Diane Keane insists that the best time to get a good idea of Delray Beach is during its Delray Affair, when 250,000 people flood a blocked-off Atlantic Avenue to experience the shops, restaurants and a host of vendors displaying their artwork.

Keane spoke with BlockShopper.com about what it is in Delray Beach that keeps the visitors staying, the affordable living near the town's beach and where to stop in to get a bite to eat.

BS: What's drawing people to Delray Beach?

DK: Delray Beach is a village-by-the-sea type of town with lots of boutique shops and Zagat-rated restaurants. The town has a lot of charm. I say that it has a small-town feel with the big-town conveniences of food and shopping. It also has lots of events on the Avenue throughout the year — art festivals, Jazz on the Avenue, things like that.

BS: Is the Avenue the main shopping area?

DK: There are two main areas that intersect each other. One is Atlantic Avenue and the other is a street called Pineapple Grove. All of the shops and restaurants are basically on those two streets. One of my favorite restaurants is Joseph's Wine Bar on Pineapple Grove. It's a great little community restaurant owned by a local family. It's a fusion of a lot of different international flavors. The menu is terrific with lots of health food that's just delicious. It also has a terrific wine list from modestly priced wines to $1,000 bottles of wine.

BS: Is the market a draw to the area now?

DK: People have really begun jumping into the market with the prices we're seeing now. The median price now is probably around $180,000 to $190,000 with really nice single-family homes available in the $170,000 range. For that median price, you can expect a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a one- or two-car garage and anywhere from 1,500 to 1,900 square feet. Depending on the size of the house, you might get a swimming pool. Bigger houses probably wouldn't have one, but the smaller ones can.

BS: What are homes in the beach area going for?

DK: The entry point there is obviously very different. A single-family home in the beach area is still in the high $700,000s. You can, however, find a one- or two-bedroom property in the $300,000s in the beach area that would be walking distance to the beach. You can also go the condo route and get a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in that area for about $200,000. That's a terrific entry point that hasn't existed for many years at that level of pricing.

BS: What's the price point for condos not in the beach area?

DK: There are a lot of condos in Delray Beach, so there are lots of options not in the beach area. If you don't need the beach view, you can find a nice two bedroom, two-bathroom condo for as low as $60,000 or $70,000. You don't need to spend $200,000 if you don't want a water view and if you don't mind driving five minutes to the beach. These are similar in size to the beach properties, just not in price.