8 Main Streets Where Florida Comes Alive

Like in most places around the world, America's Main Streets are often the vital economic, social, and cultural heart of a community. There's something giddy about these places — often the heart of a town. Zooming in: Florida is among the most visited places in the entire world; the Sunshine State lures more than 120 million tourists annually. Whether you're after the steady pulse in Safety Harbor, St. Augustine's historic allure, or Key West's erratic pace, these eight Main Streets are where Florida comes alive. Beyond the state's urban sprawl, each small town's vibrant main street delivers a distinct sense of America’s most-visited state away from the theme parks and city life glitz.

Alachua

Just 30 minutes north of Gainesville, this teeny north-central Florida town has the dreamiest Main Street, according to Southern Living. Founded in 1905, preserved architecture and grand Victorian homes frame your wanderings along the idyllic strip, lined with historic lampposts and Bradford pear trees, where time slows. It’s easy to lose yourself in the sense of pure charm and calmness, letting the time slip away shopping for consignment fabric at Valerie’s Loft or browsing Music Junction.

Alachua, meaning "sinkhole" in a Native American language, is an easy breezy escape that transports you to the simpler time at the turn of the century. Grab a cone from the Ice Cream Vault along Bob Hitchcock's Main Street and turn into Alan Hitchcock Theatre Park, a cool place for pictures decorated for every holiday. Surrounded by mystic preserves, rolling pastures with grazing equine, and sinkholes notable of the Paynes Prairie, there's even a beautiful Hindu temple a bike ride away.

DeFuniak Springs

Founded in the 1880s, DeFuniak Springs is in many ways a vintage resort town. After all, easy access and a perfect climate drew one of America’s earliest cultural movements, the Chautauqua. Located in the heart of the panhandle, it is ideal to escape city chaos into an oasis of intrigue on the shores of a perfectly round, spring-fed lake. From the historic movement to New Urbanism and the natural mystic lake, this offbeat doesn't fit one single frame or definition, but its pulse is definitely along Baldwin Ave.

Under the beautiful weather, all naturally migrate to the historic district along the northern shore of Lake DeFuniak, with Victorian-era homes, churches, and a historic hospital. Here, you can meet your friends or a new flame at brunch, a local diner, or lakeside at Chipley Park. This small town offers plentiful flavor through food and events, with local artisans at Downtown Arts Night. The Walton County Heritage Museum highlights the original rural community's evolution through social events.

DeLand

Home to under 50,000, the largest town on the list boasts an attractive main street, Woodland Boulevard. Cut through the woods in the late 19th century, what started as a mile-long, sixty-foot-wide tree-lined strip is often considered Florida's best Main Street. North Woodland Boulevard is the hub of the thriving art and culture community, which starts at the shopping district in the center of town.

Here, the iconic DeLand Angel Wings mural demands a selfie next door to the Museum of Art in Downtown DeLand, an intimate space with rotating contemporary artwork. Working your way north through several parks and museums, grab a pick-me-up at Cook's Buffet Cafe Bakery to hold you over, or head straight to the diverse dining scene in the north section. University students add a lively feel, while the annual Fall Festival of the Arts is planned in the third week of November.

Dunedin

Small-town charm and worldly appeal unite in the Gulf Coast town of Dunedin, some 25 miles from Tampa. Home to under 40,000, the town was revitalized since 1988 to become a vibrant hub; today, it supposedly has more breweries per capita than any other place in Florida. Boasting one of the most walkable thoroughfares in the entire nation, Main Street is a charming blend of Scottish roots with Southern vibes, with unique restaurants and watering holes, boutiques, and historic sites.

In addition to the downtown market and unique local businesses along the Pinellas Trail, it is easy to park and spend the day shopping. From arts and crafts to gifts and home décor, plop down at the dog-friendly Skip’s Bar & Grill along the main. After the fabulous sunset lights up across the Intracoastal Waterway, you can recommit to the endlessly flowing brews. Whether you're after traditional Scottish brew or artisanal beer, Dunedin Brewery claims to be the oldest microbrewery in Florida.

Key West

The mile-long Duval Street lures millions yet remains just a word of mouth until you experience its omnipresent charm in person. Plotted in 1829, it is a place to discover the legendary lifestyle of the Conch Republic and catch the legendary sunset celebration at Mallory Square before the party begins. Named for the state's first territorial governor, William Pope Duval, the street evolved into a vibrant hub of Key West's iconic party atmosphere, with preserved buildings from the '60s.

Stretching from the Atlantic to the Gulf, you can book a cruise or a fishing charter and relax at the fish spa. Steps away, Sloppy Joe's was Hemingway's favorite haunt, open since 1933, with live music. The street terminates south by the pier, where you can score a patio seat at Seaside Cafe at the Mansion, serving cocktails, seafood, and pizza with ocean views. Drop by the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, a seasonal glass-enclosed, plant-filled habitat with butterflies and birds.

Palm Beach

Known for its beaches and palm-laden avenues, this little barrier island town across from the behemoth West Palm Beach welcomes thousands of tourists daily along Worth Avenue. Named in 1913 for General William Jenkins Worth, what started as a dirt road became a world-renowned luxury retail destination early on — in the 1920s; after car dealerships rolled in along the newly asphalted path, in 1924, Cartier opened its second branch in the US, as did Saks Fifth Avenue two years later.

There's something for every family and budget traveler to feel part of the luxurious local lifestyle. Connected by picturesque vias with fountains and courtyards, you can grab a Starbucks, walk through the colonnaded Via Mizner, and see the Everglades Club, which established the Mediterranean Revival architecture style in Florida. The promenade starts by the iconic Worth Avenue Clock Tower, one of the newer additions that only looks retro-cool against the blue Atlantic.

Safety Harbor

Home to roughly 17,000, this tranquil coastal oasis developed around natural mineral springs, discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1840s. According to USA Today, its Main Street, characterized by brick streets and oak trees, is one of the nation's best. Offering a vibrant arts scene and eclectic shopping, visitors enjoy browsing boutiques, from antiques to fine art, and dining, plus the annual Seafood Festival and the Wine Festival, steps from the open waters of Old Tampa Bay.

Take a breather before dinner at the end of Main, with harbor-front nature along a boardwalk and a charming waterfront park. The adventurous eaters enjoy the variety between pizzerias, BBQ, Southern cuisine, and seafood, or splurge on upscale French cuisine at 146 by Parts of Paris Cocktail Lounge. Festivals excite the corner of Main Street and Philippe Parkway, from regular weekend arts and crafts fairs to a farmer's market and third Friday festivals with food and music in the sea breeze.

St. Augustine

St. George Street is one of the most recognizable streets in Florida — rightfully so — in North America’s longest continuously occupied European-established settlement. The city boasts a long Spanish, British, and American history, with landmarks like the Colonial Quarter and the City Gates that take you on an express trip through centuries of evolution in hours. Boasting unique local haunts with restaurants, shops, and landmarks, many historic buildings feature beautiful second-floor balconies.

St. George Street follows a colonial roadbed first laid out in the 1700s through the nation's oldest historic district. Lined with colonial-era buildings and courtyards, this pedestrian-filled corridor is an ideal place to go on a shopping spree or culinary adventure amidst original or reconstructed buildings on historic foundations. In addition to live music venues like Colonial Oak Music Park, regular local events celebrate everything from culture to seafood, art, and the iconic Nights of Lights.

Pick a street for a carefree stroll to discover what Florida is about, with a slew of history and attractions. Unforgettable from start to finish, each main street delivers a sense of pace and place. DeLand's, cut through a forest, prompted an alternative name, "City in the Forest."

It is easy to lose yourself in wanders, discover a new passion, bond with your loved ones, and meet lifelong friends along Florida's main streets that bring the state alive. Rock your senses in the footsteps of Hemingway between Mallory Square and a fish spa in Key West.