Downtown – Cocoa Beach, Florida
Ron Jon Surf Shop is the undisputed anchor for Cocoa Beach. There are a number of other businesses – both bars and restaurants – that contribute to a festive atmosphere downtown.
Area142 is an outdoor performing arts venue with a private bar space for more contained activities.
The “Downtown Cocoa Beach Main Street” mural has a googie aesthetic. Painting was done by David Rothman, Scott Levy, Robert Long, and with support from Benjamin Moore Paint Co. and Cocoa Beach Main Street.
Another mural has ornamental fish swimming on the side of the building and the text “The Dunes” over a figure in scuba diving gear.
And, yet another mural has a mermaid with other fish swimming below water. A fishing boat is ominous floating above near the top of the mural with radiant sunlight beaming down and through the water.
In another mural an oversized sea turtle is floating in the water but at the same time above the ground, overlooking the plaza below.
As an oceanfront downtown the transition from the public downtown spaces to the beach is seamless. Pavers give way to sand.
It’s a subtle detail, but the change of the pavers into a wavy pattern during the intersection signals to pedestrians that they need to be more alert. They also echo a wave pattern that is fitting for an oceanfront community.
One last business that caught our eye was Foxtail Coffee Company. They are based in Orlando, Florida, and roast their beans in the U.S. The Cocoa Beach location was very sleek and well designed. Businesses like this that do their own roasting add much to local and regional economies. They also provide a powerful alternative to larger corporate and global franchises like Starbucks.
Flashback to 2018
On an earlier visit we barely had time to take a photo of Ron Jon Surf Shop from the car.
One other detail we saw were the hand painted planters with the “Downtown Cocoa Beach” positioning.