You won't be surfing in Sarasota but the beaches are in fact a reason to list "by the beach." Not many beaches (Boracay, Lombok and Sulawesi, some areas of Phuket) compare to what can be found from Sarasota down to Boca Grande and on to Sanibel and Captiva.

I live in Sarasota and find it boring. But then most of my time is either coding or outdoors. I can't think of many more places I'd rather be.