Best Dog Parks in Boca Raton

Families with furry friends read on! Boca Raton has become an increasingly dog-friendly city, with no shortage of dog parks and beaches. Here are some of our favorites. 

Bark Beach (Spanish River Park)
3001 North Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton, 33431 (Between Lifeguard Towers 18 and 20)

An absolutely great off-leash beach run for our furry friends to frolic, splash, and play in wonderful warm waves and on a vast soft-sanded beach! Boca Residents - Be sure to purchase your annual pass for just $31 in advance. There is a daily pass available ($11/ per dog) from the Ranger gate at the north entrance of Spanish River Park too. The Ranger will ask for it when you enter the dog section.

Check out Bark Beach on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, 3:00 pm to sunset (November to March), and 5:00 pm to sunset (March to November).

Mizner Bark Dog Park
751 Banyan Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431

Mizner Bark Dog Park is well laid out with a wandering paved path, undulating grass, four separate fenced areas for different sized dogs, and shaded benches for those of us who would rather sit and let the dogs do the cardio. There are a few different water fountains, with a lower fountain for the dogs to enjoy as well. A bit out of the way so it's fairly quiet, especially on weekends.

Hours are Monday through Tuesday from 7:30 am to dusk, Wednesdays from noon to dusk, and Thursday through Sunday from 7:30 am to dusk. Entry to the park requires a parking pass/permit.

Canine Cove (South County Regional Park)
12551 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33498

Canine Cove is one of the larger dog parks in South Florida featuring two large dog sections, a medium dog section, and a small dog section. It's very clean and well kept with four gazebos and benches under a fair amount of smaller trees that provide shade on hot days. There is a pet washing station to give your pet a quick bath before entering the car on the way out!

You can enjoy this park from sunrise to sunset, only closed on Wednesdays from noon to 3:00 pm for maintenance.  

Best Vegan Food in Boca Raton

Whether you’re vegan or you just appreciate thoughtful meals and quality ingredients, you’ll want to check these out. Here are our top five favorite local spots to find great vegan food. 

 Parlour Vegan Bakery
415 S. Federal Hwy Boca Raton, Fl 33432

With two South Florida locations, we’re lucky enough to have Parlour Vegan Bakery right in our backyard. You can find them just a few minutes from Mizner Park. Parlour is everything you love about your favorite coffee shop and more. Drop-in for coffee and (the most decadent) donuts, or grab something from their lunch menu, like the Italian sandwich on a baguette with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, pesto, and vegan ham and cheese. But please, whatever you do, don’t leave without trying one of their cupcakes.

Veg Eats Foods         
335 E Linton Boulevard Delray Beach, FL 33483

You’ll notice how welcoming and inviting this little eatery feels as soon as you walk through the door. The owner and chef, Jade, is always there, ensuring the best service and making recommendations. With fresh, quality ingredients, seasonal menus, and daily specials, there is always something new to try at Veg Eats. Make the quick drive to Delray on a Sunday and check out their Sunday brunch. If you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll get to try the frosted pumpkin donuts. 

Farmer’s Table
1901 North Military Trail Boca Raton, FL 33431

Farmer’s Table has one of the largest menus out of our five picks. Their menu includes vegan and gluten-free options, as well as a generous selection otherwise. They take the quality of their ingredients very seriously. They source their produce from local farms as well as their own organic garden. Farmer’s Table carries over their consideration of fresh ingredients into their desserts as well. You’ll find house-made ice creams, sorbets, and even more vegan and gluten-free options. But if you’re a chocolate lover, you absolutely have to try the opera cake. So good.

 Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar
1841 S Federal Hwy #402 Delray Beach, FL 33483

Harvest is a great spot for vegans and non-vegans alike. Although not 100% vegan, Harvest offers a dedicated selection of vegan items. They refresh their menu every season but hold on to some of the crowd favorites. With noticeably fresh ingredients and plenty of gluten-free options, you’ll want to keep coming back. Plus, they have a great wine selection as well as local and organic beers. Definitely ask to see their desserts! 

Artichoke and Vine
4800 N Federal Hwy Boca Raton, FL 33431 (Sanctuary Centre, Building B Suite 101)

Another hidden Boca gem is Artichoke and Vine. Tucked away in an unsuspecting location, Artichoke and Vine has managed to veganize so many tried-and-true favorites like spinach artichoke dip, BBQ “pulled pork”, the Cuban sandwich, and more. Check them out to enjoy your beloved dishes in a more nutritious way, without compromising on flavor.

Is there a crash coming in 2021?

Many Boca Raton locals have posed the question as to whether our robust South Florida real estate market is some kind of a bubble. They have asked, 'Is this "seller's market" actually a bubble?'

What the leading indicators (as close to a crystal ball as we can get) foretell relative to the 2021 Florida real estate market is the exact opposite of a crash - which is also not hockey stick growth.

The current market conditions are not representative of any kind of a bubble. A housing bubble is a type of economic bubble that occurs periodically in local or global real estate markets, and typically follows a land boom. 'A land boom is the rapid increase in the market price of real property such as housing until they reach unsustainable levels and then decline.'

Our last major bubble in South Florida was the result of many factors including what I call "artificial demand" which included many wealthy people from overseas buying new construction condos with the idea that they were a safe place to park money. In governments where the wealth of an individual may be confiscated or devalued at any moment, the idea of buying real estate in a stable economy was contagious. Pairing that with unpreceded inventory of new development units and lax lending climate and voila: unsustainable appreciation fueled by artificial demand.

We aren’t seeing “artificial demand“ in our current real estate market. There are actual people moving to the area. At present, there are over 1000 people moving to Florida every single day. This is a material shift in the demand for property in our region.

Many of these newcomers are immigrating to Florida from very wealthy parts of the country including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Chicago, California, among others. Demographically speaking, these newcomers are frequently high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals. The reasons for their relocation to Florida are varied and tangential to this conversation.

The impact of this influx of homebuyers has been a significant price increase in the South Florida real estate market over the last year and a reduction in inventory resulting in an unprecedented seller's market.

As is always the case, a seller' market results in increased velocity and higher selling prices. Local buyer demand is centered on beautiful, move-in ready, and in some cases turn-key and furnished offerings in the luxury sector. In all sectors, there is unprecedented demand resulting in record breaking prices.

A few years ago, I sat on a panel discussion at The Residences Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton where I was serving as vice president of sales. At that time, I claimed our new development options in Boca Raton as only slightly more than sufficient to meet the coming demand. At that time, we had not seen a new development project in Boca Raton since One Thousand Ocean launched in 2010.

Fast forward just 18 months and it seems that our inventory of new development offerings may be insufficient to meet the demand. Most of the buyers I have been working with are most concerned with finding luxurious accommodations catering to their elevated and full-service lifestyle preferences. Fortunately for them, we have a handful of exceptional new development options newly complete, nearly complete, and nearing completion.