Can anyone speak to me of the East Bradenton area? (Miami: renting, crime)

[boyohboyohboy]

Hiya,
My husband is currently working in Florida while I wait at home in NJ with our 3 little boys for our house to sell. Sigh..... Been doing this since January and it is getting old real fast Anyway, he is interested in the area of Bradenton East of 75 to live. I've read all the bad Bradenton threads but it seems to me that the East side is almost separate from all the issues west. My guys are young (2,4,& 7) so we'd like A rated schools and will actively particpate in their education. Prices seem to be falling.
Can you tell me more about this area. Good and bad? Hubby pulls a good salary in a stable job so we are looking to put down roots. He is leaning towards Lakewood Ranch and Greyhawk Landing. I am interested in all info and opinions. Thank you!

[~peaches~]

I moved to W Bradenton, we wanted to be near the beach.

Lakewood Ranch has a younger community, and great school from what I understand. It is about a 15 min drive to the beach, but is away from teh congested area of West Bradenton. If I had it all to do over again, I woudl have choose Lakewood Ranch

[SaveMtns]

We live in NW Bradenton - 5 min. to the beach, and we really love it. Ours is a great family neighborhood, no crime of any kind in the 9.5 years we've lived here. That said, if you need to be close to I-75, Lakewood Ranch is a nice family area.

In reality, our friends who live there say it is a 40-min. drive to the beach--but worth it, of course!!

[jason7598]

Originally Posted by ~peaches~

I moved to W Bradenton, we wanted to be near the beach. Lakewood Ranch has a younger community, and great school from what I understand. It is about a 15 min drive to the beach, but is away from teh congested area of West Bradenton. If I had it all to do over again, I woudl have choose Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch is, indeed, a younger community, both in population and age of the area itself. When we moved to FL in 1989, LR was nothing but farms and cattle ranches. It is a planned area, much like Celebration, FL. If you like that sort of thing, it's fine. However, it is NOT a 15 minute drive to the beach and there is plenty of traffic congestion in the LR area. I live in northwest Bradenton - about a 5 minute drive to the beach. At times I have to drive to LR for my work or other business. At best, it is a 30 minute drive - and that is only if it is a quiet, non-workday - due to construction. And that's if you just drive straight west to the nearest beach. If you go during rush hour in the winter when the snow birds are here, it's another story. It can take well over an hour. Honestly, the biggest advantage to LR is it's closeness to I-75, which makes getting to other areas of FL like Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Myers, etc. much easier. If "I" had it to do all over again, I'd move right back here to where I am in NW Bradenton.

[Oobie119]

Been there done that! I had to relocate before we sold our home also, my husband had to stay back with our then 6 month old! It was terrible, luckily we made a quick sale.
Well, I used teach in East Bradenton and have to say the schools are excellent. Most of the ones out East are A schools. Personally though, I would stay out of Lakewood Ranch, beautiful homes but it's what we call a CDD community. Many people stay away from these kinds of communities. I dont know the details so you may want to check with a realtor out here to get more info on what CDD is exactly. Traffic can be a pain out that way too, but it does offer good access to I75. There are other areas in EB that are nice other than Lakewood. Greyhawk Landing is nice if you can afford the homes (I think they start around $350) but there is Mill Creek and Braden River lakes also- And check out Heritage Harbour..We are in West Bradenton, and you're right. The two are like night and day. We are only renting though because like you, we didnt want to jump right into a purchase not knowing anything about the areas. We are looking to purchase in EB eventually. It offers close proximity to the beach and affordable housing- plus great schools

[SaveMtns]

Originally Posted by NewFLGal

...but there is Mill Creek and Braden River lakes also- And check out Heritage Harbour..We are in West Bradenton, and you're right.

Check out Mill Creek - especially nice with lots of tree canopy and individual-styled homes. Not cookie-cutter like Lakewood Ranch.

[dsonilane]

As long as you stay - EAST of 75 - I use to work as a child protection professionals and there are huge areas of poverty, migrant workers, duplexes that go on forever in the east Bradenton area - but there is a lot of newer homes and subdivisions east of 75

[anderdavidson]

Hi boyohboyohboy, I currently live in Lakewood Ranch and have since 2003 in two different neighborhoods (starter home then upgraded). We love this neighborhood for the safety, excellent schools and all the great amenities, not to mention the property value protection afforded but our community covenants that keep things nice and tidy. My husband works locally while I commute to St. Pete (the 30-some mile drive is not bad on the excellent highway system from here to there-30-45 mins to downtown St. pete over the very beautiful Sunshine Skyway). Those are some pros, and there are lots more too. Now for the cons. I have found the general Tampa Bay area is becoming more hectic and fast-paced like the East coast of Florida (lived in Fort Lauderdale and commuted to Miami, HATED driving there--fast, scary, many crazy drivers!). Crime reports seem worse to me everywhere around here, though we do okay out here in LWR. Housing is generally expensive compared to other places, but right now the market is EXCELLENT for buyers (I should know, we have also been trying to sell for months and have a wonderful property that we have been forced to reduce price on several times---it's a buyers market and there is LOTS of inventory!). So why are we trying to move?? Honestly, the Florida weather which seems so gorgeous when you visit gets tiring after a few years, with extended summer heat (we are STILL in the high 80s and I'm waiting for fall!!) and when you work alot of the time, the trips to the lovely beaches become fewer and fewer--we'd see more beach if we were vacationing here. Anyway, that's my two cents (or more) on relocation to Florida---I still think Lakewood Ranch is excellent and would move here again in a heartbeat--if the weather would cooperate.
Good luck with your moving plans!

[SaveMtns]

The gulf breezes we get here in NW Bradenton make a big difference over the stifling "still heat" inland in far East Bradenton. And you can get home from work and be floating in the gulf in 10 minutes!

[rohlendorf]

I live in east manatee county, about 5 miles east of Lakewood Ranch off of SR 70. The schools in the area are all new as are most of the houses. I live in Panther Ridge Preserve, which has homes on 1 acre sites. We love it here and had planned to retire in the home I designed. Circumstances with family have changed our plans.
Moderator cut: advertising