Delray Beach

One of the best beach towns of Florida is nicknamed 'Village by the Sea'. Delray Beach is an art lover and foodie's paradise. This retro-downtown along Atlantic Avenue leads to beautiful beaches and is lined with Royal Palm trees, outdoor cafes, public art, bicycle stands and doggie bowls filled with water. Each month, festivals draw Floridian's to Delray Beach from both the north and the south, to enjoy live entertainment, great food and the Village by the Sea.

Delray Beach is also named one of the Top Tennis Towns by the United States Tennis Association for its top notch championship facility. The white sandy beaches of Delray Beach are Blue Wave certified clean beaches lined with bright colored cabanas and rental water sports. Pastel colored Delray beach homes with white picket fences or Mediterranean style townhomes can all be found within walking or bicycling distance of the beach. 

ARTS AND CULTURE

No doubt one of Florida's coolest art towns, Delray Beach has about a dozen art galleries to explore in downtown. The Pineapple Grove Arts District is where you will find art studios, sidewalk sales and frequent art festivals. In the spring, South Florida's largest art festival takes place called the Delray Affair. Traveling art exhibits are on display at the Cornell Museum of Art along Atlantic Avenue. The Artists' Guild in Delray Beach is a great place to meet new friends and has over 450 members. The Old School Square on Swinton Avenue is home to The School of Art & Photography. Whether you prefer drama, laughter or music, the Delray Beach Playhouse is the host of Broadway plays and musical concerts. The Crest Theatre is an intimate 323 seat theater providing the Broadway Cabaret Series, Lecture Series and Main Stage Series, performances year round at the theater.

CLIMATE

At an elevation of 20 feet, the Delray Beach average winter temperature is in the 60's December through February. May through September, the average temperature is in the 80's. The closer you live to Delray Beach itself, the more likely you will enjoy the cooler ocean breezes on the best beach town and avoid the summer afternoon thunderstorms. Rarely does Delray Beach experience full force hurricane conditions.

LIFELONG LEARNING CENTERS

The Lifelong Learning Society ( LLS ) is located in Boca Raton Florida, 10 miles south of downtown Delray Beach homes. LLS has more than 10,000 active members. Courses geared towards mature adults are offered on the topics of science, philosophy, music, art, film, foreign policy and current events. Lectures run from four to eight weeks during the fall, winter and spring. LLS is a part of the Florida Atlantic University, Florida's 10th largest college. Palm Beach State College discontinued their Center for Lifetime Learning in March 2011.

MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE

Delray Medical Center, a 493 bed facility is on the list of America's 50 Best Hospitals. They specialize in Cardiovascular Care, Strokes, Hospice, Orthopedics, Surgery, Urology and is a nationally ranked Heart Center. Bethesda Memorial Hospital, a 401 bed facility is to the north in Boynton Beach. With 525 physicians and 2,300 employees, this large hospital group prides itself in providing quality health care in a caring manner. Their Cancer Center, Heart Hospital and Stroke Center provide more in depth comprehensive health care services. Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton provides hospice care and palliative care whether it's in the home, at an extended care facility or hospital.

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

Palm Beach County is known as Florida's Golf Capital with more than 160 golf courses in the county. Delray Beach specifically is known for tennis. Although there are 1,100 tennis courts in the Palm Beach County, the Delray Beach Tennis Center has 14 clay courts, 7 hard courts and an 8,200 seat tennis stadium. The Delray Beach International Tennis Championships and Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic takes place at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Downtown on Atlantic Avenue is a bicycle and pet friendly area. Volleyball, sailing and scuba diving are popular water sports along the one of the best beach towns in Florida, Delray Beach.

SHOPPING AND DINING

Unless you dine out every night, it could take you years to taste the cuisine at the restaurants in downtown Delray Beach. With 17 breakfast joints, 90 lunch cafes, 33 happy hour spots and 110 dinner restaurants, just about every type of food is available. Add to it the sounds of live entertainment from restaurants and sidewalk cafes along Atlantic Avenue makes the area exciting and playful. You will also find one of kind boutiques and art galleries. Mega shopping malls can be found to the north in Palm Beach and to south in Boca Raton. The Atlantic Antique Merchant Mall in Delray Beach has over 100 antique exhibitors. From October through May, the Delray GreenMarket offers fresh produce, flowers and gourmet food on Saturdays. 

HOME AFFORDABILITY AND TAXES

Delray Beach homes for sale average in the mid $200's. The closer you get to the beach, the higher the home prices climb. People who understand Delray Beach, know it's all about living near the beach if you own Delray Beach real estate. Beautiful townhomes and Art Deco style Delray Beach condos can be found walking distance to downtown and in the Pineapple Grove Arts District. Large master planned gated communities are more common to find west of Interstate 95. The Delray Beach estimated property tax millage rate is 31.10 per $1000 if you live within the city limits. Visit our library to learn how to calculate property taxes in Florida.

If you're searching for where to retire in Florida, we find a number of Delray Beach neighborhoods of interest, some within walking distance of the beach, the Pineapple Grove Arts District or master planned golf communities on the west side of town.