Ellenton

Nestled on the banks of Florida's Manatee River, East Ellenton is a small residential community populated by retirees and families. It's about halfway between Tampa and Sarasota, and residents frequent both for dining and entertainment opportunities. It's also about a half-hour drive to Anna Maria Island's Holmes Beach, a popular weekend day trip for East Ellenton residents. The area's seen growth in recent years as part of a broader movement of Northeasterners into Southwest Florida, and a neighborhood that was once primarily retirees now sees kids biking down the streets. "The growth is due to the weather," says Carl Backman, President of the Friends of Rocky Bluff Library in Ellenton. "But it's also due to the cultural opportunities. I'm finding more to do in Florida than when I lived up North." The Orioles Spring Training in Sarasota and home games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Rays fulfilled his love for sports, but what he really loves about living here is the sense of community. "With so many transplants, it's the kind of community that lends itself to getting together," he says. "People want to make friends. They want to get to know their neighbors." Many homes in this sunny and scenic riverfront neighborhood belong to gated communities, often offering residents access to amenities like pools, spas, fitness centers and landscaping services. Architecture within and outside these communities is often Spanish-influenced, though some bungalow, ranch-style and manufactured homes are also typically available. The average list price in East Ellenton is about $430,000, with listings starting at $250,000 for a two- to three-bedroom home and getting as high as $700,000 for a large luxury waterfront estate. Most listings, however, tend to fall in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, and many offer beach-town amenities like pools and waterfront access. Students in East Ellenton attend schools in the Manatee County School District. They start at Virgil Mills Elementary School, which received a B-plus on the educational review site Niche, before continuing to Buffalo Creek Middle School, which received a B, and Palmetto High School, which received a B-minus. Manatee County School District is also home to the nationally renowned Manatee Technical College, which offers career and technical education for 15 of the 20 fastest-growing industries in Manatee, like health science, salon services and construction and manufacturing. Buffalo Creek Park is in the middle of East Ellenton, a well-maintained green space with athletic fields, playgrounds and paved trails. Its large pavilion is a popular picnic spot, and residents with dogs enjoy its large fenced-in dog area. East Ellenton residents head south to the Manatee River for a more secluded picnic area: Picnic Island and The Pavilion are two residents-only spots overlooking the rivers where locals like to relax and enjoy a peaceful meal. Golf fanatics are right at home in East Ellenton: the neighborhood's home to two renowned golf courses, Moccasin Wallow Golf Club and Buffalo Creek Golf Course. Designed by Ted McAnlis on 200 wooded acres with 16 lakes, Moccasin Wallow is home to the hole locals claim to be the best par 5 in Southwest Florida and the recently renovated MOC Bar and Grill. The club is open to the public, but memberships are available, and non-members can try out its perks with the "member for a day" option, which starts as low as $1. With 18 holes, practice facilities, a clubhouse and a snack bar, Buffalo Creek Golf Course was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Ron Garl to challenge experienced golfers while providing an experience accessible to players of all skill levels. The public course takes up 6,900 yards, and season passes are available. Families frequent the state-of-the-art Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, a 115,000-square-foot facility with two NHL-sized ice rinks, indoor football and soccer fields, a fitness center and a dance studio. With opportunities for all ages to get active here, it's a bustling community center that brings together the residents of East Ellenton. East Ellenton is home to the area shopping destination, Ellenton Premium Outlets, which boasts an extensive catalog of retailers selling overstock items at clearance prices. The shopping center has 130 outlet stores, where top brands like Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren and Saks Fifth Avenue sell products at 70% off department store prices. There's an abundance of fast-food options surrounding the center, like Taco Bell, McDonald's and Starbucks, as well as sit-down fast-casual options like Applebee's, Chili's and Ruby Tuesday. For a scenic meal in a hometown restaurant, locals stop by the casual riverside Woody's River Roo, which serves American food and cocktails in a beachy atmosphere with a tiki bar and live music. For a classic American breakfast or lunch, they swing by the local diner Butterfields, and for family-style Italian, they head to mom-and-pop shop Ferraro's Italian Grille. For groceries, locals shop at Publix or the Life & Food Superstore, a sustainability-oriented bulk grocery store. The shop boasts the largest selection of candy, nuts and spices in the area, allowing shoppers to create custom trail mixes and set their prices by controlling portion size. The shop also has a smoothie bar with acai bowls and a selection of specialty groceries like keto products, freshly ground peanut butter and organic coffee, and they host ongoing events like cooking classes, art classes and product showcases. In Ellenton, the Rocky Bluff Branch Library hosts ongoing educational and recreational programming for adults and kids alike. Parents take their preschoolers to story times, teens take art classes and music lessons and families gather for family-friendly movie nights. Adults enroll in ESL classes and meet regularly for bridge club, and kids hang out at homework labs while parents practice a guided mindfulness meditation. "A lot of people travel to Tampa and Sarasota for their weekend activities," says Backman, but there's plenty to do just across the Manatee River in Bradenton. The ArtCenter Manatee has art classes for adults and youth in addition to ongoing events like artist demonstrations, holiday celebrations and nighttime workshops. The Manatee Village Historical Park, which preserves Manatee County history with exhibits in historical and replica buildings, hosts lectures, guided tours and its annual "An Old Florida Christmas" celebration, complete with food, live music, crafts and vendors. Palma Sola Botanical Garden has ongoing and seasonal events, like yoga classes, gardening workshops and its Winter Nights Under the Lights festival, a light display with food trucks, live music, a gift market and hot cocoa. Science enthusiasts enjoy astronomy observation nights and guided fossil expeditions at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, and donors dress up for The Bash at The Bishop, its annual gala and fundraiser. At Christmas, residents enjoy the Bradenton Riverwalk Holiday of the Arts Festival, a free-admission art sale with works by over 100 vendors across Florida. East Ellenton is bordered to the west by Interstate 75, which residents take south to Sarasota, and connects with Interstate 275, which residents take to get to St. Petersburg. The closest airport to East Ellenton is the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, a small airport 16 miles south that offers nonstop flights across the US and takes East Ellenton to destinations worldwide. East Ellenton's closest hospital is the HCA Florida Blake Hospital, which is 11 miles away in Bradenton. Manatee County Area Transit has bus routes running through East Ellenton every Monday through Saturday from 5:30 am to 8 pm.