Readers selected Delray Beach as the ‘Best Beach in Florida’ for the second consecutive year in USA Today’s 2025 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Photo provided
By Christine Davis
Delray Beach was named for the second consecutive year as the “Best Beach in Florida” in USA Today’s 2025 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
To determine the winner, a panel selected a short list of Florida’s finest beaches, and the public was then invited to vote daily for their favorite destination, with voting concluding on May 19.
“We’re thrilled — but not surprised — that Delray Beach has earned this recognition again,” said Laura Simon, executive director of the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority.
Added Stephanie Immelman, CEO of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce: “In Delray Beach, the beach is just the beginning. Our internationally recognized Blue Flag beach is complemented by a walkable downtown full of unique restaurants, local boutiques and inspiring art galleries. With year-round events and a welcoming, engaged community, Delray Beach is the kind of place people fall in love with — and keep coming back to.”
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Two Florida cities were named All-America for 2025 — and Delray Beach is not one of them.
The city, one of 20 finalists in the annual National Civic League competition, sent a delegation to Denver to present the city’s case over the June 28-29 weekend, led by Vice Mayor Rob Long and City Manager Terrence Moore.
Delray Beach lost out to Tallahassee and Port St. Lucie — and eight other cities across the country. Delray Beach had previously won the honor in 1993, 2001 and 2017.
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1140 S Ocean LLC, managed by homebuilder Joseph G. Farrell Jr. of West Palm Beach-based Farrell Cos., sold the ocean-to-Intracoastal estate at 1140 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, for $55.5 million to a company linked to WeatherTech founder and CEO David F. MacNeil.
Farrell bought the 1.6-acre property for $32.5 million in January 2024, then built the 13-bedroom, 23,400-square-foot home with a guesthouse, two pools, a pickleball court, a gym and a dock on the Intracoastal Waterway. It was listed for sale in August 2024 for $95 million.
A note: In May 2024, MacNeil’s Whiskey Tango 1120 LLC bought the adjacent home at 1120 S. Ocean Blvd. for $38.5 million.
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The five-bedroom, 8,370-square-foot estate at 1788 Royal Palm Way in the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Boca Raton, sold for $31.5 million. The Intracoastal Waterway property belonged to the late Barbara M. Voorhees, with Candace Clark as personal representative.
The new owner is listed as the 1788 Royal Palm Way Land Trust, with Jeffrey D. Fisher as trustee. Douglas Elliman agent Louise Buehler represented the seller, with David W. Roberts of Royal Palm Properties representing the buyer.
The home, built on a 0.74-acre lot in 2014, last traded for $16.75 million in 2020.
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Andrew Charles Wilkins, a managing partner of Atlantic Street Capital Management LLC, sold his four-bedroom, 4,344-square-foot Bermuda-style estate at 3809 Bermuda Lane in Gulf Stream for $8.5 million in May.
The new owner is Jason K. Peterson, trustee of the Peterson Trust. The home sits on a 0.94-acre lot. Pascal Liguori Estate Group represented the seller and Cole Devitt of Premier Estate Properties represented the buyer.
Wilkins bought the property in 2018 for $3.6 million. The home was originally listed in October 2023 for $12 million.
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The eight townhomes of Casa Avenida offer private elevators, second-floor terraces with pool/spa, and much more. Photo provided
Casa Avenida, a collection of eight four-story townhomes at 102 SE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027.
Developed by 4TRO Development and Kastelo Development and designed by RWB-Linares Architecture, the townhomes range in size from 2,804 to 3,336 square feet, with prices starting around $3 million.
Each unit features a private elevator, two-car garage, second-floor terrace with a pool/spa and a fourth-floor terrace with an outdoor kitchen and bonus room. The townhomes are exclusively offered for sale by TJ Verdiglione and Nicole Melveney of the GVC Real Estate Team at Douglas Elliman.
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Delray Beach-based Festival Management Group named Jennifer Costello as its executive director in June.
With more than 20 years of experience at the company, Costello started as a school group volunteer, moving up to ultimately serve as associate director assisting one of the founders, Nancy Stewart-Franczak, who died in April.
Costello is also a retired neighborhood planner with the city of Delray Beach.
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Boca Raton-based HairClub, a company that offers hair-loss products and treatments, appointed Boca Raton resident Ahmad M. Wardak as its new president and chief executive officer.
Wardak joined the company in September 2022 as chief sales and marketing officer. He later rose to chief financial officer, and then to president/chief operating officer. HairClub credits Wardak with returning the company to profitability after five consecutive years of operating losses.
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The Tinka Ellington Group recently joined Compass, operating out of the Compass office at 101 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Tinka Ellington and her team of seven agents specialize in coastal and waterfront properties in areas that include Lighthouse Point, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Highland Beach, Delray Beach and Deerfield Beach.
Previously at 444 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, the team has garnered more than $254 million in sales volume and offers 25 years of combined experience.
“The team structure Compass offers is most useful for our future growth plans in addition to the brokerage’s superior technology and innovative services, which will greatly benefit our clients,” Ellington said.
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The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County is hosting a free online discussion with Barbara Cheives titled “Backslide/Backlash: Where Do We Go from Here?” on July 16 from noon to 1 p.m. Cheives is president and CEO of Converge & Associates Consulting. The talk will assess the future of affirmative action and similar initiatives.
Her consulting expertise includes law enforcement and public safety, not-for-profit organizations, media, education and corporations. She served as the first executive director of Toward a More Perfect Union in Palm Beach County, and she is a past chair of the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission. She also served on former West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio’s transition team.
Register at lwvpbc.org.
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Several growing startups recently joined Global Ventures’ incubator program at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University to expand their businesses in the United States. Global Ventures offers flexible work spaces, access to university resources, investor connections and expert guidance.
The new startups are: MyWayv, an Israeli company that uses artificial intelligence to provide emotional and mental health support; Enetsec, a Brazilian-founded startup that uses digital forensics to fight cybercrime; PayPhone App, an Ecuadorian-founded financial tech firm that facilitates mobile payments; FocusSafe, a U.S. and Argentina company that uses education technology software to help schools improve classroom focus and campus safety; and Totaligent, an AI-powered digital marketing platform across email, text, social media and online ads.
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Delray Beach resident Linda Cavasini opened H2Oasis Shampoo Bed Spa, 1325 N. Federal Highway, Suite 122, Delray Beach. With nearly 40 years of hairdressing expertise from here and New York City, Cavasini offers her clients professional classic haircuts, blow-dries, and scalp treatments, all designed to be more than a standard salon visit. She can be reached at 561-389‑4750.
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Delray Beach Housing Authority’s Delray Housing Group Inc. won the Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County’s 2025 Nonprofit of the Year award for Island Cove, an affordable housing community.
Island Cove, at 900 SW 12th Ave., consists of 60 apartments for eligible families earning below 70% of the median income in the area. The endeavor was a partnership among Smith & Henzy Group, the Delray Housing Group, and Delray Beach Housing Authority.
“The Island Cove project was an immense success in providing affordable housing for the residents we serve in Delray Beach,” said Shirley Erazo, president and CEO of Delray Beach Housing Authority/Delray Housing Group. “We continue to strive for more opportunities for housing. Our commitment is our mission to provide working families a place to call home by providing them with affordable housing opportunities.”
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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