Drenched in Old Florida coastal charm and loaded with as many outdoor activities as you can imagine, Bradenton is one of the Sarasota area’s most beautiful hidden gems.

Its market temperature is rated as “hot,” and the median home value currently rests around $244,000, meaning you can find a very reasonably-priced home just moments from the beach at a surprisingly moderate price point.

If you're considering buying a home in Bradenton, spend a weekend or longer exploring all the gems that this coastal Florida treasure has to offer!

Explore the Best of Bradenton

Enjoy Local Treasures
• Explore the crown jewel of Downtown Bradenton, the Riverwalk. Overlooking the Manatee River and featuring everything from public “outdoor living rooms” and all types of public art to beach volleyball, a skate park, and a local family splash pad, the Riverwalk has something for everyone.
Manatee Village Historical Park takes you back in time to soak in numerous restored buildings from when the Florida Coast was first settled. See what life in Manatee County was like before electricity and cars. Tour the one-room schoolhouse and see the type of steam engines that were so mind-blowing to people in the early 1900s.

Related content: Free Things to Do in Sarasota

Take in Some Culture
Manatee Performing Arts Center is the go-to destination in Bradenton for cultural and artistic education that is engaging for people of any age.
Village of the Arts is a unique live/work art-centric neighborhood that has locally-created art housed and sold in any one of many galleries, studios, and stores. You can also have a relaxing day enjoying the art of massage, yoga, or experiencing acupuncture from local healers.
• The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is the biggest cultural history and nature museum on the entire Gulf Coast.

Related content: A Local's Guide to Museums in Sarasota

Explore the Outdoors
• If you like canoeing or kayaking, Paddle Manatee will take you through Manatee County's waters to see the area's natural beauty and many species of wildlife. There's plenty to see on this 75-mile paddling trail system!
• With Bradenton being a city on the water, there's no shortage of charter tours to choose from. Unlike with Paddle Manatee, you can enjoy the area's gorgeous scenery without the leg work!
• Named by TripAdvisor as the #1 tourist attraction Bradenton has to offer, Great World Nature Tours allows you to explore Bradenton’s coastline on horseback. Ride your horse along Bradenton’s stunning beaches and ride your horse while it swims the clear, blue waters of Palma Sola Bay.
• Explore as many of the 2,000 pristine acres of Terra Ceia Preserve State Park as you can. Take in the sights of incredible mangrove forests, wetlands, hiking trails, or grab a canoe/kayak and explore freshwater or saltwater.
Taste Bradenton’s Best
The Clam House brings the traditional tastes of Old Florida fresh to your plate. Local seafood is caught daily and served up in a variety of creative styles.
Pier 22 is a local treasure for both its gorgeous, expansive waterside deck and vast seafood offerings.
Village of the Arts offers Award-winning restaurants that are nationally recognized for their unique, often locally or regionally-sourced, dishes that showcase the finest flavors Bradenton has to offer.
Riverhouse Waterfront is the place to take in a sunset at Bradenton while enjoying some delicious homemade seafood specials and other decadent dishes.
• On the hunt for the best breakfast or brunch in Bradenton? Look no further than the decadent homemade dishes like strawberry-stuffed French toast, Chef Joe’s Killer Crab Cake, or smoked salmon benedict served up at Sage Biscuit Café.

Related content:  The Ultimate Happy Hour Guide to the 941area including Sarasota, Bradenton and the Beaches

Call Bradenton Home

If you've been considering the Sarasota area as your next home, Bradenton is a perfect choice to soak in all that the Florida coastline has to offer while not feeling overwhelmed. The city has a population of just between 50,000-60,000.

The best realtors® in Bradenton know to always take their clients to tour some of the gorgeous homes in Bradenton and show them some of the Old Florida charm that this gorgeous outlier city of Sarasota offers.

If you're considering Bradenton and the Sarasota area as the ideal place to call home, you can find the perfect realtor® for your specific needs utilizing the highly-developed algorithm developed by Effective Agents.

The platform has a unique algorithm that uses collected data on past home sales in the specific area you're looking to call home. The algorithm analyzes the past sales information on homes that are highly similar to what you're looking to buy.

It then provides you with a tailored list of the most successful realtors that garnered the highest success rate in closing for clients similar to you. Effective Agents will help you find a top-selling realtor® in Bradenton with proven success.

Find more housing in Sarasota and other real estate news by registering on 941area, your free guide to the Sarasota and Bradenton area.

Cover photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons