THINKING OF RELOCATING TO BRADENTON, FL? CHECK OUT THIS NEW LISTING!

5315 52ND AVE W, BRADENTON, FL  $299,000

Take a look at this spacious true 4 bedroom home with separate formal living and dining room and two car garage. This home boasts air conditioned living area of 2175 square feet with plenty of room in the back yard for your pool.  Glen Lakes is one of the few newer developments which has homes with high volume ceilings in the west Bradenton area. Beautiful community which offers tennis courts to its owners. Close to beaches, golf, restaurants, medical facilities and Nick Bolletierri/IMG Sports Academy and  more. The home needs some minor updating, but is priced accordingly. Great opportunity for a buyer to select their own tile, carpet or wood flooring if updating is desired.

For more information, call 941.545.5786 or email us at house@mindspring.com or go to the "search homes" icon in the    middle of the front page of our website and enter mls#A4124615.

Coquina Beach, Anna Marie Island Rates #5 in the World for the Perfect Sand in 2015

MANATEE COUNTY - Anna Maria Island's Coquina Beach has been named one of the world's "top island beaches for perfect sand" by Conde Nast Traveler Readers for 2015.

Facts

THE TOP 10

Top 10 island beaches for perfect sand:

1. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia

2. Cayo de Agua, Los Roques, Venezuela

3. Cocoa Island, Maldives

4. White Beach, Boracay, Phillippines

5. Coquina Beach, Anna Maria Island

6. Shoal Bay East, Anguilla

7. Vamizi Beach, Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique

8. Kaihalulu Beach, Maui, Hawaii

9. Playa Falmenco, Culebra, Puerto Rico

10. Playa Negrita, Vieques, Puerto Rico

Source: Conde Nast Traveler

Coquina Beach is the only Florida -- and U.S. mainland -- beach to make the top 10 list year. Other destinations include the No. 1 spot, Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island, Australia; No. 2, Cayo de Agua in Los Roques, Venezuela; No. 3, Cocoa island in the Maldives, plus beaches in Hawaii, Anguilla, Puerto Rico and the Phillipines.

Conde Nast Traveler's "Readers' Choice Awards," which has been rating travel destinations for more than 25 years, is seen in the industry as a coveted seal of approval. The awards rank top cities, hotels, resorts, spas and cruiselines.

Coquina Beach was chosen as the No. 5 beach destination because of the sugary texture and color of its sand.

It was described by Conde Nast Traveler as "the opposite of South Beach: It's laid-back, bordered by towering pines, and boasts perfect, unspoiled sand as fine as powder. It's also the longest stretch of sand on Anna Maria -- uninterrupted but for remnants of old piers jutting out into the water."

"This ranking confirms how special Coquina Beach is, not only to our community, but to visitors as well," said Elliott Falcione, executive director at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Coquina is just one of the Bradenton area's beautiful sugar white-sand beaches, and we are thrilled that it continues to set us apart from others around the state, country and world while maintaining its authentic Florida charm."

This isn't the first time a Southwest Florida destination has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler Readers.

Last year, Siesta Key was included on a list of Florida's top white sand beaches by Conde Naste's The Daily Traveler.

The Resort at Longboat Key Club earned the No. 12 spot on a list of Top 40 Florida Resorts released by the 2013 Conde Nast Travelers Readers' Choice Awards. It was the first time the Longboat Key Club made the Top 40 list for Florida resorts.

The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota also made the 2013 list, taking the No. 28 spot. The Gasparilla Inn & Club, in Boca Grande, was 26th.

Article by Justin Griffin, Herald Tribune

WATER FUN IN BRADENTON, FLORIDA

World-class beaches line Manatee County, providing residents and guests with plenty of diversions and gorgeous views. The sandy beaches of Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Manatee County's mainland are ideal for a day with the family and offer a distinct experience for beach lovers. Activities range from swimming, fishing, kite surfing and parasailing to scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking and more. There are 30+ marinas and eight boat ramps, allowing for quick access to miles of waterways, bayous and rivers that wind throughout the county, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay.

The waters of Manatee County are renowned as fertile fishing grounds, teeming with pompano, flounder, redfish, and trout to name a few, while grouper, tarpon, mackerel and kingfish abound in the Gulf waters, providing fishermen of every skill level plenty of fish tales about "reeling in the big one". For those who prefer to fish from the coastline, there are a host of public fishing piers, including the world's longest fishing pier, which extends more than a mile and a half from the Skyway Bridge. Anna Maria's City Pier at Pine Avenue and Rod 'n Reel Pier along Bay Boulevard are also favorite fishing spots, along with Bradenton Beach Fishing Pier at Bridge Street and the Manatee Beach Fishing Pier on Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach.

Standing as one of the oldest and largest state parks, Myakka River State Park encompasses one of the most diverse natural areas in Florida. In addition to the Myakka River, which has earned the designation as a "Florida Wild and Scenic River", are two lakes offering ample activities including boating, freshwater fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Hiking, camping and wildlife viewing are also popular pastimes.

The area is also home to Lake Manatee State Park, which is comprised of a 2,400-acre lake that is perfect for canoeing, kayaking, boating, swimming and fishing. Traversing over three miles of the south shore of Lake Manatee is a 556-acre recreation area offering visitors opportunities for hiking, bird watching, picnicking, camping and just relaxing in the shade.

Article courtesy of Manatee Chamber of Commerce