MIAMI—What are the hottest retail submarkets in South Florida? Delray Beach is among them, according to Joshua Ladle, an associate with Avison Young.

"Within less than a decade, downtown Delray Beach—namely Atlantic Avenue—has been transformed into a vibrant live-work-play area," Ladle tells GlobeSt.com. "It is becoming one of the premier South Florida hubs for destination restaurants and bars as well as shopping from high-end local boutiques to big-name national retailers."

As Ladle sees it, energy and desirability of the Delray Beach area continues to attract more tourists, local visitors and residents—and investors and developers have taken notice. He points to many developments underway, including apartments by Related Group, the Aloft hotel, the iPic Movie Theatre and Atlantic Crossing, and says these speak of a renaissance happening in the submarket.