Venice Live Cam

The Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant was founded in October of 1976 by Steve Harner and Janis Payne-Harner. They, along with Harp Harner, still own and operate the restaurant and marina. In early 1982, the Crow's Nest purchased Tarpon Center Marina, renamed it The Crow's Nest Marina and improved and expanded the second floor dining room to 100 seats. At that time we opened the 50 seat Raw Bar and lounge on the ground floor. In 1989 we raised the roof, giving every table in our dining room a fantastic view of the marina and Intracoastal Waterway. In 1992 we renovated the ground floor, giving it a traditional tavern look with raised oak panels, marble bar top and oak back bar. We also relocated our Marina Office and Ships Store to the second floor under the "gazebo roof".

In the 1920s, well-known city planner John Nolen laid out the wide boulevards and streets with numerous parks. Specifications that all construction be of the Italian style gave the city a unique character that is carried on today. There's a lot to do when visiting Venice. Historic Downtown Venice's unique shops are only 1.6 miles from the Crow's Nest. We are known as the "Sharktooth Capital of the World" because beachgoers can find the prehistoric shark teeth along the miles of wide beaches. The area boasts over a dozen championship golf courses. Fishing and boating abound in the gulf and waterways of Venice. Cultural activities are important to Venetians; the Venice Little Theater, Venice Symphony and Venice Art Center are busy venues. Nearby Sarasota is host to national acts and touring companies.

How many grains of sand in the beach? A lot more than we had in 1996 when the city embarked on a federally funded beach nourishment project. The program added 250 feet of sand to the stretch of beach from the Jetties to Caspersen beach, with the intention of having 150 feet left after the first several storms came through. Some of that sand has gone under water as was hoped, to break wave action against the shoreline.

Sharks' teeth are often found at Venice Beach. The entire west coast of Florida was under water several times during its early history. The shark, one of the longest surviving creatures on earth, sheds its teeth yearly. There are layers of prehistoric sharks' teeth located on land and in water. They often wash ashore at Venice Beach, making it a great place to hunt for these tiny trophies.

In 1925, Dr. Fred H. Albee, a well known orthopedic surgeon, purchased 2,916 acres of land from the Venice-Sarasota Company. He had recently developed Nokomis and built the first luxury hotel there, the Pollyanna Inn. Albee retained John Nolen, a world renowned city planner, to design a city on his land. This city was to be called Venice.

Nolen was a pioneer city planner. He was involved in most American planning developments in the twentieth century. Between 1915 and 1930, Nolen developed a highly diverse planning practice and trained a number of the early professionals in the field. As a consultant, he undertook about 450 projects including the design of several Florida communities such as San Marco in Jacksonville and Bellaire near Clearwater. He also completed comprehensive plans for Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Clewiston. With this experience, Nolen embarked on the design of Venice which reflected his garden city approach to city planning. Albee did not have a chance to implement his development plan before he was approached with a proposal from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers to purchase his land on October 6, 1925.

The BLE Realty Corporation was organized to handle the land and the Venice Company was set up to market and sell the property. At first, the BLE planned to market large tracts, but the idea was soon replaced by a plan to develop and build a city on the Gulf and to drain and develop small farming acreage inland. The Company retained John Nolen to complete a plan for a city on the Gulf, Venice in 1926. This plan differed somewhat from the earlier Albee plan done by Nolen. The BLE Realty Company selected George A. Fuller as the contractor and retained the New York architectural firm of Walker and Gillette, as supervising architects, and Prentiss French as landscape architect.

Venice Avenue was paved while crews worked around the clock to build a road east of town to the area where small acreage farms were on sale. The Hotel Venice opened on June 21, 1926. It was described as a modest structure with "large windows, ventilating doors and ceiling fans". The hotel boasted its own ice machines, laundry, bake shop, and barber. The dining room was a large room with a beamed cypress ceiling, Terrazzo floors and diagonally checked wall in Verde antique and white. The lobby also had a cypress beamed and plaster ceiling. The key feature of the Venice development was the plaza area along Venice Boulevard. The original plan called for a 200 foot boulevard with a 100 foot parkway in the center terminating in a plaza. It was the gateway to Venice Beach.

Residential construction started in July 1926, with the construction of three large residences in Gulf View. At the same time, five homes were announced as moderate priced homes in the Edgewood section. These houses were designed by M.M. Gleichman of Tampa. A few days after that announcement, thirty homes were announced for construction in Edgewood with a combined value of $135,000.

Beautiful sunsets, serene beaches, great fishing, and incredible shopping opportunities are just some of the things that make Venice one of the best places in America to vacation. In addition to those fantastic qualities, Venice also offers many quality accommodations offering hospitality at its finest. Stay in one of our member hotels, condos, inns, or bed and breakfasts.

Lifeguards at Venice Beach, North Jetty, and Nokomis Beach, as well as all other County lifeguarded beaches, are certified as either EMT's or First Responders. All beaches with lifeguards have the ability to perform the most up-to-date emergency medical treatments. Each beach location also has emergency medical treatments available such as oxygen and an Automated External Defribrillator. The lifeguarded beaches in Sarasota County became the first Beach Lifeguard agency on the west coast of Florida to become certified by the United States Lifesaving Association.

Sarasota County began a "dune restoration service" program in 1981 that is designed to work with nature and strengthen the natural balance of the beaches. In addition, a $18.7 million nourishment program was completed and the project has widened the beaches by 150 to 300 feet along a mile stretch of Gulf front from the Venice jetties to the fishing pier. In order to thrive and grow, both the dunes and the natural vegetation must be protected from the foot traffic of thousands of people who use our beaches every year. Wooden walkovers are found at most of our beaches and provide safe and convenient access to the beaches as well as protect the new dunes from pedestrian traffic.

When you visit our beaches, help us respect and protect the natural environment by using walkovers wherever they are provided. We want many generations of visitors and residents to enjoy the wonders of our greatest natural resource for years to come. Starting at the southernmost point in the greater Venice area, you will find a beach to fit your needs.