Sun, Fun, & You!
Imagine the ideal small town – like the ones most of us grew up in – with numerous shade trees and a vibrant main street. Then imagine that the weather is near perfect year-round. Then imagine that there are cultural opportunities galore, including a major university in your backyard. Then imagine living just a short drive to beautiful beaches, theme parks, and other world-famous attractions.
There’s no imagining…DeLand is just that special.
Voted Best in America’s Main Streets
DELAND — A vibrant downtown filled with murals, antique stores, restaurants, sculptures and coffee shops surrounds the corner of New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard in DeLand. The life of this place propelled it to be recognized in a national competition, America’s Main Street, on Monday.
DeLand and its MainStreet DeLand Association were named as best downtown among 242 main streets in 48 states competing for the title. More than 300,000 votes were cast, according to city spokesman Chris Graham.
“DeLand is just an awesome place to live,” said Cam Amici, owner of Dressed Boutique and South of New York Market. “It’s an awesome place to own a business.”
“So many people have worked over the years to build Main Street DeLand into what it is today, and this award validates all of that effort. It’s an honor, and I couldn’t be more proud to say that I live, work and play in the home of America’s Main Street,” said DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar in a prepared statement.
(Cited from The News-Journal, “Downtown DeLand takes America’s Main Street title”. Link HERE)
Thriving Community
The scenic downtown campus of Florida’s oldest private college, Stetson University, boasts tree-shaded streets adorned with handsome homes, and has been classified as a National Historic District. Stetson’s presence enhances the community’s rich cultural offerings with theater, recitals, museums and a vibrant speakers program, all adding spice to the sweetness of small town life.
The downtown area is filled with notable gift shops, fine restaurants, and art and antique galleries. In fact, the historic downtown buildings themselves are so attractive, a virtual tour has been created just for them. (Click HERE to see the virtual tour in a new browser window.)
