Neighborhood Spotlight: Snead Island

With captivating names like “Marlin” and “Tarpon,” you quickly begin to visualize where the streets on Snead Island take you. Then there’s both the “Mangrove Point” and “Heritage Bay” neighborhoods, and you REALLY start to get intrigued. But wait a minute... where are you? Don’t feel alone; a lot of folks have never heard of Snead Island and probably are not exactly sure how to get there.

Situated on the northern banks of the Manatee River, bordered by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, of course, this unique slice of undiscovered Old Florida is a mecca for boaters and fisherman but simply put, it’s “absolutely a paradise,” according to real estate Agent Jordan Chancey, one of the Island’s top sellers who has sold numerous properties on the Island.

With quality of life being the top priority for today’s buyers, Snead Island offers countless opportunities for residents to enjoy the best of waterfront Gulf Coast living in a laid-back tropical setting that many only dream about.

“Actually, Snead Island properties don’t frequently come on the market,” according to Chancey, so locals looking to move on the water are eagerly awaiting any new listings that pop up. Also, he’s seeing a lot of newcomers to the area who are just discovering the coveted locale and seriously considering a move. At a recent Open House, he hosted numerous couples, coming from Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Parrish, who had never been to Snead Island but were waiting on a chance to see the properties first-hand.

Having personally owned one of the Island’s historic Key West-style homes and living there for over seven years, Chancey is an expert on Snead Island and a big fan of the casual lifestyle and unique property styles that the area offers. Ranging from luxury waterfront estates on several acres, a gated neighborhood of grand homes, and blocks of great vintage, new, and refreshed canal homes, only about 500 residents call the Island home. Prices in the area range from around the $600,000 mark to well over $3 million.

Lots of residents own golf carts and get to know their neighbors with fun activities like the annual Christmas Children’s Golf Cart & Bike Parade, community fish fry, holiday luminary night, and a well-attended annual 5K Trail Run at nearby Emerson Point Preserve. Managed by Manatee County, the 365-acre preserve occupies the westernmost tip of the Island and boasts nature trails, boardwalks, perfect sunsets, and one of Florida’s most ancient temple mounds created by the Timucuan Indians over 1,000 years ago.

Today, Snead Island is home to the Bradenton Yacht Club, a members-only club offering a fun array of activities, including dining, special events, dockage, a deep-water basin, a pool, tennis, and pickleball. The grounds also house the Bishop Sailing Center complex, home to a community of Pram Fleet and Youth Sailing programs. The area is just a short drive to St. Petersburg to the North and Sarasota and Bradenton to the South, and within an hour’s drive time to three International Airports.

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