Bridge Street

Bridge Street is the centre of the Historic Old Town District in Bradenton Beach, at the south end of Anna Maria Island. The City of Bradenton Beach describes it as the place the original wooden bridge from the mainland came ashore, which made it the bustling centre of the young town until a new bridge at 5th Street North moved the traffic and the attention elsewhere.

That accident of history is why it still looks the way it does. A few blocks of low buildings holding shops, restaurants, bars and small accommodations, ending at the water, rather than a strip built for cars. The non-profit Bridge Street Merchants Association has spent years making it work as a town centre again.

For a buyer, Bridge Street is the practical answer to a question people ask about island living: where do you actually go. Anna Maria Island has no supermarket-anchored town centre and no mall, and this is the walkable commercial heart of the south end. A Sunday market runs here in season, along with live music and events through the year.

One caution specific to this stretch. Bradenton Beach took serious storm damage and the business mix has been recovering since, so treat any venue list, this one included, as the state of the record on the date below and check before you drive over.