Anna Maria City

City of Anna Maria, Old Florida at it's Best...

Updated: May 11th, 2008.

Anna Maria City on the north end of Anna Maria Island is a residential community. Known for its world class beaches, friendly people and laid-back lifestyle, the city of Anna Maria is 'Old Florida' living at its best.

Anna Maria's Sister Cities:
Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach

Anna Maria's sister cities are Holmes Beach, just to the south of the city of Anna Maria, and Bradenton Beach, which stretches to the southern tip of Anna Maria Island.

Holmes Beach is the commercial center of the Island and the largest of the three Island communbities.

Bradenton Beach on the other hand caters to and is dependent upon the tourists and their activities.

We will feature Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach in future posts.

Anna Maria City Wildlife, Bird Sanctuary and Aquatic Life

The city of Anna Maria is proud of their wildlife. The entire city is a bird sanctuary and includes many species of water and Gulf coast shore birds. The aquatic life is remarkable too. You'll find bottlenose dolphins and manatees, and the fishing, both sport and commercial, is some of the best to be found.

Anna Maria city beaches are also a prime nesting ground for endangered loggerhead sea turtles and many local residents actively participate in their protection.

Anna Maria City,
A Great Place to Visit or Live!

All in all, the City of Anna Maria is both a great place to live and to visit. We hope to be able to enhance your enjoyment of Anna Maria by providing you with time-saving tools and information right here on the Anna Maria Island Life Blog... Visit us often!

Many of Anna Maria city's property owners are part-time residents.

Unlike it's sister cities, Anna Maria is basically residental and home to a handful of coffeehouses, a few restaurants, and ice cream shops, some of which serve not only coffee or ice cream, but other snacks, breakfasts and lunches. There's Dips Ice Cream & Candy Store, which offers more than 150 varieties of candy, as well as cappuccino, homemade Italian ices, and of course, ice cream.

Then there is the Bay View Plaza on the bay-side of the island, with boutiques and Mama Lo's Coffee Shop.

At Mama Lo's by the Sea the coffee is awesome it's true, and it's sold by the pound, but in fact, Mama Lo's may be best known for its ice cream. They offer nearly 40 flavors of McClains homemade ice cream made right in Sarasota. Also offered are sundaes, smoothies, sandwiches, pastries and bagels.

Everything, including breakfast items, is served all day at Mama Lo's. You can order at the counter, grab a magazine from the rack and eat by a window with a view of the bay. There is even a toy train running along a track set up above the café, and maps of the World and United States with the words "Where are you from?" chalk full of red pins pushed in by visiting customers.

The city post office is here at the Bay View Plaza as well, a long time gathering place for island residents. Few are ready to give up the sense of community for home mail delivery.

Located at 9908 Gulf Drive in Anna Maria, Sandy's Rich Coffee serves gourmet coffee and espresso drinks, baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, muffins, Panini style sandwiches, salads, desserts, fruit and cheese.

Real estate business is conducted in the back of Sandy's, while the front has a real coffeehouse atmosphere and framed photographs of Anna Maria sunsets and wildlife hanging on the walls.

When visiting Anna Maria City, one can shop for antiques jewelry and clothing, or enjoy the restaurants, coffee and sandwich shops, and the Island Players Theater.

Interesting Facts and Figures about the City of Anna Maria (Year 2000)

• Population (2000 Census): 1,814
• Increase from 1990: 70 (4.0%)
• Registered Voters: 1,506
• Total Residential Units: 1,696
• Assessed Value: $339,634,851
• Single Family Homes: 1,098
• Duplex: 233
• 3-10 Unit Buildings: 55
• Condominium Units: 32
• Other: 278
• Average Temperature: 80.7 degrees
• Average Rainfall: 37.6 inches
• Average Snowfall: 0 inches

Welcome to Anna Maria Island Life!

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