Skip to main content

Get to know Vero Beach

Vero Beach doesn’t do bustle. It’s a city for people who have traded the soaring towers of a financial district for lively streets full of locally-owned businesses. The area was known simply as Vero upon its 1919 chartering but was rechristened Vero Beach in June 1925. Updating the name was undoubtedly appropriate, as Vero Beach is home to multiple fantastic sandy Atlantic Ocean shores. Given a choice, locals would vastly prefer spending mornings out on those beaches to evenings out dancing, probably because evenings are, of course, reserved for sunset boat excursions. Mainly, Vero Beach is known for not being very well known, and the people who call it home seem to prefer it that way. However, with plenty to do nearby, Vero Beach is far from some backwater — though, if you’re into fishing, the backwater is among the world’s best.

Nearby Neighborhoods:

Vero Beach History & Culture

Vero Beach straddles the Indian River, with half of the city on the mainland and half on a barrier island. That river has been the locus of Florida’s citrus industry since the railroad came through in 1893. Early entrepreneurial families laid out a city built for growth, creating a storybook-perfect village and planting palms along the streets. Any place that shipped oranges out could bring tourists in; by the 1920s, the gorgeous sands of the Atlantic beaches had attracted enough visitors to establish yacht and country clubs. The postwar period brought a new population to the ideal weather, while stunning mid-century architecture was built in the city with traditional vernacular along the coast. A passionate arts community developed, and theater, concerts, and visual arts still thrive today.

Vero Beach Dining & Shopping

Vero Beach feels more like a hometown than a beach town, and its restaurants and shops reflect that. While you’ll find pub fare and the like, cuisine choices don’t strictly cater to the laid-back lifestyle. Though the fine dining options are perhaps not as revered as other Florida locales, they are still exceptional. More casual restaurants shine with fresh-caught seafood stealing the show. Boutiques pepper Vero Beach’s downtown, ranging in style from fashion-forward to Florida funky. Meanwhile, well-curated upscale retailers sit closer to the oceanside. If the allure of points farther south proves too difficult to resist, it’s a quick drive to multiple airports that can connect you. Otherwise, you’ll find everything you need in Vero Beach without any hassles and burdens of big city living.