Delray Beach

Sandwiched between the Intracoastal Waterway and lakes Ida and Eden is Seacrest, a laid-back neighborhood often described as having lots of "Florida charm." Unlike much of Palm Beah County, this suburban enclave has managed to avoid mass development, leaving it with hundreds of original custom houses with terrazzo floors and traditional architectural elements. And with a location near popular waterways and downtown Delray Beach, this little community offers the perfect launching pad for outdoor adventures and shopping trips. For some, outdoor recreation here is as close as the backyard dock that juts out into the Intracoastal or Lake Ida. But for the landlubbers, Lake Ida is flanked by three parks that provide easy access to boat launches, fishing piers, scenic picnic spots and a designated dog park. "If you have a canoe, you can actually connect to all three lakes (Ida, Eden, and Osborne) using the canal," says local Realtor Michelle Sadownick with Realty Home Advisors. The neighborhood is also home to the AC Delray Seacrest Soccer Complex, a public sports club where kids and adults often play in rec and competitive leagues. The neighborhood is also less than 1 mile from the Seacrest Scrub Natural Area, a 54-acre wilderness park largely untouched by the surrounding urban development. And across the Intracoastal Waterway is Gulf Stream Golf Club, an exclusive private club with an 18-hole course designed by renowned golf course architect Donald Ross. The most popular architectural styles here are ranches, bungalows, and Spanish Mission homes, though there are a few new modern and custom builds. Properties in Seacrest are generally priced higher than other areas in Delray Beach. Still, Sadownick, who has been selling in the Delray Beach area since 2004, says, "As you go north, you're going away from Atlantic Avenue, and the prices go down a little bit." Small to mid-sized homes here start around $550,000, but prices can rise quickly, surpassing $1.8 million, while larger three-to-five-bedroom Spanish Mission and custom coastal contemporary homes often sell for between $1 million and $3 million. There are also some custom estates here, which can go for more than $7 million. Many homes are on oversized lots that max out around half an acre, and because the community is bordered by water to the east and the west, there are plenty of opportunities for waterfront living. In fact, most of the condos and townhouses here sit along the Intracoastal Waterway. Small two- and three-bedrooms condos built in the late 20th and early 21st centuries offer more an affordable price point, selling for between $430,000 and $690,000, while large renovated or newly built luxury units start around $900,000 and can easily surpass $3.3 million. Most dining and shopping options are found along U.S. Route 1, a major commuter thoroughfare that runs through the neighborhood. Two popular options for groceries and daily essentials are Publix and Walmart, which sit just outside the community. When it comes to fresh fish, Captain Clay and Sons Seafood Market has been the go-to since 2007. It's run by Captain Clay S. Brand , a native Floridian and 40-year commercial fisherman. There are also several beloved eateries along the main drag, including Sande's Restaurant, an old-school cash-only American diner known for its breakfast dishes. Another mainstay eatery is Bees Knees Diner, which specializes in breakfast and brunch cuisine. For something a bit hardier, Enigma Bistro is an award-winning roadhouse known for its traditional Cuban dishes and "fall off the porch" sangria. Even more options await in Delray Beach's downtown entertainment district, about 3 miles away. The neighborhood is served by the Palm Beach County Public School District, which includes Plumosa School of the Arts, a specialized kindergarten through eighth-grade institution in the heart of the community. Plumosa divides students into discipline-specific "houses," like the Haus of Chopin for keyboard and piano, the Haus of Aasir for dance, and the Haus of Kroma for visual and digital arts. Niche graded it a B-minus. Alternatively, students can attend Carver Community Middle School, graded a C-plus on Niche. For high school, many students attend Atlantic Community High School, graded a B-plus. The neighborhood also has two well-rated private Christian schools: Unity School and St. Vincent Ferrer School. The city of Delray Beach hosts several popular annual and recurring events, including a Christmas Tree Lighting and Yuletide Fair at the end of November. A holiday village is also set up downtown in Old School Square Park. It stays open through December and includes everything from local vendor booths to ice skating and carousel rides. Come summertime, the city's annual GreenMarket is a hot spot. Also held at Old School Square, this certified sustainable market has over 50 vendors selling farm-to-table produce, grass-fed, organic meats, locally grown flowers, and artisan desserts. It's held every Saturday morning in June and July. Seacrest is conveniently located near U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Interstate 95, two busy thoroughfares that run parallel to each other along the East Coast. Both routes are regularly used by commuters working in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton, about 18 and 14 miles away, respectively. Public transit is relatively accessible here, with Palm Tran buses picking up throughout the community. The closest major airport is Palm Beach International, about 16 miles from town. According to RiskFactor.com, Seacrest is at high risk of experiencing high winds, and homes along the Intracoastal Waterway could face severe flooding, especially during hurricane season.

From seasonal villas and condos to lavish estates, the gated communities in Kings Point have one thing in common — they were designed to provide plenty of amenities. “Adults, professionals and families come here for the lifestyle,” says Lynne Gewant, a broker associate with Coldwell Banker Realty/Delray Beach. Gewant has lived in the area for 30 years and has been selling real estate for more than 20. “People want the safety of gated communities; they want the pool and tennis courts right down the street. In Kings Point, no matter where you look, that’s a given.”<br><br>Seniors looking for reasonably priced condominiums find ample listings in subdivisions like Kings Point, the gated community that the neighborhood was originally named after, where meticulously maintained or recently renovated units are priced between $125,000 and $280,000. Seniors can also choose from other adult communities, such as Floral Lakes, which features larger villas with single-car garages in the $375,000 to $480,000 range. By contrast, The Polo Club of Boca Raton and several other high-end luxury communities have no age restrictions and offer custom-built estates that run in the millions. Homebuyers can also find single-family homes in the $500,000 range that fall in both the 55-plus and all-ages categories.<br><br>Instead of public parks, Kings Point features championship golf courses that are integral to the communities built around them. Residents also won’t find public tennis, pickleball, bocce ball or shuffleboard courts; rather, homeowners can join the members-only clubhouses of each respective community. There, residents have ample opportunities to get to know each other through exercise classes, clubs and activities. Clubhouses in Kings Point are multimillion-dollar facilities with large outdoor pools, restaurants, theaters that bring in live shows and movies, and special events, such as holiday barbecues and brunches. Families with children, too, can take advantage of youth activities, including camps that keep kids active during the holidays, school breaks and the summertime.<br><br>Boynton Beach Mall is 10 miles away, and the Kings Point community offers free bus service to this mall and other shopping destinations for its senior residents. For everyday needs, there's a Publix in the Delray Square Shopping Center and a Home Depot on Jog Road and Atlantic. A hidden treasure to explore is the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, a beautiful cultural center with tea ceremonies, festivals, classes and a sushi café. For more sushi, Sea is just up the road. It's a fine-dining Asian restaurant with specialties such as the lobster monster roll, made with tempura lobster tail, cucumber, asparagus, masago and sesame seeds.<br><br>The schools that serve the community are all within a short drive of Kings Point and include Orchard View Elementary, Carver Middle, Omni Middle and Spanish River Community High School. Calusa Elementary is one of the closest and one of the highest rated. According to state test scores, 87% of its students are proficient in math and 82% in reading. Its student-teacher ratio is also low, 16 to 1, which means Calusa students receive a good amount of personalized attention. American Heritage Schools-Palm Beach Campus, a private K-12 school, is close by as well and received an A-plus grade from Niche for its high graduation rate of 100% and high student SAT and ACT scores.

High Point offers a prime location for residents to enjoy casual Delray Beach living at its finest. The neighborhood was originally established with a focus on 55+ adult living communities and still offers a major appeal for that population with close access to the beach, golf courses and local businesses. “Those subdivisions are still highly sought, but the adult communities have had to make room for other interested parties. High Point is only 5 miles from one of the best beaches in Florida, and it has become a haven for professionals, families and seniors alike,” says Kathy Casaine, a Realtor with Block Realty. Casaine has been selling real estate in the area for more than 30 years. Mediterranean and Spanish-style ranch homes are a fixture of High Point’s home market. Locals also live in condo units and villas within duplex homes and beach house-styled condo buildings. Buyers looking for larger homes can also find multi-level homes in the area – typically harder to find in Florida, but numerous within High Point’s gated communities. Some areas in High Point limit ownership to 55+ residents and their families, and these areas typically include specialized amenities and pricing to suit locals’ needs. Prices vary widely, from below $160,000 to as high as $1.5 million or more. Barwick Park offers prime space for picnics and sunny days out near Barwick Road and Lake Ida Road on the neighborhood’s west side. Northwest of Barwick Park, Bexley Trail Community Park lets locals enjoy comfortable amenities such as a nature trail and a playground. Three 18-hole golf courses – The Seagate Golf Club, Lakeview Golf Club and Delray Beach Golf Club – each sit within 3 miles southeast of the neighborhood. To the east of the neighborhood, Lake Ida West Park offers a prime spot for residents to go kayaking or fishing, while Eagle Park offers another small neighborhood park retreat near High Point’s south end. Close to the area’s shopping hubs on Military Trail, Turtle Tavern offers a place for residents to socialize, sip and snack with a sports bar atmosphere, NFL Sunday Ticket games and a varied menu of pub fare. More bar options and nightlife venues sit near Delray Beach proper, 4 miles east. High Point’s proximity to Delray Beach and Wellington also means residents are close to annual events like the Delray Affair arts & crafts festival, the Delray Beach Wine and Seafood Festival and South Florida Garlic Fest. A mix of national brands and local favorites for retail and dining occupy the shopping centers around Atlantic Avenue and Military Trail. Publix, Walgreens, CVS and Sprouts Farmers Market locations surround the intersection for everyday goods, alongside specialized retailers like Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Ross and Office Depot. Locals can buy and sell produce, bakery items and more at The Boys Farmers Market, while The Big Apple Shopping Bazaar offers dry goods from multiple vendors. Local dining choices include Lindburgers for American fare, Wood & Fire for refined Neapolitan pizzas and Hacienda for Mexican-Colombian eats and cocktails. Well-known casual and fast food stops like Chipotle, Chili’s and Chick-fil-A round out the immediate area’s food choices. More shopping options, including Walmart and Aldi locations, are available to the south of the neighborhood along Military Trail. Students in the High Point area can attend schools within The School District of Palm Beach County. The area’s youngest students attend Banyan Creek Elementary School, which has a B-plus rating on Niche and has a student-teacher ratio of 14:1. Carver Community Middle School holds a C-plus grade. Atlantic Community High School has a 94% graduation rate and offers more than 50 clubs, athletic programs and after-school activities for every kind of student. The school earns a B-plus grade on Niche. High Point’s major thoroughfares are South Military Trail to the neighborhood’s west side, Atlantic Avenue to the south and North Congress Avenue to the east. Lake Ida Road connects to the neighborhood’s center, while Interstate 95 runs along the neighborhood’s leftmost side. Central Delray Beach is a 3-mile drive from the area, while Boynton Beach is about 5 miles northwest of the area. The nearest hospital, Delray Medical Center, is about 4 miles away to the south. Flights out of the area depart from Palm Beach International Airport, about 20 miles north.

The larger neighborhood of Palm Greens comprises several different condominium communities, each with its own character and private amenities. They are all 55+ communities; some are gated, with spots like Palm Greens and Huntington Pointe focused on keeping residents active with pickleball courts, tennis lessons, shuffleboard and group exercise classes. The Palm Greens subdivision is a group of condos that used to be along a golf course, but the Palm Greens course closed in 2016 and is now another 55+ community. The community of Delray Trails opened in the last few years as another 55+ community on the side of the old golf course. “More homes are being developed in this area, and they’re hot sellers,” says Dunia Keldani, a Delray Beach-based Realtor with Coldwell Banker and around 15 years of experience. “The homes are starting at $500,000, whereas just a few months ago, they were starting at $400,000.” In other parts of the neighborhood, condo units go for around $200,000, but prices will vary depending on size and community. Monthly fees will also vary depending on the community and the amenities available but typically range from $230 to close to $800 a month and include insurance. “This area is also popular during the winter months, with people from the north living in seasonal homes,” Keldani says. “I’d say it’s about 60% filled with full-time residents. There are a couple of outdoor options in Palm Greens, including the unique 50-acre Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The name means “safe waters” in the Seminole language, and it opened in 1996 on a former wastewater treatment facility. Multiple ponds host a wide variety of creatures like turtles, alligators, raccoons and over 170 species of birds. The best time for birdwatching opportunities in this park is during the winter when the migrating birds are around. Bexley Trail Community Park is an 11-acre green space offering a playground and walking trails for locals to enjoy. Brooklyn Water Bagel is located on Military Trail, and they make their own New York-style bagels on-site and even “Brooklynize” the water used in their bagels for the authentic NYC taste. 3G’s Gourmet Deli & Restaurant is a classic Jewish-style deli serving breakfast specials like omelets and bagel lox or pastrami sandwiches and Reubens for lunch. As the name suggests, Wood & Fire specializes in wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza, classic pasta dishes, and Italian staples. One of the more unique businesses close to Palm Greens is The Girls Strawberry Patch. When you approach the business in a strip shopping center, there is a sign that looks like a restaurant. At first glance, it is an ice cream and pizza shop, but walking through the back, it’s an entrance to a mini petting zoo with turtles, donkeys, rabbits and exotic birds. You can also purchase food to feed the animals. The space out back used to be a large strawberry patch. Next door is the sibling establishment, The Boys Farmers Market, for fresh produce, local seafood and grocery store favorites. Though most locals find it easy to get around by car, public transportation is available through Palm Tran bus routes along Military Trail and Atlantic Avenue. Commuters who prefer to take the train can catch the Tri-Link to points south, including downtown Miami at the Delray Beach station less than 5 miles to the east. Interstate 95 runs by the station. While most of the developments in Palm Greens are 55+ communities, there may be some developments with kids, and they can attend Palm Beach County Public Schools. One of the schools that kids could attend is the A-plus-rated Spanish River Community High School, which offers a college preparatory curriculum, including dual enrollment through Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College. Hagen Road Elementary School has a B-plus Niche rating and a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Carver Middle gets a C-plus and enrolls more than 830 students in grades six through eight.