Palma Sola Bay Club offers peace and quiet in the middle of everything

George and Shirley Leonard call themselves “pioneers,” the first residents to move into one of the units in the first building completed at the Palma Sola Bay Club in West Bradenton.

The couple moved to Bradenton from northern New Jersey 17 years ago, impressed by the area’s fine beaches when they came to visit a friend George grew up with. They purchased a home in Bradenton’s Sunset Estates shortly thereafter, but after many happy years there, decided to downsize. The Leonards love to travel, going on multiple cruises each year, and they didn’t want to have to worry about the pool and other maintenance tasks while they were gone. When they drove by the entrance to Palma Sola Bay Club, they decided to check it out. Their reaction was instantaneous.

THE LIVING ROOM VIEW FROM GEORGE AND SHIRLEY LEONARD’S PALMA SOLA BAY CLUB CONDO

“We fell in love,” says George, 74.

Walk into their their third-floor unit and it’s easy to see why. The first thing that hits you are the windows, the big, bright panes that offer huge views of Palma Sola Bay and, off in the distance, Anna Maria Island. In the foreground lies a thick strand of palm and pine trees and mangroves that hug the coastline. The Leonards rave about the sunset views and the wildlife—an eagle is a frequent guest at one particularly tall pine tree right off the Leonards’ rear patio.

George and Shirley, 71, moved in last July. While they were the first residents to call Palma Sola Bay Club home, the building in which their unit sits has already almost filled up, with a mix of both seasonal residents and full-timers like the Leonards.

GEORGE AND SHIRLEY LEONARD RELAXING IN THE LIVING ROOM OF THEIR PALMA SOLA BAY CLUB CONDO

What do the Leonards like about Palma Sola Bay Club? Everything.

They rave about how quiet and removed the neighborhood feels while being adjacent to everything they like to do. The beach is a short car ride away, as are all the shopping destinations the couple needs. Palma Sola Bay Club is also situated right near an Elks Lodge, an American Legion and a Moose Lodge, three groups the Leonards have belonged to for years.

Even with builders hard at work putting up the next units right next door, the Leonards’ condo remains quiet and peaceful.

“You feel like you’re on vacation all the time,” George says. “It’s a very relaxing atmosphere.”

THE VIEW OF THE PALMA SOLA BAY CLUB CLUBHOUSE FROM GEORGE AND SHIRLEY LEONARD’S CONDO

Quite a different feel from Saddle River, New Jersey, where George served as a police officer for 22 years. While on duty in 1962, he experienced what he calls a “miracle,” when he discovered a baby abandoned in the snow on a frigid December morning and saved her life by speeding to the nearest hospital. Shirley, meanwhile, spent 30 years teaching high school in Dumont, New Jersey, retiring shortly after the couple decided to move to Bradenton.

Every floor in the Leonards’ building is home to three units—two like the Leonards’ with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms and one with two bedrooms. The Leonards’ unit includes two patios, one facing the bay and one facing east, with direct views of the neighborhood’s spectacular clubhouse and shimmering pool. The eastern patio is directly connected to the master suite, which includes a big bathroom with space for the vanity Shirley always wanted.

THE DINING AREA IN GEORGE AND SHIRLEY LEONARD’S PALMA SOLA BAY CLUB CONDO

Shirley took charge of decorating the couple’s new home, mixing colors like sea foam and turquoise with dark brown accents to match the condo’s spotless wood floors. The open floor plan features a roomy entryway and wide hallways, with plenty of space for guests in the couple’s two extra bedrooms.

George and Shirley love it here, like they have ever since they set foot in the unit.

“This is my dream,” Shirley says, gesturing toward the sunny windows, “to walk in and have a water view.”