Osprey is an unincorporated community in Sarasota County, Florida, situated on Little Sarasota Bay along the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Venice. Its history stretches back to the late nineteenth century, when the Osprey post office was established in 1884, and the area has long been defined by its waterfront setting, its early pioneer families, and, more recently, a collection of established residential neighborhoods and country-club communities. With a population of roughly 6,700, Osprey offers a low-density, bay-oriented way of life. Waterfront and boating communities such as Sorrento Shores and Osprey Harbor Village sit along the bay, while the master-planned neighborhoods of The Oaks wrap around championship golf courses. Casey Key, a narrow barrier island with Gulf-front homes, lies just across the bay to the west, placing the open Gulf beaches within a few minutes' drive of most Osprey addresses. Osprey is also notable for its natural and historic assets, which set it apart from the purely residential stretches of the Sarasota County coast. Historic Spanish Point, a peninsula operated by Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, preserves archaeological and pioneer history along the bay, while Oscar Scherer State Park protects scrub habitat and the threatened Florida scrub-jay, with hiking trails and Lake Osprey drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Day-to-day life in Osprey is quiet and car-dependent, typical of the Gulf Coast's established residential communities. Residents boat and paddle on the bay, play golf, and take short drives to the arts, dining, and healthcare of Sarasota to the north or the beaches and shops of Venice and Nokomis to the south. The community's own commercial scene is modest—marinas, restaurants, and neighborhood services—so much of daily shopping and entertainment happens in the neighboring cities. These anchors, combined with a settled, low-density housing stock and direct access to the Gulf shoreline, make Osprey a distinctive coastal address for people seeking quiet, established living along the water.