BLAST FROM THE PAST

The past is gone, but the good memories remain.

Native Floridians who mourn the loss of “Old Florida” aren’t always being purely sentimental. The Sunshine State really was filled with magic places back in the day — and our region had plenty of magic, especially on the barrier islands. Our keys were packed with legendary hotels, restaurants, markets and gathering spots.

But legends, by definition, exist in the past. Most of these island delights have been demolished; a few have been repurposed. Either way, they’re gone. And, as Joni Mitchell reminds us, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” I know these local legends are history. But here are a few of my favorites …

MARTY FUGATE | CONTRIBUTOR

Lido Key

The Lido Casino. The Depression wasn’t always depressing for architectural dreamers. Along with creating jobs for working class heroes, the Works Projects Administration also subsidized playwrights, authors, artists — and architects such as Ralph Twitchell. It commissioned him to design the Lido Casino in 1938. Twitchell’s Art Deco palace became a reality in 1940 and an instant hit with locals and tourists. And why not? The casino sported a junior Olympic-sized pool with a high-diving board, curvy cabanas, bulging balconies, massive seahorse sculptures and glass block windows. (Thanks to a clever tilt, the glass lozenges looked like diamonds.) The casino’s interior was a trippy maze of mysterious stairways, boutiques, restaurants and a ballroom that closed in the 1960s. As a kid, I pressed my nose to the diamond glass and wondered what the music used to sound like. As a teen, I drove to the casino with my friends one Saturday in 1969 — and saw a pile of debris where it used to stand. No more seahorses; no more glass diamonds; no more fantasy; no more Lido Casino. After a decade of demolition by neglect, the city of Sarasota had secretly smashed it the night before. So it goes. Historical photos are all that’s left now. They’re great but fall short of the reality. Imagine a beach casino in the Land of Oz. The Lido Casino looked a lot like that.

Continued from Page 83