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One Island--Three Cities
That's right, Anna Maria Island is made up
of three cities, each with its own government (for now) and its own
character. When you choose a place to stay on the Island, pay attention to
the city your accommodations are located in. A rental may be advertised as
an "Anna Maria" property, but may actually be located in Bradenton Beach.
This is not a bad thing, but each city is different.
The city of Anna Maria is located on
the northern, and widest, third of the island. It is generally the
quietest and more upscale part of the island and is mostly residential.
The bay side of Anna Maria has two fishing piers, the Rod & Reel Pier and
the City Pier. Both have restaurants on them. There are some outstanding
small restaurants in Anna Maria, a few pubs, and some very nice gift, art,
and souvenir shops. You will absolutely fall in love with the tropical
greenery and foliage. There are no traffic lights in this city. Most
streets have beach access paths, though few have parking. That isn't a
problem if you are staying here. Even if you don't have a place right on
the beach, walking even 2 or 3 blocks to the beach is an enjoyable
experience. Although if you have children, my advice is to at least get a
place on the west side of Gulf Drive so the children don't have to cross
the busy Gulf Drive to get to the beach. That advice applies most anywhere
on the island.
The city of Holmes Beach occupies
the middle third of the island and is also mostly residential. Holmes
Beach has a few condominiums on the beach, although they are not very
tall. There are three traffic lights in the city, and the Manatee County
Public Beach is located in Holmes Beach, where Manatee Avenue (SR 64)
connects to Gulf Drive. Holmes Beach has quite a lot of small and
medium-sized motels and beach houses and small condominiums on the beach.
You can find some very good prices, even right on the beach. And I must
say the beach is outstanding.
Bradenton Beach is located on the
southern third of the island which gets very narrow toward the south end (
a few hundred yards wide in some places). Cortez road, from Bradenton,
connects to Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach. When I was a child and a
teenager, I always found it exciting to come over the Cortez Bridge and
descend onto the island. The road dead-ends at the Gulf, which is
literally right in front of you at the stop-light. This is when you find
out if the water is smooth and clear, or rough and all stirred up. Now the
beach is much wider than when I was a child because of the beach
re-nourishment efforts, so the water is further away. Bradenton Beach is
home to Bridge Street and the Bradenton Beach City Pier. It is called
Bridge Street because the only bridge to the island used to connect here.
It was a narrow wooden bridge that my parents traveled many times in their
youth. Bridge Street was once known for its tough biker bars, but is now
becoming quite upscale (almost). Part of Bradenton Beach has homes and
small condominiums for rent right on the beach, but the southern part has
nothing on the beach. Everything is on the east side of Gulf Drive, so you
have to cross the busy road to get to the beach. So...if you rent
something in Bradenton Beach, be sure to find out if you are right on the
beach, or across the street from the beach if this matters to you.
Bradenton Beach has some very fine restaurants, a nature park on the bay
(Leffis Key), Coquina Public Beach and Cortez Beach. It connects to
Longboat Key via a draw bridge. |
