Best beach opinions? (Orlando, Sarasota, Bradenton: low income, for sale, condo)

[Sunsetsandsand]

Anna Maria sounds great! Ok, so another road trip it is as soon as we can get down there. Anyone walking dogs in the mornings along the beach there? Just looking for the whole package, haha. Thanks everyone!!

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Sunsetsandsand

Anna Maria sounds great! Ok, so another road trip it is as soon as we can get down there. Anyone walking dogs in the mornings along the beach there? Just looking for the whole package, haha. Thanks everyone!!

There are only certain beaches that allow dogs on them. Anna Maria is not one of them. Venice has a dog beach called Brohard Park.

[Sunsetsandsand]

Ok thanks. Well not a big deal to just take a trip to dog beach once in a while.

[Sunsetsandsand]

Noticed online there is a Publix on Anna Maria Island. Love what I've seen of the bars/restaurants on the beach and we've decided to go check it out tomorrow! Lots more of what we were looking for. Thanks to all of you! Have any of you been to the area between Venice and Sanibel, Englewood, Punta Gorda areas? I'm taking a wild guess that it's not worth checking out based on the white sand and clear water in the Sarasota/Bradenton areas. Just thought I'd see if anyone has seen the area.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Sunsetsandsand

Noticed online there is a Publix on Anna Maria Island. Love what I've seen of the bars/restaurants on the beach and we've decided to go check it out tomorrow! Lots more of what we were looking for. Thanks to all of you! Have any of you been to the area between Venice and Sanibel, Englewood, Punta Gorda areas? I'm taking a wild guess that it's not worth checking out based on the white sand and clear water in the Sarasota/Bradenton areas. Just thought I'd see if anyone has seen the area.

Punta Gorda is a great small town! But, it doesn't have a beach, and the water is tea colored. There are a lot of really great restaurants! All the other places have beaches. If you want wilder beach life, then I would check out Ft. Meyers Beach! The beaches are nice, and there are a lot of bars, restaurants and night life! It all depends on how much action you guys want to deal with over the long haul. I prefer Siesta Key - if you want the beach everyday. We go to a different beach about once a week.

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Big House

Punta Gorda is a great small town! But, it doesn't have a beach, and the water is tea colored. There are a lot of really great restaurants! All the other places have beaches. If you want wilder beach life, then I would check out Ft. Meyers Beach! The beaches are nice, and there are a lot of bars, restaurants and night life! It all depends on how much action you guys want to deal with over the long haul. I prefer Siesta Key - if you want the beach everyday. We go to a different beach about once a week.

Oh, BH Ft Myers Beach isn't wild! Well, of course, if you want to see 60 year olds in banana hammocks then maybe it's wild. Go over to south beach on the other coast if you want wild! You crack me up

Speaking of tea colored water. Next 4th of July we should get a bunch of City-Data people to do the Freedom Swim across the tea colored river in Punta Gorda. That could be our July meet up. I did it last year and it was a blast. Although I was tired for about a week afterward.

[Sunsetsandsand]

Thanks, BigHouse! Ft. Myers Beach was an option. Love the bars, restaurants and the ability to wake up and take the dog for a stroll on the beach in the mornings, however it doesn't compare to the beauty we discovered the past few days when we saw the crystal clear, blue green water and white sand. We've been there a lot actually which is why we've missed out on exploring Sarasota. We didn't know what we were missing! Our assumption was south of Venice, we probably weren't going to see beaches as amazing as the keys around Sarasota and it would be similar to Ft. Myers Beach. Everything is so clean and nice in the Sarasota/Beach area with regular stores to shop very closeby. Looks like we'll just be narrowing it down tomorrow when we visit Anna Maria and check out the town of Bradenton. Anna Maria seems to have a little bit of everything we're looking for. Can't wait!

[Sunsetsandsand]

Haha, SoFLgal! No, SouthBeach is not for me. I'm too down to earth for that. Been there, felt like I was in Beverly Hills, saw a lot of plastic people and left without ever wanting to return. Ft. Myers Beach has the bars along the beach but there aren't a lot. Something is missing there as far as living there is concerned. It's just too .. ok 60 year olds in banana hammocks pretty much sums it up. =D Plus, too many stingrays!

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Sunsetsandsand

Thanks, BigHouse! Ft. Myers Beach was an option. Love the bars, restaurants and the ability to wake up and take the dog for a stroll on the beach in the mornings, however it doesn't compare to the beauty we discovered the past few days when we saw the crystal clear, blue green water and white sand. We've been there a lot actually which is why we've missed out on exploring Sarasota. We didn't know what we were missing! Our assumption was south of Venice, we probably weren't going to see beaches as amazing as the keys around Sarasota and it would be similar to Ft. Myers Beach. Everything is so clean and nice in the Sarasota/Beach area with regular stores to shop very closeby. Looks like we'll just be narrowing it down tomorrow when we visit Anna Maria and check out the town of Bradenton. Anna Maria seems to have a little bit of everything we're looking for. Can't wait!

I was born in Bradenton and lots have changed since I lived there. Guess I'll just leave it at that. Along the river is pretty nice though. Since you only have limited time, on your next trip you should check out Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach, Conrad Beach on the north end of Longboat.

Punta Gorda doesn't have any beach nor does Port Charlotte. Well, unless you count the PC Beach complex which is actually on the bay. Englewood Beach and Manasota Key is nice. If you're down that way you must check out Boca Grande. It's a quaint little village with a few small shops and restaurants. Cool place to spend the day. If you do go out that way go down 2nd St (Banyan St) and have lunch out on the patio at the Loose Caboose Restaurant. They have good food and amazing homemade ice cream.

[Sunsetsandsand]

All I'm concerned with is the mall, AMC Theatres, things we're used to nearby. If we lived on Anna Maria, I was thinking Bradenton would be where we would be going to for things like that, as well as doctors/dentist. Sarasota's only right down the road though for things like that. Which is better in your opinion? Just need the beach life and a nice town to shop and run errands.