Bradenton, Florida
| City of Bradenton, Florida | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
|
|||
| Nickname(s): The Friendly City[1] | |||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: 27°29′N 82°35′W / 27.483°N 82.583°WCoordinates: 27°29′N 82°35′W / 27.483°N 82.583°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Florida | ||
| County | Manatee | ||
| Settled | 1842 | ||
| Incorporated (city) | 1903 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Mayor/Council (5) | ||
| • Mayor | Wayne H. Poston | ||
| • Council Ward 1 | Gene Gallo | ||
| • Council Ward 2 | Marianne Barnebey | ||
| • Council Ward 3 | Patrick Roff | ||
| • Council Ward 4 | Bemis Smith | ||
| Area[2] 1 | |||
| • City | 14.44 sq mi (37.4 km2) | ||
| • Land | 12.11 sq mi (31.4 km2) | ||
| • Water | 2.33 sq mi (6.0 km2) 16.14% | ||
| Elevation | 6 ft (1.83 m) | ||
| Population (1 July 2007)[3] 2 | |||
| • City | 54,471 | ||
| • Density | 4,088.5/sq mi (1,578.6/km2) | ||
| • Metro | 682,833 | ||
| Census estimates | |||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 34201-34212, 34280-34282 | ||
| Area code(s) | 941 | ||
| FIPS code | 12-07950[4] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0279311[5] | ||
| Website | http://www.cityofbradenton.com | ||
Bradenton (pronounced /ˈbreɪdəntən/ BRAY-den-ton) is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471.[3] Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833.[6] It is the county seat.[7]
Contents |
[edit] History
The area that would become Bradenton was first explored in 1539 by Hernando De Soto, who began his search for the legendary El Dorado at Shaw's Point. The original town of Bradentown was incorporated on May 19, 1903. The city took the name of Dr. Joseph Braden, whose nearby fort-like house was a refuge for early settlers during Seminole Indian attacks. The current city of Bradenton was formed in 1943, when the Florida legislature merged the cities of Manatee (incorporated in 1888) and Bradentown.[8]
[edit] Historic properties
Historic properties in Bradenton include:
- Braden Castle Park Historic District, off of Manatee Avenue and 27th St East
- Bradenton Bank and Trust Company Building, 1925, now the Professional Building, 1023 Manatee Avenue, West,
- Iron Block Building, 1896, 530 12th Street West (Old Main Street)
- Manatee County Courthouse, 1913, 1115 Manatee Avenue, West
- Old Manatee County Courthouse, 1860, 1404 Manatee Avenue, East
- Peninsular Telephone Company Building, 1925, 1009 4th Avenue, West
[edit] Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, Bradenton has a total area of 14.44 square miles (37.4 km2). 12.11 square miles (31.4 km2) of it is land and 2.33 square miles (6.0 km2) of it (16.14%) is water.
Bradenton is located on US 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The area is surrounded by waterways, both fresh and saltwater. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over 20 miles of Florida beaches - many which are shaded by Australian pines. Bordered on the north by the Manatee River, Bradenton is located on the mainland and is separated from the outer barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key by the Intracoastal Waterway.
Downtown Bradenton is located in the northwest area of the city. Home to many of Bradenton's offices and government buildings, the tallest is the Bradenton Financial Center, 12 stories high, with its trademark blue-green windows. Next tallest is the brand new Manatee County Judicial Center with eight floors, located next to the historic courthouse. Other major downtown buildings include the Manatee County Government building and the headquarters of the School Board of Manatee County.
The eastern side of Bradenton is growing at a rapid rate. Initially starting as the popular subdivision Lakewood Ranch, it is now becoming a heavily populated part of town. Most of the communities are newer than in West Bradenton. However the majority of foreclosures in Manatee County takes place in that area due to the fact, that a much higher loss in value happened compared to the areas of West Bradenton which is located nearer to the beaches.
| Climate data for Bradenton, Florida (1981-2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 72.1 (22.3) |
74.7 (23.7) |
77.7 (25.4) |
82.2 (27.9) |
88.0 (31.1) |
91.0 (32.8) |
91.9 (33.3) |
91.9 (33.3) |
90.0 (32.2) |
85.4 (29.7) |
79.3 (26.3) |
73.7 (23.2) |
83.16 (28.42) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 50.2 (10.1) |
52.8 (11.6) |
56.4 (13.6) |
60.3 (15.7) |
66.4 (19.1) |
71.9 (22.2) |
73.4 (23.0) |
73.9 (23.3) |
72.4 (22.4) |
66.1 (18.9) |
58.9 (14.9) |
52.5 (11.4) |
62.93 (17.19) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 2.75 (69.9) |
2.49 (63.2) |
3.99 (101.3) |
2.25 (57.2) |
2.49 (63.2) |
8.05 (204.5) |
8.98 (228.1) |
9.59 (243.6) |
7.23 (183.6) |
2.85 (72.4) |
2.16 (54.9) |
2.19 (55.6) |
55.01 (1,397.3) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 7.2 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 12.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 13.2 | 6.8 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 107.4 |
| Source: NOAA [9] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 49,504 people, 21,379 households, and 12,720 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,088.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,578.3/km2). There were 24,887 housing units at an average density of 2,055.4 per square mile (793.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.14% White, 15.11% African American, 0.79% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.91% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.26% of the population. There were 21,379 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,902, and the median income for a family was $42,366. Males had a median income of $28,262 versus $23,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,133. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
Tropicana Products is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of orange juice. Founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi, an Italian immigrant, it has grown to over 8,000 employees in 2004, and markets its products throughout the United States. It has been owned by PepsiCo, Inc. since 1998. Tropicana has entered a business deal with CSX (a train company) to haul their famous juice trains, a relationship in effect since 1971. In 2003, Tropicana's corporate headquarters were relocated to Chicago when PepsiCo consolidated their beverage business after the acquisition of Gatorade, but their juice production still remains in Bradenton. Champs Sports, a nationwide sports-apparel chain, is headquartered in Bradenton, as is department store chain Bealls. Bradenton has been considerably hard hit by the United States housing market correction, as reported by CNN, projecting a 24.8% loss in median home values by the third quarter of 2008.[10]
[edit] Education
Colleges near Bradenton include The University of South Florida-Manatee Sarasota Campus, State College of Florida (formerly Manatee Community College), New College of Florida, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Gordon University [1] and Manatee Technical Institute. Some of the middle schools are Martha B. King Middle School, W. D. Sugg Middle School, Louise R. Johnson Middle School, Braden River Middle School, Sara Scott Harllee Middle School, Electa Lee Middle School, St. Joseph's Catholic School, and Carlos E. Haile Middle School. High schools include Manatee High School, Southeast High School, Bayshore High School, Braden River High School, Lakewood Ranch High School, Community Christian School,[11] Bradenton Christian School, the oldest private Christian school in the county, the Out of Door Academy, and Saint Stephen's Episcopal School.[12] The University of South Florida also maintains a Sarasota-Manatee branch which serves college students in the area. New College of Florida, the state's honors college, is located on the border between Bradenton and Sarasota. International Theological Seminary is headquartered in Bradenton. The world-renowned tennis academy, run by Nick Bollettieri, bears a Bradenton address. The academy is managed by IMG and is also the home of the David Leadbetter junior golf academy. IMG also runs the IMG Soccer Academy for the United States Soccer Federation's (USSF) full-time residency program for the US Under 17 Men's National Team. The Bradenton facilities graduates include U.S. international soccer stars, Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Freddy Adu.
[edit] Transportation
Bradenton is served by Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in nearby Sarasota, Florida and is connected to St. Petersburg, Florida by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Sunshine Skyway is a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) cross-bay bridge that rises 250 feet (76 m) above the bay at its highest point. Remnants of the old Skyway bridge have been converted into a fishing pier extending into Tampa Bay from both sides of the bay.
Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) buses serve Bradenton, with transfers to Sarasota and Palmetto. Trolleys run north-south on Anna Maria Island. Amtrak charter buses run through downtown Bradenton outside the courthouse to Tampa Union Station and Venice.
[edit] Government
The city is incorporated and the largest city in Manatee County. It is governed by a City Council with five members from which is selected the City's Vice Mayor. The Mayor is elected at-large, as are all 5 council members.
In July 2009, the city of Bradenton made national news when the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty ranked it number nine on the groups' list of 10 "meanest cities" in America in their published report Homes Not Handcuffs: List of 'Meanest Cities'.[13][14]
[edit] Media
[edit] Newspaper
- The Bradenton Times is Manatee County's local online newspaper, published daily with a weekly email recap.
- The Bradenton Herald is Manatee County's local newspaper, published daily.
- Daily editions of the Sarasota Herald Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times are also available throughout the area.
[edit] Radio stations
Bradenton is located in the Sarasota-Bradenton radio market. It also receives many stations from the nearby Tampa-St. Petersburg market.
The stations listed below are located and/or licensed in Bradenton or Manatee County:
- WBRD - 1420 AM
- WWPR - 1490AM
- WJIS - 88.1
- WLLD - 94.1 FM (Formerly 98.7FM) (studios and transmitter in Pinellas County)
- WHPT - 102.5FM (Sarasota; transmitter in Manatee County; studios in St. Petersburg)
- WCTQ - 106.5FM "Bradenton's Country"
[edit] Television stations
Bradenton and Manatee County are located in the Tampa Bay television market. WWSB channel 7, the local ABC affiliate, is based in Sarasota, but has a transmitter in Parrish, northeast of Bradenton. WXPX channel 66, the local Ion Television affiliate, is licensed in Bradenton, with analog facilities in Manatee County (at WHPT's site), and digital facilities in Riverview, in Hillsborough County.and 100.7 MIX
[edit] Culture
Bradenton is home to the Village of the Arts, a renovated neighborhood immediately south of downtown where special zoning laws allow residents to live and work in their homes. Many of these once dilapidated houses have been converted into studios, galleries, small restaurants and other small businesses. The Village of the Arts promotes its 'First Fridays' activities celebrating the seasons and different holidays. The Village of the Arts remains the largest arts district on the Gulf Coast.
The Manatee Players, who current play at Bradenton's Riverfront Theatre, have a three-year record of first-place wins within the Florida Theatre Conference and the Southeastern Theatre Conference competitions. In addition, the theatre currently holds the first place title from the American Association of Community Theatre competition.
Located on the Manatee River in downtown Bradenton is the South Florida Museum, Bishop Planetarium and Parker Manatee Aquarium. This one-stop museum-planetarium-aquarium offers a glimpse of Florida history, a star and multimedia show, and ongoing lecture and film series. The Mote Aquarium is the permanent home to Manatee County's most famous resident and official mascot, Snooty, the manatee. Born at the Miami Aquarium and Tackle Company on July 21, 1948, Snooty was one of the first recorded captive manatee births. He is the oldest manatee in captivity, and likely the oldest manatee in the world.
ArtCenter Manatee is the center for art and art education in Manatee County. The nearly 10,000 sq. ft. building in downtown Bradenton features three galleries, five classrooms, an Artists’ Market gift shop and an art library featuring over 3,000 art volumes.
[edit] Sports
Bradenton is the spring training home of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates who play their home games at downtown's McKechnie Field. During the regular baseball season, the stadium is home to the minor league Bradenton Marauders who play in the Florida State League in Class A-Advanced. Though no other professional teams call the city home, the State College of Florida's Manatees compete in several sports, and Manatee County high schools produce several highly competitive teams including Manatee High School whose football team was nationally ranked in the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s and regained their national status in 2009. Manatee High School has won five football state championships. The Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy is also located in Bradenton.[citation needed] Brandenton is also home to the IMG Soccer Academy, the home of the U.S U-17 Residential soccer program.
[edit] Notable people
 |
This article's list of residents may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources cited within this article showing they are notable and residents or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (June 2008) |
- Elias Abuelazam - serial killer
- Freddy Adu - Soccer player[15]
- Jozy Altidore - Soccer player
- Paul Azinger - Golfer
- DaMarcus Beasley - Soccer player
- Ričardas Berankis - Tennis player
- Dickey Betts - guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band
- Bobby Convey - Soccer player
- Paula Creamer - LPGA Golfer
- Ed Culpepper - Football player
- Taylor Dent - Tennis player
- Tim Donaghy - NBA referee
- Landon Donovan - Soccer player
- Pee Wee Ellis - Saxophonist
- Tommie Frazier - Football Player[16]
- Tommy Haas - Tennis player
- Tony Jacklin - Golfer
- Eddie Johnson - Soccer player
- Jessica Korda, LPGA Golfer
- Michaëlla Krajicek - Tennis player[17]
- Sabine Lisicki - Tennis player
- Iva Majoli - Tennis player
- Mayday Parade - Pop rock band
- Lastings Milledge - Former Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player
- Max Mirnyi - Tennis player
- Jamie Moyer - baseball player[18]
- Kei Nishikori - Tennis player
- Maria Sharapova - Tennis player
- DJ Sharaz - Techno disc jockey and Billboard (magazine)-charted dance artist
- Since October - Christian rock band
- Peter Warrick - Football player[19]
- Fabian Washington - Baltimore Ravens cornerback
- We The Kings - Pop punk band
- Danielle White - Winner of American Juniors
[edit] Points of interest
- ArtCenter Manatee
- Bradenton Marauders minor league baseball team
- Cortez Fishing Village
- De Soto National Memorial
- Gamble Mansion (Ellenton)
- Hernando DeSoto Historical Society
- Manatee Village Historical Park
- Myakka River State Park
- Palma Sola Botanical Park
- Pittsburgh Pirates spring training at McKechnie Field
- South Florida Museum, home of Snooty the manatee
- Village of the Arts
[edit] References
- ^ City of Bradenton website
- ^ "Florida by place Population, Housing Units, Area and Density:2000". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
- ^ a b "Annual Estimates of the population for the Incorporated Places of Florida" (XLS). US Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-12.xls. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006" (XLS). U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.xls. Retrieved 2007-08-15.[dead link]
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Mannix, Vin (17 June 2007). "The founding of the Manatee settlement". Bradenton Herald. Archived from the original on 2007-10-09. http://web.archive.org/web/20071009120719/http://www.bradenton.com/681/story/49041.html. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=tbw. Retrieved 2012-02-11.
- ^ Christie, Les (6 May 2011). "Double-digit home price drops coming". CNN. http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/19/real_estate/steep_home_price_drops_coming/index.htm?cnn=yes. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.cbc-ministries.net
- ^ www.saintstephens.org
- ^ "Bradenton in Top 10 'meanest' cities toward homeless". http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090714/BREAKING/907149962. Retrieved April 3, 2010. Herald-Tribune, July 14, 2009.
- ^ "Increase in Laws Criminalizing Homelessness". http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport/pressrelease2009.html. Retrieved April 3, 2010.Press release, National Coalition for the Homeless, July 14, 2009.
- ^ "SI.com - Sports Illustrated -- The Magazine - Who's Next? Freddy Adu". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. March 7, 2003. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/03/freddy/. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ "Randy York’s N-Sider: Tommie Frazier - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". huskers.com. http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=1555187. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ http://www.wtatennis.com/page/Player/Latest/0,,12781~10870,00.html
- ^ http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20110313_Phil_Sheridan__Moyer_eyes_2012_comeback.html
- ^ "Player Bio: Peter Warrick". seminoles.com. http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/warrick_peter00.html. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
[edit] External links
Media related to Bradenton, Florida at Wikimedia Commons
- City of Bradenton
- The Bradenton Times
- Bradenton Herald
- Manatee Chamber of Commerce
- South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium
- Manatee Players
- Village of the Arts
- The Village: Magazine of the Arts
- Manatee Village Historical Park
- Hernando DeSoto Historical Society
- Bradenton Marauders
- Housing Authority of the City of Bradenton FL
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
