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Saratoga or Sarasota - Which is better? David Grimes, a columnist for the Sarasota Herald Tribune wondered which town is better (Sunday edition, February 7th, 1999). He pointed out that from time to time the two similar sounding towns get confused when they come up in conversation, especially when people travel out of state. After some investigating, he compared the two in hopes of answering the aforementioned question. Here, in part, are his findings: • "...Population: Saratoga County - 181,000. Sarasota County -350,000. Advantage: Sarasota (bigger is better). • Percentage of Old People: Saratoga - 10%. Sarasota - 32%. Advantage: Saratoga • Percentage of Young People: Saratoga - 22%. Sarasota - 16%. Advantage: Sarasota • Median Household Income: Saratoga County -$40,806. Sarasota County - $30,710. Advantage: Saratoga (richer is better). • Geographic Location: Saratoga - Upstate New York. Sarasota - Florida Gulf Coast. Advantage: Tie • Average Yearly Snowfall: Saratoga - 65". Sarasota - None. Advantage: Sarasota • Average July Day: Saratoga - Low 80’s, moderate humidity. Sarasota -Birds spontaneously burst into flames in mid-air. Advantage: Saratoga • Elevation Changes: Saratoga - Foothills of Adirondack Mountains. Sarasota - Shopping mall construction mounds; fire ant hills. Advantage: Saratoga • Off Beat Tourist Attraction: Saratoga - National Bottle Museum. Sarasota - Bells and Music of Yesterday. Advantage: Tie • Downtown: Saratoga - Antique shops, boutiques, cars circling endlessly for a place to park. Sarasota - Antique shops, art galleries, cars circling endlessly for a place to park. Advantage: Tie • New Public Library: Saratoga - Big, expensive, not that controversial, looks like a public library. Sarasota - Big, expensive, controversial, looks like the Parthenon. Advantage: Sarasota (faux Greek architecture is sure sign of a town on the move). • Best heavily advertised means of infuriating animal-rights activists: Saratoga - Horse racing. Sarasota - Greyhound racing. Advantage: Sarasota (thanks to recent kennel-cough outbreak). • Restorative waters: Saratoga - clear, sparkling, Saratoga spring water. Sarasota - Brown, chunky, Phillippi Creek septic-tank run off. Advantage: Saratoga • Nearest cultural
destination : Saratoga - New York City. Sarasota - Arcadia. Advantage: Saratoga • Popular winter pastime: Saratoga - Waiting for snow to melt. Sarasota - Waiting for tourists to leave. Advantage: Tie • Things to watch out for: Saratoga - Chapped lips, monarch-butterfly attacks, not getting to the betting window in time at the racetrack. Sarasota - Floods, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, water spouts, red tide, sinkholes, brush fires, alligators, poisonous snakes, poisonous toads, poisonous plants, sharks, stingrays, fire ants, wasps, pit bulls, rednecks, drivers from Michigan, drivers from Florida, people who just moved here, people who have lived here a long time, drugs, guns, politicians, real estate developers, sunburn, heat stroke, bad oysters, bad roads, high prices, and low wages. Advantage: Sarasota (anyplace that’s got this much going against it and can still call itself a touist destination has clearly got a lot of moxie). Which place is better? It’s really a matter of personal preference: Would you rather freeze to death or bake to death...?" P Let us propose...a tie breaker! PSaratoga - Home of Sarasota - no Advantage: |
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