area bordered by U.S. 41, Fruitville Road, Orange Avenue and 10th Street. Today Rosemary is home to about 30 businesses, each eclectic and unusual.
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The Rosemary District will host "Rosemary Rising," an evening street festival, on Friday, Dec. 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. Artists, musicians and performers will be featured with free bus tours of historical Overtown starting at the intersection of Seventh Street and Central Avenue. The Rosemary District is bordered by U.S. Highway 41, Fruitville Road, Orange Avenue and 10th Street. For more information, call 952-5280.

Very interesting bike ride today -- first it was raining most of the time... but I saw a real amazing thing today .... near the Sierra Station Cafe (4th & Lemon) in Downtown Sarasota's Rosemary District ... the "alley" is called Lemon Lane ... this the view looking south toward 4th St and downtown... very yuppie looking new restaurants and antique stores..

This is the view looking toward 6th St (I didn't move to take the picture - but I did zoom..) .. free lunch line at Resurrection House... guess I was early ... too bad because I had forgot my wallet and credit cards

Joe Moraca
Sarasota Livin'
Sarasota Neighborhoods
Suncoastblog
CCNA

PS I updated the "place" names after my bike ride today..