22 Years of Change in Manatee County
Riverview Boulevard is what did it for me.
The view of the Manatee River, along with the beautiful palms lining the street, made me fall in love with Bradenton 22 years ago. It’s one of the things I still love about living here and something that has not changed.
Even though I am far from an old timer, I have seen a lot of change in the years I’ve been here. Here are 10 (in no particular order and of no particular importance); I’m hoping you’ll add to my list:
1) Lakewood Ranch did not exist. In fact, East County was still a sleepy place. I am still amazed at the explosion of growth. I briefly entertained the idea of moving out East, but my five-minute drive to the beach means more to me than living close to the interstate.
2) Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston was the editor (and my boss) at the Bradenton Herald. At that time, the newspaper was named one of the best small newspapers in the country. Now, the newspaper industry is dying a slow death.
3) City Hall was located on the banks of Wares Creek, not the Manatee River. The County Building was across the street from the Bradenton Herald, not downtown.
4) Old Main Street was pretty dead. There was one bar: the First Mate. Downtown continues to grow and I look forward to the opening of two new restaurants in the near future.
5) Bradenton had its five minutes of trashy fame when it was revealed that a local woman had married her father. We’ve had a host of other Jerry Springer-like episodes, but that one really stands out. Anyone know where the Hendrys are now?
6) Only cows and a golf course could be found on the stretch of State Road 70 that starts at 34th Street West and curves around to become 75th Street West. Many of our golf courses are now housing developments (Palma Sola Trace, for one).
7) You could afford to buy property on the island. I’m still kicking myself over that one!
8) The county had to pass a law about T-backs, also known as thongs, on the beach.
9) Ron and Ron, popular radio DJs, hosted an event on Palma Sola Causeway that has now become legendary. For you relatively new residents, there was a restaurant on the causeway called the High Seas that also was legendary.
10) The demise of the Buccaneer restaurant on Longboat Key. This last change actually is more personal than the others, as I have distinct memories from childhood (40 plus years ago) of eating at the Buccaneer when I visited my grandmother, who would spend winters on Longboat. I loved the pirate theme and the treasure chest. I also loved going to the beach on Longboat and watching the coquinas burrow into the sand.
At least the coquinas haven’t changed!
Carl Mario Nudi
11:35 am on Sunday, June 5, 2011
Great stuff, Meg. It makes me think about all the changes I've seen in my 31 years in Manatee County. Not many people would remember The Chalet, a grand old mansion on Manatee Avenue West a couple block west of Wares Creek. It was broken up into several small apartments and I rented one of them when I live in Bradenton for about three months in the late 70s before my permanet move to this great place. Unfortnately the unique buidling was demolished and a bank now sits on the property.
Thomas Nudi
5:41 pm on Sunday, June 5, 2011
I remember before 1995 I had no idea what a Wal*Mart was. Granted I was 5 at the time, but nonetheless I was never aware of Wal*Mart as I was, say K-Mart, which was the primary "super store" of Bradenton as I remember it before old Walton came along. The day they opened the Cortez store it was like a festival. There were giant balloons (I think one was a California Raisin) and it was a big deal at the time. It was strange to witness the injection of major corporate blood into Bradenton's veins, though at my age I knew nothing of business and was more amazed at the extravaganza beginning at the opening of the store.
Somewhere along the line, I remember, we were also voted the number one Safest City in America. I suspect noting this brought crime in, and if I remember correctly after only a year, we were nowhere near number one and perhaps even off the list.
Recently I read an article calling Bradenton one of the top 20 Great Small Cities in America for Art, behind Sarasota of course. Which is a nice commendation but while I personally know artists around the town, I feel the city doesn't do as much with the arts as it could -- at the very least anything new or exciting, beyond a festival.
I grew up in Bradenton for 18 years of my life and there certainly is a love/hate relationship with the city. A lot has certainly changed since when I was a kid and as I return multiple times each year to visit I see more and more change, some good, some bad.
Thomas Nudi
5:46 pm on Sunday, June 5, 2011
It is definitely not what it used to be, but the secret little beach paradise I used to understand it as has faded and gone and been over taken with an excess of conveniences of any other city and those occasional bad seeds in the local bunch... also tourists.
Ida Blanck
6:36 pm on Sunday, June 5, 2011
Ida Blanck
Let us not forget the causeway its self leading to the beach. It has gotten wider, and of course there are more restrictions, to keep us safe after several bad accidents. So beautiful on any given Friday or Saturday to see the horses in the water and people enjoying them. So many families bringing their dogs to run and fetch in the water. Of course I miss the Palma Sola Golf Course. And the shame that the Village Green Golf Course was cut up for housing and now sits a vacant acres. I always say go down Manatee Ave. get in the water and turn around look at the shoreline and it is as good as any Island in the Carib. Most of all on 53rd (70) I used to love watching the flowers growing and the cows playing king of the mountian. Been in west Bradenton for 22 yrs. and would not trade it. Wonderful town.
Alison VanderMolen
2:15 pm on Tuesday, June 14, 2011
I have to add to the list of things gone from Bradenton - Bonfires at the Manatee County beach, The "small town" feel, the "laid back" attitude, and of course the BIGGEST loss of all, KEEPING things the way they WERE - So many people come here, fall in love, want to live here, purchase property, move here and THEN want to CHANGE things to match THEIR ideals of the way things should be.... I always want to ask "Why did you say you LIKED it the way it was?"