With all its many, diverse neighborhoods, the Sarasota area has a surprising number of unincorporated spots as well. Most of them are small pockets of homes located on the outskirts of established communities or sandwiched between existing subdivisions.

One of them lies in back of Sherwood Estates, a neighborhood off McIntosh Road built in the late 1950s and consisting mostly of Florida ranch homes. The unincorporated enclave sits in back on the shore of a spring-fed lake. The eastern edge abuts the sports fields of McIntosh Middle School and the Cedar Hollow neighborhood.

The ten homes are tucked away on two small, private roads off North Lake Drive that encircle the lake but don’t meet. One, Huntley Lane, is paved, but wide enough for only one car. The other, an extension of East Lake Circle, is a shell-and-lime-stone covered path that crosses a narrow bridge before turning into Cooper Road.

While tax records list the houses as part of Sherwood Estates, they really are their own neighborhood. They also have RSF1 zoning, which allows property owners to put up a single-family home as well as a guest house or accessory structure, like a barn or stable.

With one exception, the lots are large and wooded – an acre or more. Dense Florida foliage throughout, along the eastern boundary and over the canopied roadways creates a shaded, twilight atmosphere with a quiet, peaceful magic all its own.

The earliest dwellings were built from 1958 to 1960 on Cooper Road. Since then, the others have sprung up, one as late as 2002.

“It’s not a subdivision, just two streets behind the neighborhood. You feel like you’re going into old Florida – a little dirt road and bridge, and all of a sudden, all these homes,” said Tony Boothby, a realtor for Michael Saunders and Company, who has a pending sale on Cooper Road. “I grew up in Sarasota and never knew this existed.”

Alison Stottlemyer, an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, and also a native Sarasota resident, agreed. “I didn’t know it existed until I got the listing. I drove in and watched the bunnies make way for me and felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz – like I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.”

She has a listing for sale on Huntley Lane, a three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home that occupies 0.77 acres. The bungalow home was built in 1973 by Ben Stahl, the prolific writer and artist who created many movie posters, including the one for Ben Hur.

The main house has been added to over the years and renovated to include two large en suite bedrooms, a Florida room/sunroom, a dining room and a gourmet kitchen. Interior detailing includes arched doorways, wood-look tile, plantation shutters and a cozy fireplace in one of the two living rooms.

The property also features an 860-square foot, two-story guest house that Stahl used as a painting studio. Since then, it has been remodeled, with a full kitchen on the ground floor and a bedroom and bathroom upstairs. “It’s like living in a grown-up’s treehouse,” said Stottlemyer with a smile.

The list price for the property is $875,000. Because the street is private, those interested in viewing the home should contact Stottlemyer for details. 

Boothby’s pending sale is a four-bed, two-bath home on 2.1 wooded acres with mature, majestic trees throughout. “When I first drove onto this property, I got the feeling I was in Myakka State Park and had to remind myself that I was only 10 minutes from downtown Sarasota,” he said.

Originally built in 1960, the house still has terrazzo floors under the carpets. Its 2,200 square feet of living space include two bedrooms on one side and an oversized in-law suite on the other with a private entrance. In back is a large, screened-in swimming pool area with a wonderful view of the lake.

Separate from the main house is a 520-square-foot guest house with its own living room, bedroom, and kitchen. “It’s a rare opportunity to own a property that can be an estate family compound,” Boothby said. “It’s very private. You won’t have anyone just show up on your doorstep.”

Residents include retirees and families with children, including the original owners of some homes. Parents love the proximity to the middle school, which is virtually in their backyard. The other district schools are Fruitville Elementary and Sarasota High.

Homes in this enclave don’t come up for sale very often, and when they do, they get snapped up quickly. One property sold within a month of coming on the market, the other in less than a week.

“You cannot get another home so private and be this close to downtown,” said Stottlemyer. “The area’s a hidden treasure, right in the middle of town, a high-end hideaway.”