By Everett Potter

One of the long-time anomalies of Florida’s East Coast is Delray Beach. The city, which boasts a terrific stretch of sandy beach on the Atlantic Ocean and has a prime location on the Intracoastal Waterway, was a sleepy outlier for years. It was a place you drove through along A1A on your way to far tonier Boca Raton or continued on your way to Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

As the fortunes of other cities rose – think Miami Beach and West Palm Beach – Delray Beach seemed stuck in time and passed over. Given that it’s only about a 20 minute drive south from Palm Beach International Airport, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before it was discovered.

In the past 20 years, the dynamic restaurant scene on the city’s Atlantic Avenue, along with lively bars and a number of art galleries, is what seems to have elevated its reputation and potential. Slowly, the city with a welcoming low-key vibe began going upscale. Yet it has long been lacking a great hotel. That scenario is likely to change with the forthcoming opening of The Ray in July, 2021 … read more