Maybe you could try Marco Island?

Why did you tag this Georgia?

There are several places you will love. In the east side (Gulf Side) Sarasota (Lido Beach and Siesta Key are amazing), Clearwater, St. Pete and Fort De Soto are wonderful cities. Google them and you will see for yourself.

Naples is also a great beach town.

Another vote for Naples.

yeltiz, I think you meant "west side"...anyway.... We have spent a lot of time in Delray Beach over the years & I can't think of any place in Florida that feels like Delray. Lately we have been going to Singer Island (fly direct to PBI). You might want to take a look at that.

I always suggest Amelia Island & it is in close proximity from the JAX airport (about 45 minutes). The weather can be a crap shoot however. If you want to be assured of being warm, go to the Keys.

I accidently tagged this Georgia. Anyway, thanks for the replies. I haven't spent any time on the East side, except for Clearwater--is there a big difference?

What about Captiva--is that a nice town?

Fixed tag.

Well, I dont think anybody would characterize Captiva as a town. It is a very nice island with a clump of stores near the entrance to the South Seas Resort. Which is very nice I might add.

New Smyrna Beach is very nice. January can be warm or cold though, anywhere in Florida! There is a very nice downtown area to the west of the Intracoastal, and to the east a little shopping area too. There is the Smryna Dunes Park and the National Seashore...both spectacular areas to be. You could look here for more info - http://www.sevchamber.com/

Try Miami, Naples, Daytona, and of course Orlando. All for are fun cities when you have a family.

-Jonathan
http://www.askoncall.com

what about St. Augustine--I have no sense of what that area is like? Is it quaint with restaurants, nice beaches nearby?

You run the risk of cold weather in Saint Augustine in January - it is far enough north that it could be in the 30s while you are there if a cold front comes through. Even if it is not that cold, it won't be as warm as points farther south.

I don't think I would want to get in the water there in January, either (but anything less than 80-degree water is too cold for me!).

I would say if you want warm, stay south of Orlando, and the farther south, the better.

Anna, I agree w/ Cranachin. The farther south the better in January. But even in Southeast Florida temps can range from the low 40's (Cold!!) to mid 70's @ that time of year(Jan/Feb).
You ask about East vs. West. There is a huge difference! East: The amazing sound of surf crashing into the shore, huge waves, hard packed brown sand, the smell of the salty ocean.
West: It's "calmer". No crashing surf b/c you are on the Gulf, sand tends to be whiter & softer, lots of seashells. And, spectacular sunsets.
Each side has its "little problem" the occurrence of which varies in frequency. East: Sea Lice generally from "Mother's Day to Father's Day."
West: Red Tide...unpredictable in onset & duration.
You will find that people fall into 2 sharply divided camps in their Florida preferences: East or West. I have never met anybody who loves both East and West.
Having spent time on both side, I prefer the East coast. You may too b/c you are accustomed to Delray Beach. However, we have friends who had spent s lot of time in Delray over the years. Then they went to Sarasota one year & never went back to Delray! They absolutely love the Sarasota/Longboat Key area.

Thanks OceanBreeze. I was actually thinking about Sarasota/Siesta Key. I had the impression it was more for retirees but a friend said that has changed and they have a fairly vibrant village area?

Regarding your topic, I never thought there were any "great" cities in FL. Beyond saying that however, I'd agree with OceanBreeze1 on Delray and Singer Island. The thing I like about Delray is just what you like, the beach, downtown, and the lack of malls. On the other hand, I like Singer Island for the beach and the quiet, but have the option to head into Palm Beach Gardens for good food and shopping. I was stationed in the panhandle with the USAF years ago and haven't been back, but it was pretty much a "wilderness" at that time.

Sarasota! Stay on Siesta Key, visit the shops and resturants downtown, enjoy Mote Marine and Jungle Gardens with your child.
I grew up visiting the East Coast beaches. But the traffic on the east coast (south) is awful. The calm waters of the Gulf are great for kids, and I think the overall experience on the West Coast is much more relaxing.

So Fl_Mom is the traffic near Siesta key and Sarosota awful? We are trying to decide betwee Siesta Key and Singer Beach. The only downside is Singer Beach doesn't seem like it has an immediate downtown area but we would have to drive to restaurants/shopping...

I've never been to Delray so I can't compare, but if you're looking for small, homey towns how about either Lauderdale by the Sea on the east coast (approximately 20 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale airport) or Treasure Island on the west coast (about 1/2 hour from Tampa airport).

I would have to concur with the other poster who stated that it can actually be cold in January. I lived in West Palm Beach for 17 years and although January in Florida is definitely warmer than Boston you are taking a risk going that time of year. As for Singer Island it has a nice beach, but it's a horrible area and I would not recommend it for a family. St. Augustine is great, the Keys, Sanibel and Captiva are some of my favorites after living there so long. I would highly recommend Sanibel and Captiva for the beach, the biking, and peace and quiet.

Sarasota/Venice definitely has lots of culture in January and it is much more low key than a lot of the Miami and northward areas. There is live theatre, opera, dinner theater, boat excursions, the Ringling Museum of Art, etc. etc. You will want to rent a car, and you may want to fly into Tampa or Ft. Myers in order to get a better price from the airlines. They are only a short drive away. It can be expensive to fly into Sarasota. Venice is even more laid back than Sarasota, but you are close enough to enjoy the amenities in Sarasota. I would recommend Sanibel rather than Captiva based on the village vibe you want. You would fly into Ft. Myers to go there as well.

New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast are very nice if you want ocean breezes but not the rush of tourist culture--Nascar, motorcycles, spring break, etc. New Smyrna, south of Daytona, has an artsy feel. Both NS and PC are college towns--branches of Daytona State College. Music in the Amphitheater. Access to beaches is very good. PC is north of the cities of Daytona and Ormond Beach. Ormond has lots of nice restaurants and a not so crowded gorgeous beach. Palm Coast is new, celebrating it's 10th anniversary. Pop. is 60,000. It's equidistant to St. Augustine and Daytona. Has gorgeous new resorts on the beach. St. Augustine is a 45 min. drive. It has awful traffic and little parking available. It makes a nice day trip from PC. Lots of fun historical events.

Oh, Palm Coast is on the north edge of the citrus belt. It's about as warm as DAytona Beach whereas St. Aug can get cold, especially on the beach in Jan-Feb. Today it was near 90.

Also, On a day trip to St. Augustine, stay for the evening. The city is still all in holiday lights!

Fly into Ft. Myers, rent a car and take the short drive to Sanibel and (connected by bridge)Captiva. Stay at Tween Waters Inn on Captiva. There are great restaurants on both islands and interesting shopping, as well. Paddle through the Ding Darling Sanctuary. Your Tween Waters beach is heavenly, and the Sanibel beaches are, too. Shelling is great fun and very productive. Even though you won't get your little town, I bet you will return year after year.

I get real happy every time I go to Sanibel. My kids are always happy on Sanibel. My husband is always happy on Sanibel. Get my drift? There are no strip malls but there are nice shops. No francise restaurants other than a Subway, a Dairy Queen and a 7/11 but there are lots of good restaurants that are sophisticated if that's your style or kid friendly if that's a better fit. We bgan going there years ago when our family really needed some downtime, a chance to talk to each other and rest. We're now on the next generation and the kids still love to rent bikes, play volley ball on the beach and pick up shells. It is a real vacation.

anna74, St. Augustine, FL has history, art galleries, good & reasonably priced restaurants, (outlet) shopping, nice beaches, etc. It's also off the radar for most tourists. In January, it may be cool (compared to South Florida), but way warmer than Boston.

A few links:
http://www.staugustine.com/visit/
http://www.visitflorida.com/St_Augustine
http://www.getaway4florida.com/
http://www.getaway4florida.com/nights/

Hi Anna,
Looks like you've got a lot of tips already...here's mine: West Palm Beach has the nicest downtown in South Florida because it's pedestrian friendly, offers a lot of cultural activities, has a historic old Florida flair which is gone almost everywhere else in South Florida and is right accross the bridge from Palm Beach with it's historic mansions, beautiful beaches, bike paths and world class restaurants. It is true that the weather can be cool in Jan...but day time temperatures are, really almost without exception, in the 70s and often 80 degrees. I'm originally from here, lived away for 22 years mostly in Europe and loved coming back a few years ago...opened a B & B with historic cottages...check it out: www.grandview-gardens.com

RickRose,
Welcome to Fodors. Those are some good suggestions, but please remember that there is no advertising here.

Hi Orlando_Vic, thanks for bringing that to my attention, I'm new at participating on travel forums and still learning what the rules are...by reading the above posts, I thought it was OK to link into websites for tips. Where are the participating guidelines for this site? Anyway, thanks again!

natinwpb, You said "As for Singer Island it has a nice beach but it is a horrible area & I would not recommend it for a family". We have been going to Singer Island for years as a family & we, along with thousands of other families, love Singer Island. When is the last time you were there?

Hello again, RickRose.
It's all here in the Subscriber's Agreement, section 5(A) http://www.fodors.com/about/subagree/.

Yes, it is O.K. to link to websites as long as one does not personally profit from it. At least that's my understanding of it. Does anyone else have a different interpretation?

No, I am not the police here.

Yes, I am glad you're here to share ideas about your travel experiences. Again, Welcome!

There have been several posters over the years, some current, who are owners or managers of hotels, B&B's, restaurants, and the like, but they take care not to promote their own businesses. That's how I understand the rules: you're welcome to share advice and expertise, but must steer clear of plugging your own place. I agree with OrlandoVic, welcome, RickRose, your advice will be appreciated!

Bookmarking.

I'm sorry you don't want to go to a larger city. We've been to Ft. Lauderdale the past two Januarys and had fabulous times. So much to see and do, even walking--nice wide sidewalks along the ocean and on Las Olas Blvd (all stroller convenient for3 year-old), range of interesting restaurants, not so rushed in that month, gloriously warm & bright. Several times we tried the Gulf Coast in "winter." Just once was it was really nice--Fort Myers Beach & Sanibel. In Sarasota one year it was upper 50s every morning for a week!

Second or third or fourth the idea of Sanibel/Captiva. There is no real town center but lots of small shopping areas, miles of bike path (you can even rent a surrey like bike for the family.) There are miles of gorgeous beach, shelling is excellent, and there are a few nice playgrounds...in Periwinkel Park Shopping Center and across from The Bean Coffee Shop both mid island. Tarpon Bay Outfitters has boat trips as well as kayak rentals on Sanibel. There are also places on Captiva. "Tween Waters is lovely and takes you the length of Sanibel to get there. Doc Ford's Restaurant is my current favorite.

Oh, and someone above said people are divided on East Coast vs. West Coast of Florida and like one or the other....well I love both. We often fly into Miami, spend a night or two in South Beach enjoying it all and then drive across Tamiami Trail stop at Shark Valley and then relax on Sanibel!! Makes a fantastic trip.

I'm kind of stunned by the suggestion of Marco Island, which does have a nice beach, but the whole place is kind of a strip mall city with wall to wall condos and convention hotels on the beach. It's kind of the exact opposite of how Delray has managed to preserve their "quaintness". And yes, I too think if you like Delray, you'd probably like Naples -- especially staying within a few blocks of the beach and within the downtown area. One of Naples most unique features is that within the city itself with a small exception at the north end, the entire beach is public access and is ONLY private homes, no condos or hotels.