Lantana

About 11 miles south of West Palm Beach, still in the throes of South Florida suburbia, is the town of Lantana and the neighborhood of Ocean Breeze. “Even though it feels like the suburbs, living in Ocean Breeze provides a small-town feel,” says real estate specialist Laura Segura with RE/MAX Select Group Realty. She lives in Ocean Breeze and has over 20 years of real estate experience. “Lantana has its own police and fire departments and town council. Mostly, there are no HOAs, so boats and RVs are in people’s driveways. East Lantana is like a fishing town.” The traffic on Dixie Highway is the only thing between the Ocean Breeze neighborhood and easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway. “People are out walking all the time. I can walk to the beach from my house,” Segura says. There is a walking path on the side of the bridge on Ocean Avenue. The price range of the homes is mainly from $300,000 to $500,000. Some homes could be as much as $900,000, but those are multi-family houses. On HOA-free streets, the architecture varies with ranch-style homes, bungalows, split-level and even two-story colonial revival homes mainly from the 1950s and ‘60s. “When I first moved here many years ago, nobody knew about the area,” Segura says. “That’s changing. Though, the prices are still lower than in Boynton Beach.” There are a couple of subdivisions with amenities and monthly homeowners association fees, including a neighborhood of townhouses and free-standing single-family homes. Fees can run from $175 to $350 a month. Just off Ocean Avenue, on the western side of the bridge to cross the Intracoastal Waterway, there’s the public town of Lantana boat ramp. Across from that are two green spaces that have convenient water access. Bicentennial Park has a playground and picnic area, and Lyman Kayak Park has a launch for kayaks or similar watercraft and an observational dock. Further inland, Maddock Park’s amenities include a dog park divided into two areas depending on the pooch's size. The skate park is relatively small and has basic skateboarding obstacles. Close to the boat ramp near the bridge over the Intracoastal is a house from the 1880s that, for a century, was used as a regular residence. When the house changed owners in the late 1980s, it was transformed into a restaurant you can’t miss on the bridge's western side. The Old Key Lime House is painted lime green and has been a seafood favorite for over 30 years. Victoria’s Peruvian is a family owned neighborhood favorite restaurant with a homey vibe and traditional food from Peru. “I particularly like the soups, but everything is good there,” Segura says. Publix and ALDI are short drives, both located on Lantana Road. The Palm Beach County School District, rated a B-plus overall on Niche, serves the town of Lantana. Both Lantana Elementary School and Lantana Community Middle School are either in the neighborhood or very close to houses in Ocean Breeze. Lantana Elementary School is rated a C-plus. Lantana Community Middle School has a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a C-plus rating. Kids attending this school can take classes in the Medical Science Honors program. Lake Worth High School also receives a C-plus Niche grade with a 91% graduation rate. The Palm Beach Maritime Academy is a public, tuition-free charter school with a curriculum enriched by maritime and marine science studies. It’s a K-8 school that receives a C grade on Niche. There are multiple bus stops on Dixie Highway and Lantana Road for those relying on public transportation. The Palm Tran bus system serves locations around Palm Beach County. The Ocean Breeze neighborhood is 3 miles from the Lake Worth and the Boynton Beach Tri-Rail commuter line, going as far south as downtown Miami.

In Florida's Palm Beach County, the coastal community of Lantana Heights retains the charm of its origins as an old fishing village. The neighborhood is right off Interstate 95 and just a short drive from the beach. It’s made up of single-family Colonial Revival, contemporary and side-gabled ranch-style homes, many of which have sizable driveways to allow you to park a boat. Maddock Park features a full basketball court, skate park and a popular dog park. Nature enthusiasts can enjoy the trails of the Latana Scrub Natural Area, while maritime lovers have quick access to ocean waves and the sea breeze. Lantana Elementary and Lantana Middle schools are just moments away. Lantana Sports Complex is a hub for athletes, with three baseball fields and two soccer fields. And the Way Martial Arts offers fitness programs for beginners and advanced competitors; the center teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. For daily necessities, Lantana Shopping Center includes a Publix supermarket, banking, retail and familiar eateries like Little Caesar’s, Subway and Dunkin’ Donuts. There is also an Aldi grocery nearby. For other appetites, Riggins Crabhouse serves up Maryland blue crabs that are steamed with beer, J.O. crab seasoning and Riggins' secret blend. Order a few -- or get all you can eat. Every crab is fresh right until the steaming. Pastry chef Chiantae Campbell opened Chic Little Cakes in 2019, and her sweet treats are known to be as delicious as they are beautiful. Choices include cupcakes, sugar cookies, custom cakes and other fine confections. Waggy Dag’s Subs & More is another neighborhood favorite, with meats sliced to order, fresh veggies and homemade sauces. Lantana Scrub Natural Area might not seem like much at first glance. And until 2021, you could have missed it completely, as it didn’t have any signage or discernible entrance. Sign or no sign, this natural area is worth the visit. It’s small -- just 32.5 acres -- but it offers a remnant of the Atlantic coastal scrub that once stretched from Miami-Dade County to St. Augustine. Almost all of it is gone, but Lantana Scrub managed to avoid the destruction of developments. The area contains two habitats: scrub and scrubby flatlands. Sand pine and saw palmetto are found throughout, along with Florida rosemary, powder-puff lichen and hog plum. Escape the noise of the outside world along its trails, and you may even spot gopher tortoises, golden-winged skimmers, eastern phoebes or osprey.