As the only city in Florida to be named an All-American City twice in the past decade, Delray Beach is justifiably proud of turning what was a tired "downtown" into the vibrant heart of this New Florida community.

Atlantic Avenue, "main street," today is a picturesque scene of quaint shops, galleries, and casual-to-chic restaurants. Art and jazz nights see thousands spilling into the streets.

With its paver brick sidewalks and decorative lighting, this restored downtown is made for walking, browsing and antiquing. At the western end of this downtown, Old School Square, once the Delray Beach High School, has been transformed into the multi-million dollar centerpiece of the historic shopping district.

Delray Beach has emerged as a leading figure in Florida's growing historic preservation movement. The city has designated several neighborhoods as historic districts -- places where residents are encouraged to preserve old homes as a living link to Delray's illustrious past.

But a growing number of neighborhoods also speak to the emergence of Delray Beach as home of some of South Florida's grandest estates. A number of magnificient mansions are located along the southern part of the town's two-mile stretch of oceanfront, and other premier properties overlook the Intracoastal Waterway.

On the western side of town, private gated communities like Stone Creek Ranch, a secure, private enclave of lakeside luxury homes,just to the west of Florida's Turnpike, are being developed.

Only minutes away from Delray Beach is the Boca Raton Airport, base of operations for more private jets than any similar facility elsewhere in the country.

Palm Beach International Airport just off Interstate 95 a half-hour to the north and Fort Lauderdale International Airport just off Interstate 95 a half-hour to the south are the closest options for those seeking commercial flights to virtually any city in the United States.

Boca Raton

While a growing number of premier properties are found in exclusive private communities on the mainland, much of the most expensive real estate is located on the barrier island, where Boca has five miles of spectacular ocean frontage, and far more miles of premier frontage along both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway

The Boca Raton Resort & Club is Boca Raton's signature site with its pink tower rising 27 stories above the Intracoastal Waterway. The nearby barrier-island properties, both luxury condos and grand estates, many of which feature ocean or Intracoastal views, tend to be very up-market.

Across the Intracoastal on the mainland, Boca Raton is a mecca for shoppers and diners. Mizner Park, with its beautiful landscaping, is the place to see and be seen, with 45 specialty shops and seven good restaurants.

Boca's Town Center Mall has seven huge department stores, including Nordstrom as well as Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as dozens of high-end specialty shops.

Highland Beach

The quiet Town of Highland Beach, a small enclave between Boca Raton and Delray Bach, boasts that its "Main Street" is a beautiful tree-lined stretch of state road A1A. But Main Street, in this case, does not mean shops and restaurants. Except for a recently remodeled Holiday Inn directly on the beach, the town is strictly residential. While many residents of Highland Beach still live in the condos, recent years have seen a boom in construction of grand mansions on both the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Gulf Stream

This wealthy oceanfront hamlet's most precious possessions are 400 Australian pines that form a shady canopy over A1A, which separates the premier estates on the Intracoastal Waterway from the oceanfront mansions. Gulf Stream is out to preserve its unique character with some of the most restrictive zoning regulations in the county, governing window sizes, mail boxes, and even lawn ornaments.

Ocean Ridge

Immediately to the north of Gulf Stream is the town of Ocean Ridge, a three-mile-long stretch of mansions, luxury condominium complexes and older homes. The town is views itself as low-key, low-density and low profile -- but like its neighbors to the south, Ocean Ridge boasts fabulous views both of the ocean and sunsets across the Intracoastal Waterway.

Manalapan

Only a few hundred families have the good fortune of living in the tiny enclave of Manalapan, which boasts some colossal mansions on both the ocean and the intercoastal waterway. At the northernmost end of Manalapan on seven beachfront acres is the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach Hotel (a luxurious resort even though it is not, as its name would lead you to believe, in the town of Palm Beach).

Hillsboro Beach

Immediately across the Hillsboro Intet from Boca Raton, in Broward County, is the town of Hillsboro Beach. Situated on a narrow peninsula that runs 3.2 miles south to Deerfield Beach, Hillsboro Beach -- bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway -- is about 900 feet wide at its widest. The stretch of A1A that runs through Hillsboro Beach is called the the Hillsboro Mile (even though it is longer than that) and is lined by some of the most luxurious homes along South Florida's 'Gold Coast.'