Burns Court: A Little Piece of Sarasota That Still Feels Like Old Sarasota

Sarasota has changed dramatically over the years. New condominium towers have reshaped parts of downtown, new neighborhoods have pushed farther east, and restaurants and shops seem to come and go faster than most of us can keep track.

Burns Court feels different. It's adjacent to Downtown Sarasota and Laurel Park putting it in the heart of Sarasota.

Tucked just south of downtown Sarasota, Burns Court is only a tiny, little pocket, but it has something newer areas simply cannot manufacture: age, character, history and a sense that the neighborhood has been allowed to remain itself.

That is what I like most about it.

The Mediterranean look, mature trees, narrow streets and older commercial buildings give the area a very different feel from much of downtown Sarasota. It does not feel recreated or designed to look historic. It is historic. The character is real because much of what gives the area its personality has actually been there for generations.

Burns Court was developed in the 1920s by Owen Burns, one of the most influential figures in Sarasota’s early growth. I knew his name, of course, but once I started reading more about him, I realized just how much of Sarasota’s development can be traced back to his work. When he came to Sarasota in 1910, Burns became involved in banking, development, construction and civic projects. He purchased large amounts of land, helped pave streets, built seawalls and bridges, and his dredging company worked extensively around Sarasota Bay and areas near Lido and Longboat Key. On top of that, his construction company was also part of the building of Ca’ d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling’s waterfront home.

And, here is something I found out. Burns also played a role in the movement that eventually created Sarasota County from what had previously been part of Manatee County. I never knew it was originally all Manatee County.

The more you read about him, the more tempting it is to call him “Mr. Sarasota.” 

Burns developed Burns Court in 1924 and 1925 with architect Thomas Reed Martin. The original development included a group of Mediterranean style bungalows arranged along the small street that still exists today. The district was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. So developers, keep your paws off it.

That helps explain why Burns Court still feels so distinctive. It was not completely replaced by newer development. The scale of the neighborhood remains small. Many of the older buildings are still part of the streetscape, and the mature landscaping softens everything around them.

That matters.

There is something different about spending time in an area that evolved over decades rather than one built all at once. The buildings are not identical. The streets are not perfectly planned. Trees have had time to grow large. Some structures are polished and restored, while others show their age a little more.

That is part of the appeal.

One of my favorite places there is The Exchange. Calling it a consignment store almost undersells it. It is more like a consignment store on steroids. You can find furniture, artwork, jewelry, accessories and home pieces, kitchenware, and whatever else you may want. You never really know what you are going to see when you walk through the door.

For someone who enjoys homes, staging and decorating, it is very easy to lose an hour in there. In fact, when I need stuff for a listing, it's one of the first places I go.

And Burns Court Cinema just belongs there. It is small, a little different, and known for independent and foreign films rather than the same movies playing everywhere else.

A huge multiplex would look ridiculous in Burns Court.

That is part of what makes this little area work. The places in it actually feel like they belong there.

Then there is Owen’s Fish Camp.

We have eaten there exactly once in the 18 years we have lived in this area, mostly because it is almost always busy and there is usually a wait. That alone tells you something about its popularity.

There is now another Owen’s Fish Camp in Lakewood Ranch, and I am sure the food is good there too. But for me, that misses part of the point.

If I am going to Owen’s, I want Burns Court.

I want the old cottage, the trees, the outdoor waiting area and the slightly tucked-away feeling of being in a part of Sarasota that still has some history around it. The setting is part of the experience. The restaurant was named in honor of Owen Burns, who also happened to enjoy fishing, which makes the location feel even more appropriate.

After Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, I wondered how Burns Court had fared. Sarasota’s barrier islands and waterfront areas experienced significant storm surge and damage, while downtown dealt with substantial wind, debris and tree damage. Burns Court appears to have avoided the worst of the storm-surge destruction that affected areas closer to the water, although the surrounding downtown area certainly did not escape damage altogether.

The historic district remained. It was like a little bubble encapsulated it for protection.

Considering everything Sarasota has experienced over the past century, that is pretty remarkable. Burns Court has made it through hurricanes, development booms, recessions, changing tastes and the enormous growth of Sarasota itself.

And it still feels like Burns Court.

There are plenty of beautiful new places in Sarasota, and new does not mean bad. But cities also need places that remind us what was here before the latest round of construction.

Burns Court does that.

Sometimes the best part of a city is the part that managed to stay.