Move to Delray Beach

We recently moved south a few miles to the city of Delray Beach… known as a Village by the Sea.. We were living in downtown West Palm Beach and often rode south on A1A to Delray Beach. Delray Beach is a small town of probably a maximum of 75,000 people, but it has become a destination for South Florida tourism with its restaurants and boutiques and the many Festivals and Events planned throughout the year. The main street is Atlantic Ave and stretches from East to West, from the ocean toward I 95.

Along Atlantic Ave one can find everything to please the palette from a four star restaurant to a side walk café, a Kilwin’s ice cream and chocolate shop, and a bakery offering breads for every taste, and a Bistro called Brulee that offers healthy gourmet dishes to eat sur place or take home. This village is also a shopaholic’s dream with an array of boutiques and galleries. Here is a link to a great site with so much info about Downtown Delray Beach. http://www.downtowndelraybeach.com/

The Delray Tennis Center has been very instrumental in developing the downtown area as it offers top notch professional ATP tennis events. Coming in February is the 2010 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (ITC), an expanded 9-day tennis extravaganza at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center Feb. 20-28 that includes both an ATP World Tour and ATP Champions Tour event. Both events will be held simultaneously over the 9-day Delray Beach ITC in February. Already committed to the ATP World Tour event are 2009 defending champions Mardy Fish and the No. 1 world-ranked Bryan Brothers, while tennis icon John McEnroe highlights an ATP Champions Tour card that also includes former Grand Slam champions Mats Wilander and Pat Cash.With James Blake, Tommy Haas, and Mardy Fish, the 18th annual ATP World Tour tournament will showcase three players who have played in the last four ITC finals. Fish is 13-5 in Delray Beach, Blake is 9-4 and Haas 7-3.

Of course the beaches are spectacular and a big draw every year. It is one of the few beaches that offer comfortable accommodations like beach lounge chairs and umbrellas. That was a big plus for us as we can pay a yearly fee and not have to worry about hauling all sorts of gear to the beach. We know that we have a double chaise lounge with nice pads and a big umbrella for the sun. So we can just tool over to the beach on our Vespas with a towel and a book and we are all set.

Delray Beach is a very nice place to live and a great place to visit.

Tennis Anyone?

We have a famous, world renown, public tennis center right near downtown Fort Lauderdale inside Holiday Park. The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center (JETC) is located just minutes from the world famous Fort Lauderdale Beach in the lush tropical setting of Holiday Park.

The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center was managed for 49 years by none other than Jimmy Evert, the father of former # 1, Chris Evert. We have to say that he is one great gentleman and is loved by all who come in contact with him. His love of tennis and this facility made for a very special place for all of us to enjoy the sport. We can remember when he would walk the courts with towels in hand after a rain delay to soak up puddles so that players could get back on the courts as soon as possible. No job was beneath him. When he retired in 1997, the City of Fort Lauderdale honored its “Patriarch of Tennis” by renaming the former Holiday Park Tennis Center to its present name, the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center. Since his retirement there has not been one person who could come close to his dedication to the center, the sport and it’s membership.

Since the JETC is a public facility, membership fees are kept low due to the fact that property taxes contribute to the maintenance of the center. Since the majority of the courts are clay, there is a hefty maintenance bill. If you live in the city limits of Fort Lauderdale an adult membership is only $212.00 per year for all the tennis you can physically play. And if you are a Senior then it is only $185.50. Couples are only $365.70 and Families are 418.70 for the year. And added to that benefit is the fact that you can also play at George English Tennis Center with your membership. Tennis is really a bargain in our area and we take advantage of it, playing several times a week. Imagine playing on clay courts all year at that rate, it is amazing when you think about it.

The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center has 18 lighted clay courts and 3 hard courts, while George English, which is within a mile east, has 7 lighted hard courts. Both of these centers are close to the beaches. The Center hosts several tournaments each year, like the USTA National Open Clay Court Championships coming up in May of this year. Both the Boy’s 14 and Girl’s 12 clay court championships are hosted here. The Girl's 12 was just held last weekend. And these tiny tots taking lessons are the future of tennis in our area.

There is such a warm atmosphere here at the JETC. Some people have been coming here for many years and even when they no longer play the game, they come and visit with everyone and watch the tennis. This is one of the few tennis facilities where you can walk up with your racket in hand and pick up a cordial game of tennis in a matter of minutes. Many times there are players looking for a 4th for their doubles game and will welcome you in. Tennis is such a great social sport and the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center is a prime example of how wonderful it can be to play the game of tennis.

The club house was built new around 1996 and is still a rather simple homey building. Inside the club house you can browse the photos of all the famous tennis players who have graced the halls here. You hope that just a tad of that skill will rub off on you as you pass. JETC is called the “Home of Champions”.