Bradenton & Western Manatee County Real Estate

Forty years ago, the words Bradenton and Manatee County were pretty much synonymous. There wasn’t much going on in Manatee County outside of Bradenton. Today the City of Bradenton houses less than 15% of the total county population and over two thirds of the residents of Manatee County live in unincorporated areas of the county.

Clearly Bradenton’s biggest attraction is the beaches of Anna Maria Island that are just a couple of miles off the coast. Two of the town’s biggest east/west arteries (Manatee Avenue and Cortez Road) take you from downtown Bradenton to the island with both terminating at the Gulf of Mexico, just blocks from a public beach.

If you like to boat, Western Manatee County offers some of the finest boating on any coast of Florida. The wide-open waters of Tampa Bay are great for sailing or fishing. The adjacent bays and rivers offer some of the best back water sport fishing opportunities in the state. You have easy access to the azure blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico around the north end of Anna Maria Island or through Longboat Pass on the southern end of Anna Maria. If cruising is your thing, you can head south to Sarasota, Boca Grande, or the Captiva/Sanibel area and never leave the Intracoastal. You’ll pass dozens of waterfront restaurants and inviting beaches and sandbars along the way.

Bradenton is also only minutes away from the Sarasota Bradenton Airport, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, The Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Ringling Museum, The South Florida Museum, Selby Gardens, Jungle Gardens, and more.

The area is only an hour away from major professional sports franchises including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Tampa Bay Rays. Most locations in Bradenton are only a 10 minute drive to the famous IMG Academies, including the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. The home of the Orlando Magic is also only a couple of hours away, along with the other countless Orlando attractions. Finally, don’t forget major league baseball spring training – you are in the heart of it with the Pittsburg Pirates in Bradenton and the Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota, plus dozens of other teams within a short afternoon’s drive.