Delray Beach opinions? (Miami, Miami Beach, Boca Raton: condos, crime, houses)

[ArielE]

Hello,
My husband & I are young professionals who will be starting a family in the next few years. I'm from a very liberal, beautiful but cold city in Minnesota, and that's where we're living now. My husband wants to move to Florida and I want to see if I can find a place with the right fit. Please help! I heard that Delray Beach may have some of what we're looking for and that it's 60% democrats. Is this true?? Here's what we're looking for:


"Walkability" -- ie, We dislike strip malls, suburban type areas, and anything where you don't have a nice outdoorsy place or urban area to walk around in or go to restaurants, libraries, museums, etc
Affordable housing (we're trying for under $250,000)
Family friendly
Environmentally friendly
Mild weather
Hills... I don't like completely flat areas
Liberal attitude
A large body of water nearby, the ocean, a river, lakes, anything really.
Lots of green space and parks

To give you an idea, we lived in Portland, OR and St. Louis, MO for school and were happy with both of these cities as far as liberal attitude, walkability, hills, bodies of water, and affordability are concerned. I work in Medicine and he works in Physical Therapy and so we would also need a place with job opportunities in these fields.

Does Delray Beach meet any of these criteria? Any other suggestions? I'm very grateful for any info from anyone who knows a lot about this area so I can get an idea of whether not we should come visit to check it out for ourselves. Thanks!

A--

[THX 1138]

"Walkability" -- ie, We dislike strip malls, suburban type areas, and anything where you don't have a nice outdoorsy place or urban area to walk around in or go to restaurants, libraries, museums, etc

Then you should look at the city of WPB or Miami Beach. Delray has a small downtown, but it's anything but urban. You have to drive here.

Affordable housing (we're trying for under $250,000)

You can find housing here at that price, but your looking at a condo near the beach or in the urban areas.

Family friendly

Delray, not known for this but people have kids and do things like anyplace else.

Environmentally friendly

Yes we recycle

Mild weather

Only from Late Oct (typically) through April or so we can California'ish weather, it's also "Season" which means more people and traffic along with longer waits at restaurants, less parking spaces and etc. Our summers are hot and humid but we have the breeze and the ocean so close which really helps.

Hills... I don't like completely flat areas

Hmmm?? Ever been to Florida? You may find some small hills in Central Florida and to the North. South Florida errr Flat.

Liberal attitude

Palm Beach County is basically a Democrat county, went Democrat in the last two Presidential elections...2000 errr you can read about it!

A large body of water nearby, the ocean, a river, lakes, anything really.

Plenty of that.

Lots of green space and parks

Delray not really they have some parks but not much compared to other areas or should say as big but they have them.

Delray is a mixed bag, it has a nice downtown and beach, but also has some dumpy areas with crime. The people are a mix of old and young, a lot of retirees and senior citizens, predominantly from New York & New Jersey. Fairly large Jewish population, but Boca has more.

It appears you never been here? I would suggest visiting and keep in mind you will be vacationing so don't jump the gun too quick, ie living here vs vacationing is two different things.

As well, not sure what your professions are, some people do good here others struggle. I would do your homework, sit down and decide if you can afford to live here, you may have to make compromises.

[keweke00]

I love Delray. It is more residential in feel, not so trendy. It has a great down town area and beach. Yes, there are crime areas, but they are contained to very specific areas and welcome to FLA, that is the way it is. High population, there does tend to be crime. The areas to avoid are primarily around Old Dixie Hwy. Towards the west it is very residential with lots of senior areas as well as family friendly. Downtown is pricy. Most of the condos are second homes by the way, so if you are thinking condo, the deals are great as people try to consolidate because of the economy. Everything is really local, 10 mins to anything you need. 4 major malls within 10-20 mins drive. Do you homework and you won't be sorry about Delray.

[bbsstuff]

You are only going to get the "walkability" factor in the Palm Beach County downtown (East) areas. Of these Delray Beach probably has most of what you are looking for but housing prices will be higher near downtown and properties will be older. Also, if you are planning to live near the downtown areas you may have issues with the public schools. It depends on your priorities - If you
value the downtown feel the most and can pay for private schools - East Delray Beach would fit the bill. If you value getting the best bang for your buck, family friendly, and good public schools then look in West Boca Raton (just south of Delray) or West Boynton Beach (just north of Delray). West Delray itself for the most part is retirees.

[PGQ]

You definitely need to visit Palm Beach County and explore the area. Many people love it while others end up returning North. Delray has some truly stunning areas and some drug infested areas within a five minute drive.
In Delray expect flat land, easy access to the ocean, liberal attitudes but not a mecca of liberal thought, more of a suburban feel than small town or city, lots of green space but not necessarily well kempt, large Haitian population, warm weather. If you want to work in health care there is a great demand but also a great supply of labor. Don't think of Delray as a self-contained city. The border between Delray and Boca Raton is simply a sign and Boynton borders on the North. In Delray you can find million dollar mansions and also find single family houses for $150k (you could get something for less than $100k if you want a fixer upper) but you get what you pay for. Visit before you make any decisions or you may regret it.