Busy Delray Beach Parks and Recreation Department has it all from Pickleball to Teen Recording Studio

Delray Beach Florida prides itself on being a unique village by the sea. And when it comes to the Delray Beach Parks and Rec Department, that philosophy certainly creates some unique challenges and opportunities.

Take their "505" Teen Recreation Center for example.

They have the usual Xbox video games, table tennis, popcorn machine, big screen TVs and couches. Outside there is the Hobbit Skate Park and some basketball courts.

But inside, there is something you won't find in too many parks and recreation centers - a music recording studio.

Yep, they have one. Complete with a sound mixer and soundproof walls. (Well, it's not exactly the type of sound studio that Jay Z or The Stones would record in, but it's got the basic concept down).

"It's not a typical item," said Suzanne Davis CPRP, parks and recreation director. "It's something we like to think is individualized and exciting for our kids."

The recording studio is very popular and is heavily used. In fact, one of the patrons has recorded several CDs and now tours local clubs. How's that for unique.

Oh, there's more. Delray might be considered one of the Pickleball capitals of the South. Pickleball for those who are not aware of this growing sport, is a combination of tennis, badminton and ping pong.

Basically, a tennis ball is replaced with a Wiffle-type ball that is slower. Instead of high-strung 120 mph graphic tennis rackets, the ball is hit with a slower wooden paddle. The court is much smaller than a tennis court and is about the size of a doubles badminton court.

Much of the terminology is the same as tennis - volley, serve and lob. What's different is that the ball does not fly around at meteoric speeds and is served underhand. Of course, the players will tell you it's a strenuous workout, especially in the heat of South Florida.

There is so much buzz going on about the pickleball league in Delray, the program has received numerous mentions in the press and on TV stations.

Then there are the town events.

So one might say, every town has events.

Yes they do. But do they have them on the scale of Delray Beach for a town of 60,000 residents? At one count, there were about 175 events in one year.

"There's always something going on. On any given day you can come down here and find something to do," said Danielle Beardsely, marketing and special events coordinator.

On some days, there are multiple events. Looking at the calendar for one upcoming Saturday, there were seven scheduled on just one day. After October 1, the season ramps up big time in Florida. That's when the bulk of events are scheduled, many on top of each other or one right after the other.

"We do have a lot," said Suzanne. "For the size of the town that we are and the population we have a plethora of events, activities and programs people can participate in."

Some of the major events include The Holiday Parade, The Fourth of July and First Night held on New Years' Eve.

Did we mention the Holiday Parade includes a 100-foot, walk-through Christmas Tree complete with elves? Yea, there's that one too.

Every event must come through the Parks and Recreation Department for permitting and coordinating with other entities such as the police and fire departments. While the Parks and Recreation Department does not manage all the events, it does provide support for many of them in the form of stages, seating, etc.

Speaking of events, there's quite a few centered around tennis.

That's because the parks and recreation department manages a massive 8,200-seat tennis stadium.

It's home to Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour tournament and Champions Tour senior tournament.

Former tennis superstar Chris Evert hosts the Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic charity event there every year with a number of celeb tennis players participating.

There's also a Surf Festival, where even the mayor hops on a surf board.

Then there is the activities guide which comes out twice a year and is chock full of just about every program imaginable from bingo to netball to stepping.

"We really touch on every type of recreational activity someone may be interested in whether it's a beach or athletic event from tennis to football," Suzanne pointed out.

There have been so many events that the town commission has actually enacted a moratorium for now. The town wants to evaluate the impact on the downtown's main thoroughfare, Atlantic Avenue.

In total, the Delray Parks and Recreation Department manages 41 parks which includes nearly two miles of beaches, athletic fields, two swimming pools, two public golf courses, city marina, skate park, teen center (with a "Pac-Man" artistic custom bike rack out front), senior center, splash park and other facilities.

They accomplish this with a staff of 83 full-timers and 49 part-timers.

Their athletic facilities are well used. Every year, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics annual men's soccer championship is held at the Seacrest Soccer Complex and Hilltopper Stadium. Sixteen collegiate teams from all over the country compete for the top spot.

Many programs that take place are not widely known, such as the combine training program for certain categories of players such as linemen who want to tryout for NFL teams. Their stats in requirements such as the 40-yard dash have a major impact on their rankings in the draft and a sizable contract.

What's also challenging is that southern parks and recreation departments are full steam ahead 12 months out of the year, compared to the northern states. Sure, things slow down in the summer months, but anymore there are plenty of people who just stay in Florida year-round. Especially in a place as beautiful and active as Delray Beach.

"We don't have that shut the golf course down when it snows kind of thing," pointed out Suzanne.

As for adding more parks, the department is pretty much land-locked for now. There aren't any funds for land acquisition and anyway land in this highly-desirable city sells at a premium.

Instead, what the department is working on is to promote and attract people to some of their smaller parks.

"We want to make people aware of the parks in their neighborhood that they drive by every day but they may not utilize. So we put programs in there to draw attention to the park and then get them to come back," Suzanne.

Those sort of "pop-up events" might include a movie night with a giant screen TV or a community picnic.

"There's a lot that goes on and there's a lot that goes on that people don't know about," she said.

All these downtown art and  holiday events, music festivals, tennis tournaments, soccer tournaments and beach visitors add up to quite a few people who benefit from park services.

It is estimated more than one million people visit just the beach every year. (Lifeguards actually take a count every three hours).

Town officials also have a heavy interest in making their town more walkable and bike-friendly.

Suzanne said her department works closely with them to be sure that one of the primary places, in addition to schools, that are easily reached by pedestrians and bicyclists are local parks.

When you add up everything else, especially the events that attract people from surrounding towns and counties, it's estimated the number of people who benefit from the parks efforts is well over two million per year.

"It's really hard to gauge the total number of people impacted by our department," the director said. "We certainly have a lot of volume. We are heavily used."

What makes Delray Beach unique is the large number of people who have continually worked hard over the decades to make it a better place to live and a thriving community.

Suzanne notes this same fervor by residents applies to parks and recreation events, where local businesses are major supporters with money and volunteer time in addition to the wealth of retired residents willing to pitch in. The schools help out as well, sending students to lend a hand whenever they can.

"We wouldn't be successful without our community," she said.

Sure, many, many towns across America have very busy parks and recreation departments. And as Suzanne pointed out, many citizens don't realize all the activities that park officials must create and manage for a variety of age groups and interests.

If you ever get to Florida, consider checking out Delray Beach. You'll see a town on turbo-drive experiencing hyper-growth. You'll also hear local residents tell you that because of all the activities and events, there is no place else in the world they would rather live.