Reviews & Comments
Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach: best place in Central FL part 2 -
11/5/2017They also built a Tanger Outlet Store with multiple shops.
You can find things to do in Daytona Beach. I think the area gets a very bad rap at times due to Bike Week and Spring Break (which at times can get out of control). However, if you go during certain times of the year, you will have a great time.
I am in my mid-thirties and I found better dating opportunities in Daytona Beach than I ever did in Orlando, FL. Men and women can find a good quality of potential mates during happy hour at restaurants and bars on Seabreeze Blvd, Main Street, A1A, Daytona Interational Speedway Blvd, and Beach Street.
I would not recommend going to North Ridgewood Ave in Daytona Beach, because of the prostitution and the drug dealings that tend to go on. This is big at night and at times during the day. It's like Orlando with Orange Blossom Trail.
Outside that, there is really nothing bad about the Daytona Beach area if you are looking for a great beach area to live or visit.
Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach is the best place in Central FL -
11/5/2017I moved here in 2016 from Orlando, FL. Prior to that, I would visit Daytona Beach, once a month from 2011 to 2016. When I left Orlando to go to Daytona Beach, I felt a very good vibe. The people in Daytona Beach are laid back and cool to a certain point.
The cost of living is much cheaper than Orlando and Jacksonville. Rent in Orlando ranged from $900 to $1500 and I lived near Altamonte Springs. In Daytona Beach, you can find good apartments in the $780 to $900 range (especially in South Daytona). I have a few friends in Jacksonville that pay from $850 to $1200 in rent.
The beach life is great. Bike Week is not bad (although not perfect). The Daytona 500 is legendary and the racetrack is a surreal experience and I am not into auto racing.
If you like college football on a local level, there is Bethune-Cookman University. They are usually one of the top teams in the MEAC Conference.
Along with Bethune-Cookman (named after former philanthropist and civil rights leader Mary M. Bethune), Embery-Riddle and Daytona State College are very good colleges/universities with Embery-Riddle best known for producing elite pilots.
The LPGA International golf club is underrated compared to golf courses in Augusta and Jacksonville.
Beach Street has good restaurants from Italian, Mexican, to Organic. They also have block parties for art events, breast cancer awareness, and more.
The Daytona Tortugas are a very good minor league baseball team. They play at the Jackie Robinson Ballpark. It was named after him because Daytona Beach was the first Florida city to allow Jackie Robinson to play during spring training in 1946.
Ocean Walk is the place to go and shop as well on A1A. The Ocean Center holds various events like comedy shows, ice skating events, concerts, cheerleader competitions, and more.
The city is great because it's kind of laid back enough to relax compared to Jacksonville and Orlando (except during Bike Week, Daytona 500, and spring break), but big enough to where you can go out and have a good time and not be super bored.
I would strongly recommend to at least visit the area and judge for yourself.