Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach Background

Its slogan is “A High Performance City,” an allusion to the famous race that bears its name. Best known for its Spring Break parties, bikini-clad coeds, cars on the beach and NASCAR’s most famous event, Daytona Beach is the quintessential Florida beach town: a raucous party city that is coming of age and mellowing in the process.
Major revitalization projects along the beachfront, increased focus on attracting quality high-tech jobs, and enhanced support for the arts and cultural activities is changing the image of this fun-loving city from a party town to a high-octane center of activity on Florida's East Coast.

Daytona Beach History

   Volusia County's history begins with the Timucuan Indians, a pre-Columbian tribe who roamed the area and settled in ancient villages, hunting and fishing for sustenance. These proud Indians were a social tribe, and vestiges of their complex community can still be found in the mounds scattered throughout the county. The most predominant of these is the Turtle Mound, located south of New Smyrna Beach, which is now a Florida State Historical Memorial.
   The arrival of the Spanish doomed the tribe — not because of war, but because of their inability to fight off the disease brought ashore by the Europeans. Ponce de Leon led the first wave of Europeans when he landed in what is now Ponce de Leon Inlet in 1513. Although Ponce de Leon originally came to Florida in search of gold and land, the Indians, to encourage him to leave the area, told him a “Fountain of Youth” existed somewhere north of the Inlet. Although Ponce de Leon did pursue the search for the fountain, the Europeans left their tragic mark on the more than 40,000 Timucuans who disappeared within 200 years of their first encounter with the Spanish.
   The Ponce de Leon Inlet area has a colorful modern history, complete with English pirates, drug smugglers and other unsavory characters. The Spanish controlled Florida until 1763, when the English gained control of the area. The English envisioned a thriving colony in Florida, producing crops to support the Industrial Revolution. To this end, the British government granted large swatches of land to colonists in the hopes that they would produce crops and raw materials to ship home to England. The largest of these colonies was in Volusia County.
   Organized by Dr. Andrew Turnbull, Volusia County started in 1768 with more than 1,200 people but was decimated by disease and harsh living conditions. Within three years, more than half of the original colonists had died, but those remaining managed to create a home and send the first crops back to England. The most lucrative of these crops was indigo, a plant used to make blue dye. Despite the early success of the colony, financial difficulties and the American Revolution intervened, and the colonists abandoned the colony, scattering to other locations. Their legacy remains, however, and evidence of their presence still remains. The old ruins dotting Volusia County provide interesting focal points for historians who continue to argue about the origins of their crumbling walls.
   In 1819, the United States purchased Florida from the Spanish and set about ridding the state of all Indians. The Seminole Indian War raged from 1835 to 1842 as the Indians tried in vain to protect their homelands. Not long after the conclusion of the Indian War, the Civil War began. Volusia County's ports became important to the South as jumping off points for running the Union's blockades.

Daytona Beach Fast Facts

   Population: 64,112
   Size: 95 square miles
   Average winter temperatures: 69ºF high, 42ºF low
   Average summer temperatures: 90ºF high, 73ºF low
   Average water temperature: 70ºF
   Median age: 37.2 years
   Per capita income: $22,600
   Average home price: $135,864

Economy

   Fueled by a booming retirement population, the services and trade industries are the strongest sectors of the city's economy. More than 36 percent of the working population works in the services industry, and another 27 percent are in the trades. Rounding out the employment picture are government employees, manufacturing, construction, finance, and transportation and utilities.
   Seeking to expand the economic picture in the city, local business leaders developed an economic development plan that calls for targeting more high-tech jobs, promoting tourism, enhancing art and cultural activities, enhancing education, improving infrastructure, and revitalizing important business districts. This plan has become the blueprint for quality economic growth in Daytona Beach.
   The blueprint has attracted more well-educated young adults and families. More than 60 percent of Daytona’s adult population is college-educated. The highly skilled labor pool has attracted new manufacturing firms and more high-tech jobs to the area. The international market is also important to the economy, with more than 100 local companies exporting products and services overseas.
   To support international efforts, the Chamber of Commerce created the Halifax Area Trade Council to assist companies in marketing their international trade. The HATC will serve as a resource for these companies and will work to recruit new companies to the area who are involved in international trade.
   Also supporting the international market is the Daytona Beach International Airport, which is served by several international and domestic carriers.

Quality of Life

   Daytona’s superb location is one of its strongest assets. The state's two major interstate highways – I-95 going north-south and I-4 going east-west – intersect in Daytona Beach, giving its residents only an hour's drive to St. Augustine and Orlando. While some of the most popular beaches in Florida are located in the Daytona Beach area, some of the most pristine are also located close by.
   Low housing prices, an aggressive and dynamic city leadership, gorgeous beaches, and a superb year-round climate all contribute to a quality of life that is attractive to both young families and retirees. In addition to recreational and sports activities associated with beachfront living, residents can pursue the many cultural opportunities available in the area.
   Daytona Beach does not want to lose its “party town” image completely; it just wants to add the words “high performance” to the nomenclature.

Activities

Beaches
Of the few beaches left in the nation where automobiles are permitted on the sand, Daytona Beach is probably the most famous. The annual pictures of Spring Break, with the cars cruising up and down the beach, are familiar to everyone. The city has worked hard to continue this tradition without further impairing the fragile coastal ecological system.
There are five distinct beach areas in Volusia County, each offering its own unique beach environment. And just a short drive south is the Canaveral National Seashore, a pristine wildlife sanctuary.

Events and Festivals
   Bike Week: Aside from the annual pilgrimage of college students to Daytona Beach for Spring Break, the city's other two world-renowned annual events are Bike Week and the Daytona 500. Each of these events pumps millions of dollars into the local economy and draws business and tourists into the area. Bike Week, a celebration of motorcycle life, grew out of a motorcycle race event in 1937 designed to complement the inaugural running of the Daytona 200 race. The first racecourse was partly on the beach and made use of the sand as banking features for the race. Interrupted by World War II and the rationing of fuel and tires, the race was discontinued for a few years. People continued to come for the party, however, and “Bike Week” was born.
   Over the years, the racecourse changed, and the event became a nuisance due to disorganization and rowdiness. In 1986, things had deteriorated to a breaking point between the police and the bikers. The city decided to step in and turn the negative event into a positive one. Today, Bike Week is a 10-day festival enjoyed by both bikers and residents. The events are well organized and controlled, and thousands of visitors fill the hotel rooms for miles around, fueling the local economy. Events take place throughout the county, with plenty of live entertainment, parties, races and people-watching. The Daytona 200 tops the list of events for Bike Week.
   Speed Weeks: February brings car racing to the Daytona International Speedway. For 16 days in February, drivers from all over the world converge on this famous venue to participate in the several major races that occur during this time. Numerous events and parties highlight the February events, culminating in the running of the Daytona 500.
   During Summer Speedweek, three different racing series — the Rolex Sports Car Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Nextel Cup — come together in the Pepsi 400 weekends under the lights. October brings motorcycle racing and Biketoberfest and November wraps up the racing year with the Grand American Finale at Daytona. This final event brings vintage cars, sports cars and exotic cars together for one final month of entertainment and racing.

Arts, Culture, and Nightlife
   In addition to the exciting events associated with the racing world, residents and visitors to Daytona Beach can enjoy museums, great shopping and quality entertainment. The Peabody Auditorium is the summer home of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Daytona Beach Symphony Society, the Daytona Beach Civic Ballet and the Concert Showcase. It also serves as the city's cultural center.
   Located on the Halifax River, the downtown area has recently been revitalized, complete with a new $3 million streetscape. A little further down the beach, Ocean Walk & Adventure Landing resort provides village beach shops, a water park, go-kart track, miniature golf, arcade, and restaurants and bars.
   There are several world-class museums in the area as well. The Museum of Arts and Sciences, the African-American Museum of the Arts, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum, the Harvey W. Lee Jr. Memorial Gallery and the Halifax Historical Museum offer exhibits in art, science and history. The Southeast Museum of Photography is one of the largest photographic museums in the world. And of course, there is an automobile museum as well. The Klassix Auto Museum and Dealership not only shows vehicles; it buys and sells collector cars as well.

Sports and Recreation
   Racing: Home of “The Great American Race,” racing is the No. 1 spectator sport in Daytona Beach and the nation. The Daytona International Speedway is a 480-acre motor sports complex that features 10 major weekends of racing. Associated with these racing events are civic and social gatherings, parties, and a myriad of other activities that make this complex truly the heart of Daytona Beach.
   Daytona USA, a fun-filled mega-complex of entertainment, opened in 1996. Racing fans can take the wheel of a stock car, watch a pit stop, pretend to drive in the Daytona 500 or take a “behind-the-scenes” tour of the Speedway. There is always something going on at the Speedway, giving credence to Daytona Beach's title as the “High Performance City.”
   Golf: Daytona Beach is the location of the Ladies Professional Golf Association's national headquarters. LPGA International, a public facility, features two championship 18-hole golf courses, one of which earned Golf Magazine's “Top Ten You Can Play” award for public access courses and Golf for Women Magazine's “America's Most Women Friendly Golf Course.”
   Tennis: Like golf, tennis is a year-round sport in Daytona Beach, accessible to all residents on the many public courts available in the area. The United States Tennis Association's Florida Section plans to locate the state's headquarters in Daytona Beach on a site adjacent to the new LPGA project.
   Other activities: Just about any conceivable outdoor activity is available in the Daytona Beach area, except those that require cold weather. Fishing, cycling, water skiing, diving and surfing all are accessible. The Daytona Beach Kennel Club features pari-mutuel wagering and greyhound racing year round. The Daytona Cubs Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs play in Daytona Beach as well.

Maps of Daytona Beach

Written by Margaret Bowles exclusively for HomesParadise.com.

Search similar Lifestyle :

Browse in Florida for	Beach Front Beach View Beach Walking Distance Board Walks Country Clubs Diving Entertainment Fishing Golf Courses Harbours & Marinas Night Clubs Restaurants Roller Blading Shopping Surfing Yacht Clubs
Browse in East Florida for	Beach Front Beach View Beach Walking Distance Board Walks Country Clubs Diving Entertainment Fishing Golf Courses Harbours & Marinas Night Clubs Restaurants Roller Blading Shopping Surfing Yacht Clubs

Search similar Medium Price :

Browse in Florida for	up to $150,000
Browse in East Florida for	up to $150,000

Search similar Summer Temperature - Air:

Browse in Florida for	81°F - 90°F
Browse in East Florida for	81°F - 90°F

Search similar Winter Temperature - Air:

Browse in Florida for	61°F - 70°F
Browse in East Florida for	61°F - 70°F

Search similar Summer Temperature - Water:

Browse in Florida for

71°F - 80°F

Search similar Winter Temperature - Water:

Browse in Florida for

61°F - 70°F

Daytona Beach: Request for more information.
E-Mail Address*:
First Name*:
Last Name:*
Address:
City:
State:
Zipcode:
Phone*:
Fax:
Requested area or property:
Price range:
Number of bedrooms:
Number of bathrooms:
Square footage:
When do you plan to buy?
Type of purchase?
Additional information, describe your preferences or ask questions:

Write your opinion about Alabama

© 2003-2005 EastBiz.com, Inc. All rights Reserved , Phone: 702-212-3513, info@millionsaver.com,
Add your link for free! - Terms - Privacy Policy - REALTOR marketing & leads - Real Estate Franchise - Site Map