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Old 08-19-2010, 06:21 AM
 
Location: Sarasota, FL
1,642 posts, read 3,328,439 times
Reputation: 814

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Quote:
Originally Posted by jenny5354 View Post
OMG My husband took a job in Riverview Fl and has been driving around Hillsborough and Manatee counties trying to find the "right" place for us to move to.

My house in SC is under contract now closing Sept 30. My husband is telling me that he thought Bradenton was the one of the nicest areas he could find.

I am flying down Friday and have set up to view homes in that area mostly # (number) streets. Mistake??

After reading these posts now I am worried sick that this isn't a very nice place after all.

Please I need you honest unbiased opinion on Bradenton...before I pack up and move there.
Although this is a cop out, I will say it anyway:

It's all relative. It is true that in the immediate vicinity, Bradenton is very likely the highest crime area, and, therefore, the most dangerous.

But compared to several places I have lived in DC, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Milwaukee, Bradenton looks like Shangri-La. I mean, relative to living at, say, 6th and Rhode Island in DC in 1985 (what was I thinking?!) or, say The Haight-Fillmore in 1990 (no flower children there), Bradenton is pretty darned tame.

That said, if you are accustomed to living in places reminiscent of Mayberry, then it will seem like Compton.

It's not as if property in Sarasota is SO much more expensive. I would definitely give up a couple hundred square feet and choose Sarasota, especially if I were concerned about crime.

Just my .02.
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Old 08-19-2010, 07:24 AM
 
Location: Wandering.
3,549 posts, read 6,634,191 times
Reputation: 2704
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenny5354 View Post
OMG My husband took a job in Riverview Fl and has been driving around Hillsborough and Manatee counties trying to find the "right" place for us to move to.

My house in SC is under contract now closing Sept 30. My husband is telling me that he thought Bradenton was the one of the nicest areas he could find.

I am flying down Friday and have set up to view homes in that area mostly # (number) streets. Mistake??

After reading these posts now I am worried sick that this isn't a very nice place after all.

Please I need you honest unbiased opinion on Bradenton...before I pack up and move there.
Just like any other town Bradenton has good and bad parts, as does Sarasota.

Almost all of the county uses numbered streets, so it's hard to tell without some of the numbers for reference, but some general guidance would be:

Streets run north and south, and Ave's run East and West. You really want to stay away from lower numbers on both, although if they are NE addresses you are generally good even with lower numbers.

Going West you really want to be beyond 51st St, but the areas get progressively nicer from 26th St on up. Going East is the same, the further out the better. Ideally you want to avoid the highway 41 - 301 corridor. But again, there are some nicer areas in there.

If you look at Google Maps, the closer to I75 or the beach you are the better, and to some degree the further south you are the better.

While they may have a Bradenton mailing address, most of the nicer areas aren't actually in Bradenton, but in Manatee County. This is worth keeping in mind if you are looking at crime stats, since the city limits are relatively small compared to what people consider Bradenton.

From a "Sarasota is great, Bradenton is horrible" standpoint:
The City of Sarasota historically has a much higher crime index than the city of Bradenton,
(scroll down a bit to see the crime stats table)
http://www.city-data.com/city/Bradenton-Florida.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Sarasota-Florida.html



And if you look at each county here :
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement

You'll notice that Sarasota has trended up since 2005, while Manatee has trended down, and that they are now very close in overall county wide crime stats.
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Old 08-19-2010, 08:10 AM
 
17,464 posts, read 38,864,396 times
Reputation: 24101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skunk Workz View Post
Just like any other town Bradenton has good and bad parts, as does Sarasota.

Almost all of the county uses numbered streets, so it's hard to tell without some of the numbers for reference, but some general guidance would be:

Streets run north and south, and Ave's run East and West. You really want to stay away from lower numbers on both, although if they are NE addresses you are generally good even with lower numbers.

Going West you really want to be beyond 51st St, but the areas get progressively nicer from 26th St on up. Going East is the same, the further out the better. Ideally you want to avoid the highway 41 - 301 corridor. But again, there are some nicer areas in there.

If you look at Google Maps, the closer to I75 or the beach you are the better, and to some degree the further south you are the better.

While they may have a Bradenton mailing address, most of the nicer areas aren't actually in Bradenton, but in Manatee County. This is worth keeping in mind if you are looking at crime stats, since the city limits are relatively small compared to what people consider Bradenton.

From a "Sarasota is great, Bradenton is horrible" standpoint:
The City of Sarasota historically has a much higher crime index than the city of Bradenton,
(scroll down a bit to see the crime stats table)
http://www.city-data.com/city/Bradenton-Florida.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Sarasota-Florida.html



And if you look at each county here :
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement

You'll notice that Sarasota has trended up since 2005, while Manatee has trended down, and that they are now very close in overall county wide crime stats.
Excellent post, and as a person who lives in Manatee County, on the northern edge of Sarasota, completely agree. Bradenton crime is greatly exaggerated on this forum. It has no more crime than Sarasota, Sarasota is just a wealthier city. Most of the crime happens in certain pockets, and a lot of it is not random. Most people will never have anything to worry about. It's the same for Sarasota. Bradenton has it's own charm, it has a lot of more "old Florida" feel than Sarasota, way less built up. I am certain you can find a nice place to live. I would live in Bradenton myself, I personally love the area up near the river.
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Old 08-19-2010, 10:45 AM
 
74 posts, read 254,338 times
Reputation: 34
We just moved to Bradenton from Ohio. We lived in a relatively safe suburb of Cincinnati, but within minutes of our safe area, we could have been in a high-crime, not-so-safe part of town.

I've been here in Bradenton for almost 3 weeks. I have two kiddos and a husband and we live in the Lockwood Ridge area. I have been exploring around Bradenton, Sarasota, and other areas. I'm no expert by any means. So far, I feel comfortable, safe, and happy in the areas that I live, shop, and frequent. My opinion is that all cities will have unsafe areas, there will be crime, and people will need to be vigilant of their surroundings. Especially in this day and age.

Please don't count out Bradenton in your search for homes. We almost did, but luckily, we found an area and a home that we love. We are just renting for now, so who knows where we will end up. But I truly hope we continue to love this area because it is such a comfortable area with so many great things to do!

Good luck with your search!
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Old 08-19-2010, 11:02 AM
 
Location: Rogers, AR
481 posts, read 939,320 times
Reputation: 392
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenny5354 View Post
OMG My husband took a job in Riverview Fl and has been driving around Hillsborough and Manatee counties trying to find the "right" place for us to move to.

My house in SC is under contract now closing Sept 30. My husband is telling me that he thought Bradenton was the one of the nicest areas he could find.

I am flying down Friday and have set up to view homes in that area mostly # (number) streets. Mistake??

After reading these posts now I am worried sick that this isn't a very nice place after all.

Please I need you honest unbiased opinion on Bradenton...before I pack up and move there.
As someone who has moved quite a few times in the past 2 years, all I can say is you should go with your gut. Everyone has an opinion and they are all going to be different. People will use the term "ghetto" and "hood" and have no idea what that even means or looks like (by the way, as someone who grew up in the "hood" I hate those dang terms). It's good to do research and get opinoins, but realize that they are just that. In the end you are the only one who can say what is right for you. I would hate for you to discount Bradenton or any area because a few people don't like it, because you will find just as many people who do like it. No one can give you an unbiased opinion. Human beings by design cannot be completely objective.

Good luck and a premature welcome to Florida.
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Old 08-19-2010, 12:20 PM
 
153 posts, read 286,887 times
Reputation: 81
Some of you people are attempting to paint a grim picture of Bradenton that may cause unecessary panic in others. It really doesn't bother me, coming from the Southwest side of Chicago. I'm sure that you are aware that you can legally carry a weapon for protection and if more law abiding citizens did, the criminals may think twice about approaching them. I know the day one of them approaches me or my family, he will be meeting his maker - immediately.

You don't have to live in fear or be paranoid, just use common sense and your gut.
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Old 01-05-2011, 03:41 PM
 
3 posts, read 10,266 times
Reputation: 10
Bradenton is a great area, I would rather live in most parts of Bradenton (Out east) then in most parts of Sarasota.

By the way the sign is talking about Long John Silver's canon's being loaded... Not hand guns or shot guns.

Just move anywhere near Highway 75 (Lakewood Ranch, River Club, Braden Wood, University Park, Palm Aire, etc) or near the water and you couldn't be happier.
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Old 01-05-2011, 05:21 PM
 
Location: Florida
4,892 posts, read 14,087,480 times
Reputation: 2329
Ya...ok....you know how I feel about Bradenton...nice to see the wife of the man who robbed the bank on Manatee Ave. yesterday recognized him on the evening news & turned him in...& why wouldn't he comply with the officers when they stopped him in his car? He was too busy swallowing his crack....
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Old 01-05-2011, 06:04 PM
 
Location: West Coast of Florida
1,439 posts, read 2,909,231 times
Reputation: 2178
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladywithafan View Post
Ya...ok....you know how I feel about Bradenton...nice to see the wife of the man who robbed the bank on Manatee Ave. yesterday recognized him on the evening news & turned him in...& why wouldn't he comply with the officers when they stopped him in his car? He was too busy swallowing his crack....
Kudos to her for calling the police on her husband. She did the right thing for him, her and the community.
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Old 01-07-2011, 05:08 AM
 
Location: Venice, Fl
1,498 posts, read 3,453,679 times
Reputation: 1424
Quote:
Originally Posted by TMAN24 View Post
Funny how I suggest people to show some pictures of bad areas/things and what not in there city and the best they can come up with is a pretty nice looking Taco Bell / Long John Silvers.

Maybe some of the people in Bradenton are under this illusion from the local media that Bradenton is dangerous,





gimme a break .. Seriously.
So you want me to bring my camera gear into the hood so I can show you proof of bad areas? Lets see, $2,000 worth of camera gear so I can prove to some internet poster..... yea no wonder nobody has pics for you.

You are dilusional, I lived in Bradenton for 16 years and yes parts of it you wont find me in after dark, and I carry a weapon. Call the gang task force in manatee county ask them for statistics, that should be proof enough for you.
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