Briny Breezes, FL

Set along a narrow strip of barrier island in Palm Beach County, Briny Breezes is one of the most unique coastal communities in Florida. The entire town is made up of roughly 500 resident-owned manufactured homes sitting directly between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. It started during the Great Depression when a local dairy farmer let winter travelers park their trailers on the land for three dollars a week. Those seasonal visitors ended up buying the property together in 1958 and incorporated the town a few years later, keeping it resident-run to this day.

What makes day-to-day life special is how easy it is to enjoy the water. You have a private 600-foot beach and an oceanfront clubhouse on one side of the street, and a marina along the Intracoastal on the other. Neighbors get around by golf cart, meet up at the pool and shuffleboard courts, and fill the winter months with regular dinners, card games, and club events. It offers a laid-back, vintage Florida vibe right on the coast, with a level of neighborhood connection that is hard to find in modern developments.