Delray Beach Questions

[PrincessElena]

I am going to be traveling to Delray Beach, FL for work in a few weeks. Can anyone tell me about their experiences? More specifically, I'm looking for the following:
1. How is the drive from Fort Lauderdale Airport north to Delray? Is there a lot of traffic to contend with?
2. Are there opportunities for shelling at any of the beaches near Delray? This is one of my favorite hobbies.
3. Any great restaurants or activities in the Delray area?

Thanks!

 

[Bree]

I live in Boca Raton which borders Delray to the south. It's probably about a 35 minute ride with no traffic from FLL via I-95. Be prepared for the worst/scariest drivers in the world. I'm from MA so that's saying something. I've not had much luck with shells at the beach, but I'm not there at the crack of dawn either. Atlantic Avenue is a lot of fun. There are tons of restaurants, shopping, museums and night life.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have family that lives in Delray..also in Boca!! My dad and step-mom used to be in Pompano Beach, down the road a bit. I really like Delray Beach, but as Bree said, the drivers are nuts! I'm not a huge lover of 95 down there. My step-sister is a Broward Cty Sheriff's Deputy there and tells me horror stories! But, the area is very nice. The beach isn't all that great for shells....too much surf. At least that's the case down the road in Pompano Beach. Some shells but not anything spectacular.
I have friends that swear by Boston's, right on Rt 1 in Delray Beach, across from the water. My dh's family tend to be much more trendy and go to very upscale spots...that I can't really remember the names of!

 

[PrincessElena]

Oh, I'm so disappointed about the shelling. Is there anywhere I can drive to find a beach with great shells? I also like to look for sand dollars and starfish.

 

[KathyM2]

Yes, Boston's is a really fun, down to earth place and as others mentioned there are a lot of great restaurants and shops on Atlantic avenue in Delray. I like the Office pub...great burgers and such.

 

[alyssathegrand]

I live in this area! Actually right between the Fort Lauderdale airport and Delray, but I spend most of my time in Delray.

1. How is the drive from Fort Lauderdale Airport north to Delray? Is there a lot of traffic to contend with?

It depends on the time of day. Obviously rush hours are the worst. Other times of day, traffic is really not an issue most days. I'd say around 35 minutes. As mentioned, drivers are not great around here, but the worst times of the year to drive are the "cold" months (late-October to around mid February). We get lots of "snowbirds" around then.

2. Are there opportunities for shelling at any of the beaches near Delray? This is one of my favorite hobbies.

There are some shells on the shoreline in Delray but nothing too spectacular. I've found sea glass and sand dollars fairly often. I would say if you go a little earlier in the day you'll probably have better luck, just based on my experiences.

3. Any great restaurants or activities in the Delray area?

Downtown Delray is a really popular area, Atlantic Avenue is where most people go. My boyfriend works at Deck 84, which is really popular and is right on the Intercoastal which is really nice. Boston's is popular, as is Cafe Luna Rosa. I really really like Mussel Beach, which is a great seafood restaurant. There are lots of shops along the ave, and usually you can find some music, etc. There are often events going on like arts festivals in that area, and it's also a historic district. The night life is good, there are museums in and around the area, mini golf, things of that nature. There are also a lot of nature preserves, I love the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. If you enjoy nature trails with a lot of birdspotting, a little west of the downtown area you can find the Wakodahatchee and Green Cay wetlands.

Boca Raton is a little more upscale and you can find things like higher-end shopping, an iPic theater, and things of that nature in that area.

I really hope you enjoy your trip. I love this area and I hope you do, too.

 

[perditax]

I live in Boca Raton which borders Delray to the south. It's probably about a 35 minute ride with no traffic from FLL via I-95. Be prepared for the worst/scariest drivers in the world. I'm from MA so that's saying something. I've not had much luck with shells at the beach, but I'm not there at the crack of dawn either. Atlantic Avenue is a lot of fun. There are tons of restaurants, shopping, museums and night life.

Former SoFla resident, was coming to warn about those drivers. That stretch of I95 is full of lunatics driving 90 and retirees driving 50. Good times.

 

[PrincessElena]

Thanks for all the advice! I leave in just one week and I already started packing for the warmer weather. my only hesitation with the trip is the driving part of it.