DELRAY BEACH

Atlantic Avenue, Downtown Delray Beach’s main drag, runs from I-95 to the Atlantic Ocean and the town’s beautiful two-mile-long beach. The beach town is protected: The city’s height limits are no higher than three stories on East Atlantic Avenue, and throughout Downtown, the height restriction is 54 feet. It also boasts an Intracoastal Waterway and draw bridge. 

Once off the beach, Downtown Delray Beach continues to shine. It is home to more than 120 restaurants, cafes, and bars. Choose your favorite cuisine, and you’re most likely able to find it here. (See our sidebar for some of our favorites.) And if you seek live music, the open-air venues here—such as Johnnie Brown’s and Tin Roof—provide live bands playing everything rock to Motown.

The area has six museums, including the Cornell Art Museum, housed in the restored Delray Elementary School from 1913—more than 30 art galleries, working artist studios, and 40 street art murals. Don’t forget the more than 75 public art installations giving this town a creative vibe. Downtown Delray Beach boasts more than 125 shops, with 96 percent of those as small independent businesses. The 18-hole Delray Beach Public Golf Course and Delray Beach Tennis Center, home to both tennis and pickleball courts, provide opportunities to be active during your visit.

WHERE TO STAY
Downtown Delray Beach offers a choice of 15 resorts, inns, and hotels. Make The Seagate Hotel & Spa your ideal home base. It has almost three properties in one. On-site at the 154-room resort is a full-service spa for massages, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool set in a relaxing deck. It is also where you’ll find the Atlantic Grille for al fresco or indoor dining for brunch, Happy Hour, or dinner. On select nights, you can pair the restaurant’s seafood, steak, pasta, and more menu with live music. Etc. Café is an ideal spot for a quick grab-and-go for breakfast or lunch. 

Complimentary transportation within a five-mile radius of the hotel includes the resort’s nearby private oceanfront Beach Club. In addition to providing chairs and umbrellas on the beach for guests, the Beach Club also has its swimming pool. Set in a 1950s single-family home, it offers casual dining and an outdoor patio for lunch and dinner with a view. Also, part of the resort’s amenities is access to The Seagate Country Club, just a short drive away via complimentary hotel transfers. Here, you can book a round of golf on the 18-hole course, hit balls on the driving range, or practice your putting. The Country Club also has tennis and pickleball courts.
Info: seagatedelray.com

Another option within walking distance of all Downtown Delray Beach offers is The Ray Hotel Delray Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton set within the Pineapple Grove Arts District. The 141-room property opened its doors in 2021 and plays off its location with “modern tropical architecture” with large-scale sculptures, art installations, living walls, and rooftop gardens. Guest rooms also feature a modern vibe.  

Head for the rooftop pool deck with its restaurant and bar with trellis-filled lounge areas for lazy days in the sun or get a complimentary short ride to the beach. Set aside at least two nights for dining at the hotel.  

Ember Grill offers excellent choices in American fare and more. Here Michelin Star Chef Akira Back brings his modern Japanese cuisine to the hotel.
Info: therayhotel.com

To discover more about Downtown Delray Beach, visit downtowndelraybeach.com
and thepalmbeaches.com