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Here’s the best perch in town for stellar sunsets

Estero's new The Island at West Bay rooftop's intentional design provides a contemporary coastal feel and unobstructed views.

BY May 1, 2023
Best rooftop view
(Photo Courtesy West Bay Realty)

We spend a lot of time looking at real estate listings, keeping tabs on the latest and greatest developments to hit the Gulf. When we saw the rooftop space planned for The Island at West Bay Club, our jaws dropped. “They call us the Paradise Coast, but it should really be called the Sunset Coast,” director of sales Steve Horn says. The team of this new Estero development takes advantage of our cotton candy skies by creating a high-rise setting for residents to gather.

The 24-story tower, slated for completion in late 2025, is the last residential offering within West Bay Club. And they’re not pulling any punches with the design. The building’s highlight: panoramic views of Estero Bay and the community’s 868 acres of lush grounds. “There’s no building that can be built within a mile to the south and several miles to the north. It’s its own little island,” Steve says.

Architecture and design studio Garcia Stromberg fashioned the tower to celebrate the setting (all 86 residences are corner units with spacious terraces). Elevators whisk residents up to the rooftop, where postless glass rails, embedded into concrete, provide unobstructed views. Three aluminum pergolas provide shade while framing views. Plush cabanas, contemporary coastal furnishings and moveable planters add a beachy vibe, and an adults-only pool, a bar, a Zen garden, open-air kitchen and three fire pits round out the scene.

Architect Peter Stromberg notes that the rooftop was intentionally laid out with distinct areas for gathering to create intimate experiences. Just picture it: You and your closest friends standing about 300 feet above the Gulf, toasting the end of a day with a nightcap in hand and painterly skies ahead. This is paradise. 

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