From West Coast to East, Great Lakes to Gulf, meet the 10 coastal towns that are sure to make you smile—for a weekend or a lifetime.

By Tracey Minkin
The beach at Sarasota, Florida

Photo: Zach Stovall

 

#3: Sarasota, Florida

This is a city of surprises. Harboring world-class beaches and a top-shelf arts and culture scene (resident opera and ballet companies, plus its own symphony orchestra), Sarasota has beauty and brains in equal measure. Further, a collection of old-school neighborhoods with small-scale homes (not to mention a heralded collection of midcentury modern architecture) makes day-to-day life sweet , easy, and an aesthetic joy. And then there's that Gulf—provider of breezes, local catch, and a laid-back cultural overlay that keeps life here in an ideal balance.