Most people consider Daytona Beach, Florida to be a paradise for spring breakers and bikers only. Some of that is definitely true; there’s spring breakers that frequent Daytona Beach and with the bike week event happening every year, bikers certainly flock to the area from all over the US but, as I recently moved to Daytona Beach for a chance to work, I can definitely say that it has much more to offer! I’ve only been to Daytona Beach for about a month, but I can see that the location itself is very central, the beach is beautiful, and the nightlife is not bad at all. Of course, when moving to a new place, you may have to find out the “risky” areas or dive bars designed for cyclists the hard way, so I’ll try to give some first-hand advice on location first.
Volusia County (Daytona Beach area) is absolutely huge and stretches all the way to the oceanfront coastline. I work in South Daytona, but when I first decided to move here, I was primarily looking in the Ormond Beach area for a house to rent or an apartment by the sea. Ormond Beach is a pretty ritzy place with a sprinkling of students, young professionals, and older folks. I chose Ormond Beach because of the Starbucks (I’m addicted!) located right on Granada, which is the bridge located in the center of Ormond Beach. It is also a very clean and beautiful city and with the housing market in shambles and the already very low cost of real estate in Florida (specifically in Volusia County), I was finding 2-3 bedroom homes for $850-$1200. Incredible, considering these are Florida waterfront homes! Well, not exactly on the ocean, but a short walk and a block away.
As I became more familiar with the area, I realized that it would take me about 30 minutes to drive to work from Ormond Beach. So, I started searching the area from New Smyrna Beach to Edgewater, Port Orange, and Ponce Inlet. I finally settled on a place in Daytona Beach, just north of Silver Beach. I was lucky to find such a great place in a nice neighborhood, because about 2 miles north you start to see the areas of Daytona Beach that are not so “family friendly”. I wouldn’t call it the ghetto, but for a Florida city, the most questionable area in Daytona Beach would be a mile or two around International Speedway Blvd. and Holly Hill. Anywhere in the cities of South Daytona, Daytona Beach Shores, Ormond Beach, Ponce Inlet, and Port Orange is fine to visit.
I haven’t really ventured into Daytona Beach nightlife too much, but from what I know there is a plethora of young people and students (I’m a young person). In Port Orange, just off US1 and between Dunlawton and Silver Beach there is a restaurant/martini bar called “Martini’s Chop House”. I went on a Wednesday night for “Wine Down Wednesday” and was very pleasantly surprised by the event – $12 all wine you taste from red to white with free appetizers! I didn’t eat there, but the food looked delicious and the crowd was versatile, from young to old enjoying the outside patio or sitting inside to sample the food.
The only other place I’ve visited that I really enjoyed was the Ocean Deck, located in the heart of Daytona, right off International Speedway Blvd. I know, I know, I said it was a “risky” area before. Well it still is and I wouldn’t recommend women or children venturing out alone after dark. But nightlife wise, it’s one of the best bars I’ve ever been to. It opens to the beach in the back by the patio where you can walk down to the water drinking a Heineken, or Corona… or Vodka tonic, whatever your poison is. The crowd is quite young but also quite diversified with some older crowds as well.
