Melbourne's part of Florida's Space Coast—ground zero for U.S. space exploration. It's less than an hour drive to two year-round rocket launch sites, the John F. Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Being on the Space Coast means plenty of aerospace, defense, IT, and other high-tech companies have set up shop here. If you are a techy type—and you're moderately to severely competent—perhaps you can land a job in town with:
Melbourne's got serious beachfront real estate and—here's some trivia for you—an annual average of 2,900 hours of sunshine. If you want to do the math to compute the practical implications, go for it, champ. Live here, and you'll undoubtedly spend as much time at Melbourne Beach as possible. The popular surfer destination Cocoa Beach and other beautiful shores are also close at hand.
This is also the place to be for teens and 20-somethings poised all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed at the precipice of their high-tech futures. Or something. The Florida Institute of Technology, a consistently top rated doctoral-granting STEM school, is here.
Make a spectacle of yourself trying to communicate with over 100 animal species in their natural languages at the 75-acre Brevard Zoo. The zoo hosts more than a dozen educational programs for your own little anim—children, too. Don't miss the Treetop Trek adventure either, especially if you're terrified of heights (mwahaha!). For locals, membership's a smart investment for multiple visits and to take advantage of extras and to support conservation efforts.
OK, so you want a really amazing blackened salmon BLT, a craft beer, and a slice of chocolate silk pie. But that’s not all, you also want to pick up some freshly baked bread and imported meats and cheeses. You need to peruse a selection of more than 700 wines, 500 beers, and 400 spirits to find just the right pairings. And you'd like a cup of coffee while you're looking. Oh, and you want to do it all in a house that's over a century old. You're in luck; go to The Mansion on the outer edge of downtown.
Get to know it. Melbourne's population of almost 80,000 supports a quaint but lively, eclectic urban downtown core, centered around East New Haven Ave. It's a central business district for the Space Coast, but also has lots of unique stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, and more.
...it's time for some fresh air and outdoor recreation. Head just south of Melbourne Beach to Sebastian Inlet State Park. Take advantage of great saltwater fishing, canoe or kayak through the mangroves in the Indian River Lagoon, camp, hike, bike, picnic, surf, swim, scuba dive or snorkel, bum around on the beach, birdwatch, or take the kiddies to the playground. Sorry, though—there's no skiing, mountain climbing, or spelunking. But don't miss the McLarty Treasure Museum, dedicated to the history of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet.
The Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts is the city's major performing arts venue. It's a mid-size spot of just over 2,000 seats where you can catch everything from live recreations of classic rock albums to shows by the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. There are also national headliners in music and comedy, plays, musicals, dance recitals, and more.
Since 2000, the consistently delicious Tuscany Grill's been a beloved part of the Melbourne community. Hopefully, you can tell by the name that there's a focus on Italian cuisine, but there's also a focus on fresh, local, seasonal sourcing. Also of note, in an industry infamous for employee turnover, is how long most of the staff's been there. The restaurant is also an active supporter of local charities.
If you'll forgive me mentioning two restaurants in the same plaza and owned by the same folks, here's a shout-out to D.I.G. Bistro, next door to Tuscany Grill. It's also locally focused, with plenty of healthy selections, and they even have their own locally roasted coffee.
As much as I love inserting silly, anachronistic exclamations into my writing for no reason, this one's legit. The Eau Gallie Arts District (insert acronym) Main Street is an arts and culture hub of Melbourne and a place to get acquainted with when you move to town. Business is booming here and it's an attractive and historic place to stroll around. Drop in to see the newest exhibits at the Foosaner Art Museum and tour the Rossetter House Museum and Gardens.
As far as institutionalized local secrets go, That Little Restaurant is a big one. This simple, quality, modestly named breakfast and brunch spot has been fueling Melbourne residents with homestyle morning goodness for more than 20 years.
No, this isn't the entry for sadists and schadenfreude. Going back to 1951, the Melbourne Civic Theater is Brevard County's longest running community theater. It's intimate, with just under 100 seats, and it's your local source for on-stage entertainment in the form of plays and musicals. So get it, “break a leg”… it’s a theater joke… ahem… OK, moving on.
There's only one Level II Trauma Center in Brevard and neighboring Indian River Counties, and it's here in Melbourne. So, rest easy if you horrendously wound yourself. The Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center is also an area leader in cardiovascular and stroke care, neonatal intensive care, and robotics-assisted surgery.
So you're sitting on the Atlantic Coast, halfway between Jacksonville and Miami, and suddenly you're craving falafel, shawarma, shish taouk, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, or other Middle Eastern food. You've got two fantastic options: Middle Eastern Aromas or Cedar's Cafe, two Melbourne originals specializing in Lebanese cuisine. Both are excellent!
Sign up with Movoto now for the best way to find your dream home. All the homes, all the info, totally free.Most people find a particular ennui sets in by the second Friday of each month, and when it rolls around they just don't know what to do with themselves. But not Melbourne residents. Because that's when Friday Fest hits. It's a big family-friendly street party held downtown. Come out and check out all the vendors, food, drinks, music, and fun.
There's a life-size replica of the Liberty Bell at the straightforwardly named Liberty Bell Memorial Museum, and the line's way shorter at this one. It's an interesting stop if you like military history and perusing facsimiles of key documents from our nation's past. The Museum is run by Honor America, Inc., which also hosts ceremonies and puts on parades for patriotic holidays like Independence Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Flag Day.
Florida's known for its fondness for Cuban cuisine and crazy numbers of Cuban eateries. When Melbourne gets a hankerin' for authentic Cuban, they head straight to the city's beloved El Ambia Cubano.
No, no, don't panic... nobody's gonna make you eat haggis. It's far more palatable to get your dose of Scot from the City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums band. They've been kilting and up then blowing, banging, and marching for more than 20 years now.
Every year, for 30 years as of this writing, the city hosts the Melbourne Art Festival, which draws in about 60,000 people. It takes place on the fourth full weekend in April, when the weather's perfect. This is one of those not-to-be-missed shindigs. Buy something to spruce your place up and support local artists and education.
It's all good... after all, more than quarter of the city's population is of German or Irish descent. Feel all multicultural by getting your drink on at Coaster's Pub and Biergarten or Meg O'Malley's Irish Pub and Restaurant. When the time comes, celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the downtown festivities hosted by Melbourne Main Street. Then, there's Oktoberfest festivities in—you guessed it—October.
…There's the annual Historic Downtown Melbourne Sip & Stroll in April. With your ticket, you get a commemorative wine glass, a passport to track your progress, and a swag-filled tote bag. Walk along the downtown core and get acquainted with area merchants and lots of varietals, vintages, and vintners.
I'm not saying you need to get out of the house more, but, well, you need to get out of the house more. Relative to its size, Melbourne packs in a lot of community parks that offer playgrounds and all sorts of outdoor recreational opportunities. A few standouts amongst the city's green spaces include:
Pho Cali Vietnamese Restaurant via Facebook If a go-to spot for pho, thit nuong, and other Vietnamese food is a must-have in your hometown, Melbourne has you covered with Pho Cali Vietnamese Restaurant. The food's fresh and delicious, it comes out quickly, and the portion sizes are generous.
Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival via Facebook Every fall, the Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival—which recently celebrated it 15th anniversary—gives you a chance to show off your budding talent as a filmmaker and gain a new level of exposure. Of course, if you aren't active behind the lens, go see what's being done by those in your community who are.
Restaurants that forgo focus to serve a wide variety of foods don't usually work out well, but that's not the case at Matt's Casbah. The sushi bar's really good, but there's something on the menu for everyone in Melbourne. This is a popular local spot with lots of art in the dining room and a comfortable outdoor dining section.
Yeah, heat and humidity are an issue in Florida. But since Melbourne sits right on the coast, you get some nice sea breezes to keep things a little more tolerable. Average highs only hit the 90s in July, though they're in the upper 80s in May, June, August, and September. It's hard to argue with the winters, though. Average highs still hit the 70s and average lows stick to the 50s. Really, there isn't too much time during the year when you can't hit the beach or parks. Feature image: Melbourne Main Street via Facebook
