Main Street At Lakewood Ranch — Local services in Sarasota

Lakewood Ranch's Main Street is situated nearby University Parkway just east of Interstate 75. It is maybe 5 minutes or less from the busy UTC mall area. Overall, Main Street is a fantastic place to get some lunch or dinner, stroll, and enjoy a small selection of eclectic shops and even a movie theater. Lakewood Ranch frequently hosts events here such as auto shows and various festivals. A great example of this are the "First Friday" events - during the first Friday of every month, Main Street gets closed down for a street party complete with live music. The music performers change, so you get a variety of musical styles. It's a fantastic, family-friendly event.

Parking here is not an issue, as there are large parking lots behind the actual Main Street. That said, traffic can get a bit busy around festivals, so you may need to be patient. During larger events, the nearby Lakewood Ranch Hospital often will host overflow parking.

I've enjoyed coming to Main Street many times. If you want to go somewhere enjoyable and calmer than the UTC mall area, give Main Street a try! Don't overlook nearby San Marco Plaza, either. They have a variety of good shops and restaurants, too! You can walk from Main Street to San Marco Plaza, by the way - just cross Lakewood Ranch Blvd and walk down Nature's Way. It'll take...

I would have liked to give it 4.5 stars. It really is a delightful little area with plenty of shops and unique restaurants. There is plenty of parking and you don't need to walk for miles to see the whole downtown area. My only real complaint is that some of the restaurants have gotten complacent with the pretty much guaranteed business of the Lakewood Ranch residents. Most of the restaurants, with a few notable exceptions (Casa Maya and MacAllister's) have gone down a bit in quality over the last 3-4 years. Still, it's a great place to spend the afternoon on a nice day.

Grab lunch or dinner somewhere with outdoor seating. One of the restaurants has live music just about every evening. Visit some of the more unique shops. and be sure to stop for some Big Olaf ice cream...

It is easy to take Lakewood Ranch Main St for granted when you’ve lived in the area for so long. But more than just a tourist destination, this spot is where we have so many memories while raising our family here. Our kids were born across the street at a maternity wing of the hospital, and we’ve had so many memories bringing our kids here for put-put golf, the movies, and some of the restaurants. One of our favorite restaurants is Inkawasi (Peruvian) and we prefer the theaters here to others in the area (smaller, but better image and sound, and not as crowded). We still find ourselves coming here for a bite, a stroll, and sometimes a movie. And we share memories every...