Living the Delray Beach Lifestyle

What its like to live in Delray Beach Florida

Image Credits: Jude Infantini

Delray Beach Dunes

Delray Beach, Florida, is a small town that has made big headlines. It has drawn the attention of top-tier publications like Rand McNally and USA Today, who voted it Most Fun Small Town in America. Coastal Living also named Delray Beach in its Top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns. With its big-city sophistication and small-town charm, it’s not surprising to see this first-class destination draw national attention.

Delray Beach is located in Palm Beach County along the Atlantic Ocean. From Atlantic Avenue, the town’s main thoroughfare, to its two miles of sugary sand beachfront, there is something for everyone to do, whether a local, visitor, millennial, young family or empty nester. The downtown is brimming with big-city culture, including upscale shops, salons, art galleries, nightlife, and award-winning restaurants and cafes.

The small-town charm comes to life at its many family-friendly programs and events. These include Halloween festivities, restaurant month, Fourth of July celebrations, a 100-foot holiday tree lighting ceremony, Garlic Fest, Craft Festival, Art & Jazz on the Avenue, and more.

All of these are in addition to the numerous ways of getting in touch with nature, including bike paths, parks, recreation centers, tennis centers, and waterways. There are plenty of ways to stay outside and active for Florida’s average of 237 sunny days per day.

Delray Beach’s Most Popular Neighborhoods

Delray Beach’s lifestyle options include Golf and Country Club living, gated non-equity communities, waterfront living and retirement communities.

Golf and Country Club Living: Ultra luxury homes, championship golf courses and amenities that include spa, fitness, tennis and social events can be found in Addison Reserve or any of the other Delray country clubs such as Mizner Country Club.
Gated Communities: In recent years, the trend has been to build communities with country club type amenities without the equity and dues that come with country club living. Some of the more popular new construction communities are The Bridges and Seven Bridges. Other gated communities to consider in Delray Beach are Foxe Chase, Mizners Preserve or Grande Orchid.
Waterfront Living: East Delray has numerous waterfront living options including both single family homes and condos. If you are a yachtsman, be sure to check out Tropic Isle, by far the most popular boating neighborhood in Delray Beach. For those interested in oceanfront condominium living, there is a unique opportunity to own new construction at Ocean Delray.
Retirement communities: Delray beach is known for its vibrant retiree population. Housing options include Four Seasons, Villaggio Reserve and Valencia Falls or Valencia Palms.

What’s Nearby

Delray Beach is nestled between West Palm Beach and Boca Raton.

For those traveling for business or leisure, major airports are nearby. The closest airport to Delray Beach is West Palm Beach (PBI) at 15 miles away, with other nearby airports including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) at 27 miles away, and Miami (MIA) at 48 miles away.

The types of homes available in Delray Beach are nearly as plentiful as the downtown entertainment options. From beautiful condos and homes to beachfront estates, to gated and non-gated neighborhoods and active adult communities, the perfect option awaits you in Delray Beach. Delray Beach real estate ranges from condos starting at $200,000 to oceanfront estates on Ocean Boulevard topping $35 million.

The Delray Beach housing market is competitive, with many homes receiving multiple offers. Homes typically sell for 96.8% sale-to-list price, a more than 2% increase in the past year alone, as the pandemic continues to drive more buyers south to Florida.