Delray Beach

Neighborhood guide

Delray Beach

NightlifeArt walksBeach dayGroup trips

The short answer

Fifteen minutes north of Boca, Delray Beach delivers the most concentrated nightlife and gallery scene in south Palm Beach County. Atlantic Avenue runs two lively miles from Pineapple Grove to the sand, lined with patios, murals and the Morikami Museum a short drive west.

Highlights

  • Atlantic Avenue bar and restaurant strip
  • Pineapple Grove Arts District
  • Delray Municipal Beach
  • Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
  • Saturday GreenMarket

Places in Delray Beach

Delray Beach GreenMarketLocal's pick
Delray Beach$

Delray Beach GreenMarket

Saturday mornings in Old School Square Park: produce from Loxahatchee farms, prepared food stalls, live music and dogs everywhere. Runs October through May and shifts indoors for the summer.

Wakodahatchee WetlandsLocal's pick
Delray Beach$

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

A three-quarter-mile boardwalk loop across 50 acres of ponds — arguably the best free bird photography spot in South Florida, with nesting wood storks and great blue herons in spring.

Atlantic Avenue Bar CrawlLocal's pick
Delray Beach$$

Atlantic Avenue Bar Crawl

Two walkable miles of patios, rooftops and live music between Swinton Avenue and the ocean. Start at Pineapple Grove around 7pm and work east.

Deck 84Local's pick
Delray Beach$$

Deck 84

Burt Rapoport's Intracoastal deck at the east end of Atlantic Avenue: dock-and-dine, fish tacos, frozen drinks and boat traffic all afternoon.

Delray AffairLocal's pick
Delray Beach$

Delray Affair

A three-day April street festival that closes 12 blocks of Atlantic Avenue for art, crafts, food and live music — the largest arts and crafts event in the Southeast. Free to attend, brutal for parking; use the shuttle lots.

Morikami Museum and Japanese GardensLocal's pick
Delray Beach$$

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Sixteen acres of six distinct Japanese gardens, a koi-filled lake, a bonsai collection and a museum of Japanese art, plus the Cornell Cafe for bento lunches. Allow three hours.

Sandoway Discovery Center
Delray Beach$

Sandoway Discovery Center

A small 1936 beach house turned nature center on Delray's oceanfront, best known for the daily shark feeding in its coral reef tank. Twenty minutes well spent before or after the beach.

Silverball Retro Arcade
Delray Beach$$

Silverball Retro Arcade

A pay-one-price room of restored pinball machines and classic arcade cabinets on Atlantic Avenue. Works equally well as a rainy afternoon with kids or a late-night detour.

Delray Municipal Beach
Delray Beach$

Delray Municipal Beach

Two miles of wide public sand directly at the end of Atlantic Avenue, with metered parking, chair and umbrella rentals and dozens of restaurants within a five-minute walk.

Old School Square Pavilion
Delray Beach$

Old School Square Pavilion

Delray's downtown outdoor stage, host to free Friday concerts, film screenings and the city's big holiday events, one block off Atlantic Avenue. Easy to combine with dinner and a walk.