One of the local neighborhoods I keep pushing is that area just to the west of downtown Bradenton. It’s got great old houses, lots of trees, and low prices. True, Bradenton is not Sarasota. It’s a sleepy, old-fashioned Southern town. It has a Confederate war memorial in front of the courthouse and an enormous Tropicana plant. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why it hasn’t become a “cooler” place to live. The atmosphere is great and the housing stock more interesting than Sarasota’s. The big drawback if you live a Sarasota-oriented life is the commute—not so much the time (25 minutes to the Giant Tooth) as the gas prices.

Perhaps the coolest houses in Bradenton are the group of eight or so stone English cottages located just north of Manatee Avenue at 19^th Street. They were built back in the 1930s in the Cotswold style; they have locally quarried travertine limestone from Oneco and there is nothing else like them. Three of them are currently on the market—a unique opportunity for old house buffs.

425 19^th Court W. is owned by Michael Saunders agent Ruth Lawler, and she’s holding an open house this Sunday, Jan 13, from 1-4 p.m. It’s a long rambling house, beautifully remodeled, with a unique two-story family room featuring a spiral staircase and lots of upgraded touches. At 2,400 square feet, it has two bedrooms (with dormer windows) and two baths. Ruth is asking $485,000. (941) 748-6300.

Right next door at 423 is a similar house, even more eccentric, with odd roof lines and quirky angles and typically English garden landscaping. It has a particularly nice new kitchen, and water views from the back. It’s slightly larger at 2,900 square feet, and features two fireplaces and an enormous master. Karen Soscia at Wagner is the lister and the price is $550,000. (941) 741-2500.