Delray Beach, Florida
Encyclopedia
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County
, Florida
, USA
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 64,150.
presumably lived or passed through the area at various times, and hunters, trappers, and runaway slaves may also have lived or passed through the area in the 18th and 19th centuries, but there is no record or evidence of them.
Recorded history begins with the construction of the Orange Grove House of Refuge
in 1876. The house derived its name from the grove of mature sour orange and other tropical fruit trees found at the site chosen for the house of refuge, but no record or evidence of who planted the trees has survived.
Settlement began around 1884, when African-Americans from the Panhandle of Florida
purchased land a little inland from the Orange Grove House of Refuge and began farming. By 1894 the Black community was large enough to establish the first school in the area.
In 1894 William S. Linton
, a Republican US Congressman for Saginaw, Michigan
, bought a tract of land just west of the Orange Grove House of Refuge, and began selling plots in what he hoped would become a farming community. Initially, this community was named after Linton. In 1896 Henry Flagler
extended his Florida East Coast Railroad
south from West Palm Beach
to Miami
, with a station at Linton.
The Linton settlers began to achieve success with truck farming of winter vegetables for the northern market. A hard freeze in 1898 was a setback, and many of the settlers left, including William Linton. Partly in an attempt to change the community's luck, or to leave behind a bad reputation, the settlement's name was changed in 1901 to Delray, after the Detroit neighborhood of Delray
("Delray" being the anglicized spelling of "Del Rey," which is Spanish
for "of the king"), which in turn was named after the Mexican-American War's Battle of Molino del Rey
).
By 1910, Delray had a population of 250. In 1911, the area was chartered by the State of Florida as an incorporated town. In the same year, pineapple
and tomato canning
plants were built. Pineapples became the primary crop of the area. This is reflected in the name of the present day Pineapple Grove neighborhood near downtown Delray Beach. By 1920, Delray's population had reached 1,051.
In the 1920s, drainage of the Everglades
west of Delray lowered the water table, making it harder to grow pineapples, while the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West
resulted in competition from Cuba
n pineapples for the markets of the northern United States.
The Florida land boom of the 1920s
brought renewed prosperity to Delray. Tourism and real estate speculation became important parts of the local economy. Delray issued bonds
to raise money to install water and sewer lines, paved streets, and sidewalks. Several hotels were built. At that time Delray was the largest town on the east coast of Florida between West Palm Beach
and Fort Lauderdale
. The collapse of the land boom in 1926 left Delray saddled with high bond debts, and greatly reduced income from property tax
es.
Delray was separated from the Atlantic Ocean
beach by the Florida East Coast Canal (now part of the Intracoastal Waterway
). In 1923 the area between the canal and the ocean was incorporated as Delray Beach. In 1927 Delray and Delray Beach merged into one town named Delray Beach.
has brought business to the area. It has hosted several major international tennis events such as the April 2005 Fed Cup
(USA vs. Belgium, the April 2004 Davis Cup
(USA vs. Sweden), the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships
(ATP
Event), and the Chris Evert
/ Bank of America
Pro Celebrity.
Several local historic landmark structures were renovated during the last decade of the 20th century. These include Old School Square
, formerly Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, since turned into a cultural center; and the Colony Hotel. Old School Square comprises the Crest Theatre, a venue for the performing arts, in the former High School building; the 1925 Gymnasium, restored to maintain its appearance, which has since become a popular venue for local events such as wedding receptions and dances; the Cornell Museum of Art and History, built in the restored Elementary School; and a recently constructed outdoor entertainment pavilion, which serves as a venue for musical performances and has also been used for events such as political rallies.
The historic home of teacher/principal Solomon D. Spady was renovated and turned into the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. The Spady Museum houses black archives. It hosts exhibits and programs designed to recognize the efforts of blacks who were instrumental in shaping Delray Beach and Palm Beach County. In 2007 the museum was expanded by renovating a 1935 cottage as a Kid's Cultural Clubhouse, and the construction of a 50-seat amphitheater named for C. Spencer Pompey, a pioneer black educator.
Atlantic Community High School
was rebuilt in 2005 on a different site from the previous school, a plan which was met with much contention.
The current mayor of Delray Beach is former vice mayor Woodie McDuffie.
and directly south of Boynton Beach, Florida
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²), of which 15.4 square miles (40 km²) is land and 0.53 square miles (1 km²) is water (3.34%).
Delray Beach's location in South Palm Beach County is in the middle of Florida's Southeast Economic Region, within 30 minutes of two international airports and two seaports.
. Downtown has expanded since then. In 2010, downtown extends west to I-95
and east as the Atlantic Ocean
; The north-south boundaries extend roughly two blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue.
Af).
As of 2010, there were 34,156 households out of which 20.4% were vacant. As of 2000, 18.9% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.
In 2000, the city's population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,371, and the median income for a family was $51,195. Males had a median income of $33,699 versus $28,469 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $29,350. About 8.2% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English
as a first language
accounted for 75.44% of all residents, while French Creole accounted for 11.73%, Spanish
consisted of 7.02%, French
was at 1.87%, Italian
at 0.88%, and German
made up 0.75% of the population.
As of 2000, Delray Beach had the sixteenth highest percentage of Haiti
an residents in the US, with 10.50% of the population.
(ITC) is an ATP World Tour 250 series
men's tennis tournament held every year in the city. It is played on hard courts. The event was held in Coral Springs from 1993–1999; in 1999, it was relocated to the Delray Beach Tennis Center. American Todd Martin
won the first ever ITC in 1993..
On July 20, 2010, the city's commissioners proclaimed that the city's name would be officially changed to Tennis Beach for one week in honor of its nomination by the United States Tennis Association
as one of the top tennis towns in the United States.
. In addition, there are a number of free municipal parking lots and garages.
The Delray Affair is a three day long art and street fair, in the Downtown Delray Arts District annually.
The Delray Beach Garlic Fest is a three day music, food, and art festival held annually on the grounds of Old School Square
. Originally held in November, in 2006 it was moved to the second weekend of February.
Art & Jazz on the Avenue, held six times a year, is produced by the Delray Beach Downtown Marketing Cooperative.
Gallery Walk held every Friday nights 7pm to 10pm where downtown galleries, art studios, and showrooms open their doors to the public for an evening of art, music, & refreshments along Atlantic Avenue in the Downtown Delray Arts District.
projects have recently been constructed in the areas immediately north and south of Atlantic Avenue. To accommodate the anticipated growth the city has also built two new municipal parking garages.
, as designated by Sister Cities International
: Miyazu, Kyoto
, Japan
- Miyazu was the birthplace of George Morikami, for whom Morikami Park
and the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
is named. Moshi
, Tanzania
Nahariya
, Israel
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 64,150.
The early years
Native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
presumably lived or passed through the area at various times, and hunters, trappers, and runaway slaves may also have lived or passed through the area in the 18th and 19th centuries, but there is no record or evidence of them.
Recorded history begins with the construction of the Orange Grove House of Refuge
Houses of Refuge in Florida
The Houses of Refuge in Florida were a series of stations operated by the United States Life-Saving Service along the coast of Florida to rescue and shelter ship-wrecked sailors. Five houses were constructed on the east coast in 1876, with five more added in 1885...
in 1876. The house derived its name from the grove of mature sour orange and other tropical fruit trees found at the site chosen for the house of refuge, but no record or evidence of who planted the trees has survived.
Settlement began around 1884, when African-Americans from the Panhandle of Florida
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
purchased land a little inland from the Orange Grove House of Refuge and began farming. By 1894 the Black community was large enough to establish the first school in the area.
In 1894 William S. Linton
William S. Linton
William Seelye Linton was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Linton was born in St. Clair, Michigan and moved with his parents to Saginaw in 1859, where he attended the public schools. He engaged as clerk in a store at Farwell and became engaged in various activities connected with the...
, a Republican US Congressman for Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
, bought a tract of land just west of the Orange Grove House of Refuge, and began selling plots in what he hoped would become a farming community. Initially, this community was named after Linton. In 1896 Henry Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway...
extended his Florida East Coast Railroad
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
south from West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, with a station at Linton.
The Linton settlers began to achieve success with truck farming of winter vegetables for the northern market. A hard freeze in 1898 was a setback, and many of the settlers left, including William Linton. Partly in an attempt to change the community's luck, or to leave behind a bad reputation, the settlement's name was changed in 1901 to Delray, after the Detroit neighborhood of Delray
Delray, Detroit
Delray is a neighborhood and former incorporated village, located on the south side of Detroit, Michigan. It is isolated from other areas of Detroit by industrial warehouses and Interstate 75...
("Delray" being the anglicized spelling of "Del Rey," which is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "of the king"), which in turn was named after the Mexican-American War's Battle of Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey
The Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
).
By 1910, Delray had a population of 250. In 1911, the area was chartered by the State of Florida as an incorporated town. In the same year, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
and tomato canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
plants were built. Pineapples became the primary crop of the area. This is reflected in the name of the present day Pineapple Grove neighborhood near downtown Delray Beach. By 1920, Delray's population had reached 1,051.
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
west of Delray lowered the water table, making it harder to grow pineapples, while the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
resulted in competition from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n pineapples for the markets of the northern United States.
The Florida land boom of the 1920s
Florida land boom of the 1920s
The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble, which burst in 1925, leaving behind entire new cities and the remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City in south Miami-Dade County and Isola di Lolando in north Biscayne Bay...
brought renewed prosperity to Delray. Tourism and real estate speculation became important parts of the local economy. Delray issued bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
to raise money to install water and sewer lines, paved streets, and sidewalks. Several hotels were built. At that time Delray was the largest town on the east coast of Florida between West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
and Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. The collapse of the land boom in 1926 left Delray saddled with high bond debts, and greatly reduced income from property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
es.
Delray was separated from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
beach by the Florida East Coast Canal (now part of the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
). In 1923 the area between the canal and the ocean was incorporated as Delray Beach. In 1927 Delray and Delray Beach merged into one town named Delray Beach.
Post World War II
Since the end of World War II, downtown Delray, located in the eastern part of the city, along Atlantic Avenue, east of I-95 and stretching to the beach, has undergone a large scale renovation. The Delray Beach Tennis CenterDelray Beach Tennis Center
Delray Beach Tennis Center is a tennis center in Delray Beach, Florida. Built in 1992, it currently holds 8,200 spectators.It has hosted Fed Cup and Davis Cup matches....
has brought business to the area. It has hosted several major international tennis events such as the April 2005 Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...
(USA vs. Belgium, the April 2004 Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
(USA vs. Sweden), the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships
Delray Beach International Tennis Championships
The International Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour 250 series men's tennis tournament held every year in Delray Beach, Florida, and played on hard courts. The event was held in Coral Springs from 1993–1998; in 1999, it was relocated to the Delray Beach Tennis Center...
(ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
Event), and the Chris Evert
Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. She was the year-ending World No...
/ Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
Pro Celebrity.
Several local historic landmark structures were renovated during the last decade of the 20th century. These include Old School Square
Old School Square
Old School Square Cultural Arts Center is a historic area located at 51 North Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida, United States. It is built on the former site and former buildings of the now defunct Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton...
, formerly Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, since turned into a cultural center; and the Colony Hotel. Old School Square comprises the Crest Theatre, a venue for the performing arts, in the former High School building; the 1925 Gymnasium, restored to maintain its appearance, which has since become a popular venue for local events such as wedding receptions and dances; the Cornell Museum of Art and History, built in the restored Elementary School; and a recently constructed outdoor entertainment pavilion, which serves as a venue for musical performances and has also been used for events such as political rallies.
The historic home of teacher/principal Solomon D. Spady was renovated and turned into the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. The Spady Museum houses black archives. It hosts exhibits and programs designed to recognize the efforts of blacks who were instrumental in shaping Delray Beach and Palm Beach County. In 2007 the museum was expanded by renovating a 1935 cottage as a Kid's Cultural Clubhouse, and the construction of a 50-seat amphitheater named for C. Spencer Pompey, a pioneer black educator.
Atlantic Community High School
Atlantic Community High School
Atlantic Community High School is a public high school located in Delray Beach, Florida. It is part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Known for its academics, many students attend due to the school's International Baccalaureate program and its ranking as a top-rated school for many...
was rebuilt in 2005 on a different site from the previous school, a plan which was met with much contention.
The current mayor of Delray Beach is former vice mayor Woodie McDuffie.
Controversy
In 2007, Delray Beach was labeled as the drug recovery capital of the United States because it had one of the country’s largest recovery communities and relative number of halfway houses. However, as of July 7, 2009, the mayor and the city commissioners have approved ordinances that change the status of Delray Beach as the recovery capital, by making it illegal for sober houses and other transient rentals to operate in the area. These ordinances may be tested in the courts in the future.Geography
Delray Beach is located at 26.459101°N 80.083038°W. It lies directly north of Boca Raton, FloridaBoca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
and directly south of Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 60,389 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the city had a population of 66,714 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²), of which 15.4 square miles (40 km²) is land and 0.53 square miles (1 km²) is water (3.34%).
Delray Beach's location in South Palm Beach County is in the middle of Florida's Southeast Economic Region, within 30 minutes of two international airports and two seaports.
Downtown location
In earlier years downtown Delray was centered along Atlantic Avenue as far west as Swinton Avenue and as far east as the intracoastal waterwayIntracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
. Downtown has expanded since then. In 2010, downtown extends west to I-95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
and east as the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
; The north-south boundaries extend roughly two blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue.
Climate
Delray Beach has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Af).
Demographics
| Delray Beach Demographics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Census United States Census, 2010 The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals... |
Delray Beach | Palm Beach County | Florida |
| Total population | 60,522 | 1,320,134 | 18,801,310 |
| Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 | |||
| Population density | 3,828.4/sq mi | 670.2/sq mi | 350.6/sq mi |
| White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) | 65.7% | 73.5% | 75.0% |
| (Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian Non-Hispanic Whites Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is... ) |
59.2% | 60.1% | 57.9% |
| Black or African-American | 28.0% | 17.3% | 16.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 9.5% | 19.0% | 22.5% |
| Asian | 1.8% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) Multiracial American Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their... |
1.7% | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Some Other Race | 2.5% | 3.9% | 3.6% |
As of 2010, there were 34,156 households out of which 20.4% were vacant. As of 2000, 18.9% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.
In 2000, the city's population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $43,371, and the median income for a family was $51,195. Males had a median income of $33,699 versus $28,469 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $29,350. About 8.2% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as a first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
accounted for 75.44% of all residents, while French Creole accounted for 11.73%, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
consisted of 7.02%, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
was at 1.87%, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
at 0.88%, and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
made up 0.75% of the population.
As of 2000, Delray Beach had the sixteenth highest percentage of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an residents in the US, with 10.50% of the population.
Sports
Delray Beach International Tennis ChampionshipsDelray Beach International Tennis Championships
The International Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour 250 series men's tennis tournament held every year in Delray Beach, Florida, and played on hard courts. The event was held in Coral Springs from 1993–1998; in 1999, it was relocated to the Delray Beach Tennis Center...
(ITC) is an ATP World Tour 250 series
ATP World Tour 250 series
The ATP World Tour 250 series is a new series for tennis tournaments of the Association of Tennis Professionals from the 2009 ATP World Tour...
men's tennis tournament held every year in the city. It is played on hard courts. The event was held in Coral Springs from 1993–1999; in 1999, it was relocated to the Delray Beach Tennis Center. American Todd Martin
Todd Martin
----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:...
won the first ever ITC in 1993..
On July 20, 2010, the city's commissioners proclaimed that the city's name would be officially changed to Tennis Beach for one week in honor of its nomination by the United States Tennis Association
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
as one of the top tennis towns in the United States.
Retail
Downtown Delray Beach is a retail, cultural, and residential hub. The area offers restaurants, retail, nightclubs, and art galleries. The city presents a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, which is aided by the prevalence of parallel parkingParallel parking
thumb|250px|right|Parallel-parked cars in [[Washington, D.C.]]thumb|250px|right|A motorist gets assistance parallel-parkingParallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each...
. In addition, there are a number of free municipal parking lots and garages.
Tourist attractions
In 2009, expansion of the Downtown Delray Beach Arts District was established that features galleries, and cultural organizations in South Florida. These have existed in Delray for more than 20 years along the Atlantic Avenue and the connecting side streets.The Delray Affair is a three day long art and street fair, in the Downtown Delray Arts District annually.
The Delray Beach Garlic Fest is a three day music, food, and art festival held annually on the grounds of Old School Square
Old School Square
Old School Square Cultural Arts Center is a historic area located at 51 North Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida, United States. It is built on the former site and former buildings of the now defunct Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton...
. Originally held in November, in 2006 it was moved to the second weekend of February.
Art & Jazz on the Avenue, held six times a year, is produced by the Delray Beach Downtown Marketing Cooperative.
Gallery Walk held every Friday nights 7pm to 10pm where downtown galleries, art studios, and showrooms open their doors to the public for an evening of art, music, & refreshments along Atlantic Avenue in the Downtown Delray Arts District.
Recent development
Downtown Delray has had a building boom from roughly 2003-2008. New mixed-use developmentMixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
projects have recently been constructed in the areas immediately north and south of Atlantic Avenue. To accommodate the anticipated growth the city has also built two new municipal parking garages.
Notable landmarks and buildings
- The Colony Hotel, built in 1926, is a "Delray Beach Historic Landmark"
- Old School SquareOld School SquareOld School Square Cultural Arts Center is a historic area located at 51 North Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida, United States. It is built on the former site and former buildings of the now defunct Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton...
- Delray Beach Tennis CenterDelray Beach Tennis CenterDelray Beach Tennis Center is a tennis center in Delray Beach, Florida. Built in 1992, it currently holds 8,200 spectators.It has hosted Fed Cup and Davis Cup matches....
, Tennis stadium capable of seating 8,200 spectators - St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic ChurchSt. Vincent Ferrer Catholic ChurchSaint Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church in Delray Beach, Florida. It became famous for two consecutive pastors being found guilty of embezzling donations. It is connected with the elementary and middle school located on the same campus.In 2007, the boy's varsity basketball...
, on the edge of the downtown area.
Points of interest
- American Orchid Society Visitor Center and Botanical Garden
- Morikami Museum and Japanese GardensMorikami Museum and Japanese GardensThe Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a center for Japanese arts and culture located west of Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The campus includes two museum buildings, the Roji-en Japanese Gardens: Garden of the Drops of Dew, a bonsai garden, a museum gift shop and...
- Roji-en Japanese GardensRoji-en Japanese GardensThe Roji-en: Garden of the Drops of Dew, The George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Japanese Gardens consists of six gardens representing different periods in the development of the Japanese garden. It occupies 16 acres of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Morikami Park in suburban Delray...
- Delray Beach Public Library
- Cason Cottage
- Old School SquareOld School SquareOld School Square Cultural Arts Center is a historic area located at 51 North Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida, United States. It is built on the former site and former buildings of the now defunct Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton...
- Downtown Delray Arts District
- The Artists Guild
- Delray Tennis Center
- Spady Museum
- South County Courthouse
- Wakodahatchee WetlandsWakodahatchee WetlandsLocated in Delray Beach, Florida, the park was created on of unused utility land, and transformed into a recreation wetlands open to the public with a three-quarter mile boardwalk that crosses between open water pond areas, emergent marsh areas, shallow shelves, and islands with shrubs and snags...
Transportation
- Delray Beach (Tri-Rail station)Delray Beach (Tri-Rail station)Delray Beach Station is a train station in Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, which is served by Tri-Rail and Amtrak. It is located on South Congress Avenue , south of West Atlantic Avenue and east of State Road 9....
- The Downtown Roundabout: A free shuttle that connects the Tri-Rail Station to Downtown Delray Beach. With two routes, and 22 stops throughout the downtown, it operates 7 days a week.
Notable people
- Mike RumphMike RumphMichael Jamaine Rumph is a retired American football free safety and cornerback.-High school:...
, retired NFL free safety for the Washington Redskins - Bobby Butler, retired NFL player of the Atlanta Falcons. The first person out of Delray Beach to reach the NFL
- Leslie BuckLeslie BuckLeslie Buck was an American business executive and Holocaust survivor who designed the Anthora coffee cup, which has become an iconic symbol of New York City since its introduction in the 1960s.-Early life:...
, businessman, owned a second home in Delray Beach - Brandon FlowersBrandon Flowers (American football)Brandon Lavar Flowers is an American football cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft after playing college football at Virginia Tech...
, Professional football player - Rod MacDonaldRod MacDonaldRod MacDonald is an American folk singer/songwriter. He was a "big part of the 1980s folk revival in Greenwich Village clubs," performing at the Speakeasy, The Bottom Line, Folk City, and the Songwriter's Exchange at the Cornelia Street Cafe for many years. He co-founded the Greenwich Village...
, singer-songwriter-guitarist. - Gabriel SchillingerGabriel SchillingerGabriel Schillinger is a humanitarian activist and entrepreneur from Delray Beach, Florida. He is the co-founder and executive director of For Darfur. In 2009 Schillinger founded Decade Worldwide.- Kanye West concert for Darfur :...
, humanitarian activist and entrepreneur - Samari RolleSamari RolleSamari Toure Rolle is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
, retired NFL cornerback of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens
Sister cities
Delray Beach has two sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
, as designated by Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
: Miyazu, Kyoto
Miyazu, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 21,512 with 8,360 households and the density of 127.06 persons per km². The total area is 169.31 km²....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Miyazu was the birthplace of George Morikami, for whom Morikami Park
Morikami Park
Morikami Park is named after George Morikami, who donated the land for the park to Palm Beach County. It is the site of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, the American Orchid Society Visitor Center and Botanical Garden, and the Biwa Pavilion, with group shelters and picnic tables...
and the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a center for Japanese arts and culture located west of Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The campus includes two museum buildings, the Roji-en Japanese Gardens: Garden of the Drops of Dew, a bonsai garden, a museum gift shop and...
is named. Moshi
Moshi
Moshi is a Tanzanian town with a population of 144,739 in Kilimanjaro Region. The town is situated on the lower slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, a volcanic mountain that is the highest mountain in Africa....
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Sources
- "Old School Square Cultural Arts Center – Creatively Blending Past and Present in Downtown Delray Beach"
- Spady Museum, Connecting Culture and Community