100 Things We Love About Boca

 

Not necessarily in any order..but these are the things that we love about Boca. Send us your picks.

  1. University Commons—As shopping centers go, this one is tops.
  2. Mizner Park—As lifestyle centers go, Mizner Park works.
  3. Patch Reef Park—Large, plentiful activities. Wonderful
  4. Sugar Sand Park—We’ve seen some great hockey games at this standout park
  5. Boca High—Teaching STEM, building leaders
  6. Spanish River High’s Entrepreneurship Academy—Because entrepreneurship is not just the future, it’s the present.
  7. DSW Shoe Warehouse—If you’re a guy, bring a book and relax
  8. Town Center Mall—No better place to people watch
  9. MedUTech—Great positioning for Boca’s brand. Medicine, Education, Technology
  10. Don Estridge Middle School—If there’s a better middle school, we haven’t seen it
  11. Lynn University—We love their international student body and entrepreneurial approach to learning
  12. FAU Stadium—Now if we can only see it filled with fans
  13. Max’s Grille- A classic, with the world’s best crème brule.
  14. Brewzzi’s –Three words: Boca Blonde Ale
  15. The offices of 3CInteractive—Ultra cool digs for an ultra-cool company
  16. Deli On Rye—Always great pastrami.
  17. Bagel Wit A Schmear- www.bagelwitaschmear.com. The owners are great
  18. Saquella—Great sandwiches, great breads, great pastries.
  19. Arturo’s—Classic Italian on U.S. 1 north end of town.
  20. Trattoria Romano—The toast of Palmetto Park Road
  21. Hotdogopolis—Would make the list, if just for the name. But the dogs happen to be delicious
  22. SABR—Soccer Association of Boca Raton, great training ground for kids
  23. Nordstrom’s—Legendary service and a piano player
  24. Prime—We don’t smoke cigars, but we feel cool when we hang out here with friends who do
  25. Uncle Thai’s—Classic Boca restaurant, fantastic Asian food and great service
  26. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy—Progressive thinking by the Boca Chamber of Commerce
  27. IPIC—A great movie going experience and Tanzy’s is wonderful
  28. Villagio—Branzini never tasted so good. A taste of Northern Italy in east Boca’s Mizner Park
  29. Boca Chamber Festival Days—Especially White Coats 4 Care which supports FAU med students
  30. Jazziz Nightlife—A great place to catch great talent, half price wine on Mondays and Tuesdays
  31. The Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Classic Gala—Mingling with the stars at the Boca Resort
  32. Boca Bacchanal-Food and wine, enough said
  33. Boca Raton Historical Society—Preserving the past and Boca’s rich history
  34. George Snow Fund—Investing in tomorrow’s leaders and CEO Tim Snow is simply terrific
  35. Boca Surf and Sail—Great shop and Bob’s daily surf reports on twitter @bocasurfandsail are awesome
  36. Junior League Boca Raton—A tradition of doing great things for so many
  37. Free Summer Concert Series at Mizner Amphitheatre—Great live music helps us deal with the heat
  38. Cinemark Boca—Still the mac daddy for its variety and comfy facilities
  39. Living Room Theatres—Great concept, for the serious cinephile
  40. Shadowood Theatre—A West Boca Oasis for some off the beaten track movies
  41. The Boca Raton Symphonia-If you love classical and we do. https://www.bocasymphonia.org/
  42. A round of golf at Southwinds—Appealing to all levels of duffers
  43. Remembrance Plaza at Lynn University—A tasteful, beautiful and emotional tribute to those who lost their lives in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti
  44. The Wold Performing Arts Center—Scene of the 2012 Presidential Debate, you’d be hard pressed to find a more beautiful venue
  45. FAU’s Wide Array of Programs—Lectures, art, music, theater. It’s great to live in a college town. Visit https://www.fauevents.com/online/ for a full listing
  46. Old Floresta—Just a great neighborhood
  47. Boca Chamber Political Training Institute—Real world advice for those willing to seek it
  48. Costco—Sure there’s no sign…but at least it’s there
  49. Shake Shack—Danny Meyer’s hot New York concept is in Boca too
  50. Grazing at Whole Foods—Sure it can be pricey, but the food is great.
  51. Sonoma House—May be the best kept secret in Boca. A great, say that again, great venue for events, corporate retreats, conferences and weddings. www.thesonomahouse.com
  52. The Allianz Golf Tournament—For one splendid week in February, the champions descend on Broken Sound. A can’t miss event.
  53. Dancing With the Stars Boca Style—And all for a good cause, the Snow Scholarship Fund. www.ballroombattle.com
  54. Boca Ballet—Even if you don’t love ballet, you have to be impressed that Boca has its own company. Awesome performances since 1991. https://www.bocaballet.org/
  55. Boca Museum of Art—Paintings by the great masters, interesting exhibits and a convenient location at Mizner Park. www.bocamuseum.org
  56. The 4th Generation Organic Market-This east Boca gem is just a joy to visit. Shop or dine, it’s really cool and you’ll come back again and again. https://www.4thgenerationmarket.com/
  57. Offerdahl’s Café Grill—Once “just a bagel place”, Offerdahl’s is so much more. Great sandwiches and a wide ranging menu. And yes, Offerdahl was one heckuva linebacker for the Dolphins. Nice guy too. https://www.offerdahls.com/
  58. Boca Delivery Dudes—We can’t go out all the time, but we can bring restaurants to us thanks to Delivery Dudes. This smart concept puts convenience back into the delivery business with a roster of restaurants that grows every week. https://boca.deliverydudes.com/
  59. Table 42—Grass fed burgers, a huge menu and more pizza toppings than we’ve ever seen.
  60. Baja Café—Chef Pepe…a magician in the kitchen.
  61. Red Reef Golf Course—There’s not too many places where you can golf along the ocean, but this jewel of an executive course is one of them. Magnificent views, reasonable prices, open to the public. www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/rec/golf/redreefexec
  62. Boca Beach Club—Ocean breezes, cold drinks, good food, attentive service. Paradise.
  63. Boca Raton Children’s Museum—Located in downtown Boca, a great place for the kids and educational too. www.cmboca.org
  64. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center—Fun for all ages, a great boardwalk, educational exhibits and lots to see and do. https://www.gumbolimbo.org/ Turtle releases are something to see.
  65. South Beach Park—400 block of North A1A, a picturesque and serene scene.
  66. Boca’s Tennis Centers—Three of them if you love the sport and we do. Patch Reef, Boca Tennis and the Racquet Center. Open 7 days a week. https://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/rec/tennis.shtm
  67. Mizner Bark—A dog park with a cute name. But remember you need a permit. Here’s where you get them https://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/rec/dogparkflyer.pdf
  68. Pine Tree Camp—a Boca tradition at Lynn U.
  69. The historic Boca Train Depot and Museum—Why? Because we love trains and history. https://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/rec/traindepot.shtm
  70. The Recreator-Boca’s bible for recreation. Available online at the city’s site and at City Hall and other public spaces.
  71. Tin Muffin Café—This charming little place on East Palmetto Park Road is perfect for tea, sandwiches, snacks and hanging out.
  72. The south entrance to the city—When you enter Boca from Deerfield Beach on US 1 you know you’ve arrived in a special place. Wide medians, beautiful landscaping, huge lush trees. Impressive.
  73. Valet Parking at Publix—Yes, we’re serious.
  74. Boca Inlet—Great place for boating and for watching some really cool vessels.
  75. Boca Public Library—We love that the library has evolved with the times, with services like Zinio which allows you to read your favorite magazine online and Freegal which enables patrons to download as many as 156 songs a year (and keep them).
  76. Coconut Cove Water Park—Long slides and a river ride make this a perfect place to beat the heat.
  77. Sports Immortals Museum—If you love sports (and we do) you’ll want to visit this museum of memorabilia. Highlights: Josh Gibson’s jersey, autographed racquets from Agassi, Evert and Sampras and Sonny Liston’s robe. https://www.sportsimmortals.com/index.html
  78. Boomers—Been around for a while, but still a fun place to play games, hit the mini golf links and take the kids.
  79. Yamata Scrub—This piece of natural Florida at 601 Clint Moore Road is a great place to stretch your legs and catch a glimpse of nature.
  80. Boca Airport—A fun place to see some really cool private jets. We once saw James Brown exit a nifty plane complete with entourage back in the day.
  81. Royal Palm Plaza—When you think of how a shopping plaza in Florida should look, this is it. Elegant feel, eclectic businesses and walkable. Located on U.S. 1 in south Boca.
  82. Athletes Edge—Located in the Tom Oxley Athletic Center, 7777 Glades Road, Athletes Edge is where the elite go to train. But weekend warriors are welcome as well.
  83. Breakfast at The Bridge Hotel—A hidden gem, with great waterfront views.
  84. Mozart Café—Modern Israeli cuisine in Boca Del Mar. Try the Balkan pizza, a blend of Israeli and Italian flavors. https://mozartcafeusa.com/
  85. Starbucks on North Federal Highway—A lively scene every morning and afternoon, great for people watching.
  86. Boca Farmers Market and Grill-Can’t beat the convenience of grilled food to go and fresh produce and vegetables. Located at 1949 NW Boca Raton Blvd.
  87. Dubliner Irish Pub—Shepherd’s pie and fish n’ chips and lively conversation too. Mizner Park staple.
  88. Boca Helicopters—Because an aerial view of a place gives you a whole different perspective. https://bocaratonhelicopters.com
  89. The downtown Boca website–www.downtownboca.org
  90. Saturdays at Sanborn—Fit and fun in downtown Boca every Saturday and 9 am and 10:30 a.m. Take a yoga class and then explore restaurants, shops and museums.
  91. The Annual Brazilian Beat—A tribute to Boca’s burgeoning Brazilian population. This year’s street festival is Sept. 6. Music and a Zumba Showcase.
  92. Sanborn Square Park—Any day. Picturesque and perfect.
  93. Old City Hall—They don’t build them like that anymore..they should. Designed by Addison Mizner and opened in 1927.
  94. Old Course, Broken Sound—For the discerning golfer
  95. Karen Lynne Gallery—Karen Lynne chose Boca for her first east coast gallery. She has two on the west coast: LA and Beverly Hills. Oils and sculptures from exciting new artists in Royal Palm Place. www.karenlynnegallery.com
  96. Great Place to Start a Business—No less an authority than www.zoomprospector.com ranked Boca #2 for best place to start a new company. We agree. The eco dev website cited 11 factors in ranking Boca so high including quality of the workforce, proximity to quality universities and number of startups.
  97. We love that Boca punches above its weight—Despite still being a relatively small city, Boca ranks #3 in in concentration of the largest public companies in Florida. Boca tied with Miami!  Impressive to say the least.
  98. Boca Hospital—A community hospital in every sense of the word and among the top 50 in the nation.
  99. The Schmidt College of Medicine—It’s great that Boca will feed its health care system with its own medical school on the campus of FAU.
  100.  1,497 acres of parks—And they are immaculate.

 

 

Comments

  1. Lee DeCapua says

    Did I miss it on your 100 things we love about Boca list: Boca’ s YMCA

  2. The Bridge is now the Waterstone Resort & Marina, the only on the waterfront dining open to the public in Boca Raton. Bring your boat for “dock to dine”.

  3. Hey Jeff: Another reason for community pride is that Boca is the home to the largest annual, free, fun disability event in the United States. The Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities is held each March. Now in its 9th year, the Bash regularly draws upwards of 5,000 children, teens, adults and wounded warriors with special needs, plus caregivers, to a totally free day in Spanish River Park. Attendees receive a complimentary BBQ lunch cooked by the kitchen crew of Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club (RPYCC). Down by the Intracoastal many of the privately owned yachts belonging to RPYCC members line up to give boat rides to our guests. Thirty active Coast Guard are on hand to help people on and off the boats. Delray’s own Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital joins with the Delray Medical Center, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Hollywood Memorial Hospital, Nova Dental School and the Nova Pharmacy School and Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital to offer free, non invasive health screenings. There’s also a non stop concert that runs all day, more than a dozen costumed action heroes – compliments of the Wick Theatre team, a dozen tiny therapy ponies to the delight of young and old alike. We now have mobility mats on the sand, allowing anyone with a mobility challenge, even those in wheelchairs, to easily traverse the sand right down to the water’s edge, where a dozen water wheelchairs carry people into the surf. All of that is overseen by the Aquatics Team of the YMCA to insure safety and security.
    Even the Boca Ballet is on hand to teach dancing to people with Parkinson’s Disease.
    At our Mind, Body Spirit Center professionals teach yoga and meditation as tools to help folks handle the stresses of physical or intellectual challenges.
    Our next event, supported by 400+ volunteers, will take place on Saturday, March 18th, 2017, between 10 AM and 3 PM. The Bash is open to all Florida residents, their caregivers and tourists with disabilities visiting our area.
    Given that an estimated 25% of Palm Beach County residents have a disability seen or unseen, we hope the Bash will continue to be recognized as something unique and special for those among us with challenges in our everyday lives. We welcome everyone.

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