ANNA MARIA ISLAND

PARADISE WITHOUT AN ATTITUDE

Residents and visitors alike have chosen this gorgeous group of barrier islands for its unmatched sunsets and relaxed atmosphere.

This seven mile long island touched by he Gulf of Mexico on its western shore and Sarasota Bay and Anna Maria Bays on its eastern shore, is home to three cities, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach.

History

Ponce de Leon was said to have named the island lying just south of Tampa Bay for the queen of Charles II of Spain, the sponsor of his expedition.

The city of Anna Maria is found along the island’s northernmost shore.  It’s original inhabitants were the Timucan and Caloosan American Indian tribes.  In 1892 George Emerson Bean homesteaded the northern 160 acres of the island and became its first permanent resident.  The first church on the island was built by George Roser, creator of the Fig Newton.

Holmes Beach, homesteaded in the late 1800s, was named after its developer Jack Holmes although Sam and Annie Cobb were its’ first actual residents.

Bradenton Beach was incorporated in 1953.  In 1921, a wooden bridge connected Anna Maria Island with the mainland.  That bridge has since been replaced and the remaining structure is now known as the Bradenton Beach Fishing Pier.

Longboat Key a 12-mile long island split almost equally between Manatee and Sarasota counties. Homes on this island began development in the early 1900s and some of these homes remarkably still remain today.

For more great information about these communities please visit:

Anna Maria Island

Holmes Beach

Longboat Key

Culture

Cultural and artistic enthusiasts flock to our city to quench their thirst for entertainment.  Whether attending performances at the Manatee Players Theatre featuring local talent, visiting the South Florida Museum and Parker Aquarium (aquarium added in 1995) where you’ll find our most famous resident, Snooty the Manatee who happens to be oldest living manatee in captivity, you’ll find no lack of community activities showcasing all that Bradenton has to offer.

The City of Bradenton’s Village of the Arts, was recently recognized as one of the Top 10 cities in the country for working artists by Art Calendar, a business magazine for visual artists.  50 once dilapidated houses have been transformed into studios, galleries, restaurants and other small businesses, mostly catering to the arts where artists can both live and work, earning the area a title as the largest arts district on the Gulf Coast.

Sports

If you happen to be a sports fan than this should be of great interest to you, the Pittsburg Pirates call, Bradenton‘s Pirate City home and use our McKechnie Field as the training ballpark for their athletes.  It is the birthplace and home to some of the most incredible sports talent on the planet.  Conveniently located just a short drive north of here you can catch many of the other sports events such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Raymond James Stadium), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (St, Pete Forum), The Tampa Bay Lightning (St. Pete Forum) and the Tampa Bay Storm (St, Pete Forum).

Famous Faces

Dick Vitale – Sports Commentator

Joe Shea - American Reporter founder and editor

Danielle White - the winner of American Juniors

Tennis (Residents) Max Mirnyi/Tommy Haas/Jelena Jankoviæ/Mary Pierce/Taylor Dent/Maria Sharapova (Attended high school in Bradenton)Peter Warrick/Tommie Frazier/Andre Agassi/Jim Courier/Monica Seles

Soccer (Attended the United States National Soccer Academy in Bradenton)Landon Donovan/Freddy Adu/DaMarcus Beasley/Bobby Convey/Jozy Altidore/Eddie Johnson

Baseball (Born in Bradenton) Lastings Milledge (Washington Nationals)

Golf Paul Azinger – Golf Professional

Basketball

Tim Donaghy - NBA referee

Music

Steven Tyler – Lead Singer for Aerosmith

We The Kings - Pop punk band from Bradenton and have written a song about it titled This Is Our Town.

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