Palm Beach

Home Sweet Home    West Palm Homes    South Palm Homes    Find a Realtor    Find a Company    Vital Stats    Rain & Shine    Job Market

Class Notes    Getting Around    Great Outdoors    Good Sports    Hot Times    Shop 'til you Drop    Nightlife    College Scene    Just for Seniors

The Gold Coast describes the Palm Beach area perfectly. Originally salvaged from coastal shipwrecks, the glittery stuff is still around in many guises. Today it's embodied in the many Fortune 500 companies located in Palm Beach County, in the rich and occasionally famous residents of the long, narrow barrier island that gives the entire county its name, in the black gold of the region's rich western farm land and in the dollars that tourists, newcomers and affluent retirees bring with them. The towns and villages of Palm Beach County stretch along many miles of oceanfront, from Tequesta on the north to Boca Raton on the south. Often the original attraction was another kind of gold--the sun-kissed sands of Atlantic Ocean beaches.

Home Sweet Home

There's a lot of real estate, and it's not all pricey, as many would expect. Each area represents a distinct lifestyle and price range. It's difficult to generalize about a large geographic region of approximately 2,000 square miles where housing prices range from $30,000 to $3 million--and up. As a starting point, it might be helpful to know that during 1999 the median sales price of an existing single-family home in the West Palm Beach/Boca Raton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was $133,800, up 5 percent from 1998.

The Jupiter-Tequesta-Hobe Sound Realtors Association, which includes the northernmost segment of Palm Beach County and the town of Jupiter Island, an exclusive community in south Martin County, says for a three-bedroom, two-bath single family home, prices start at about $75,000 and climb to as much as $5 million for a somewhat bigger oceanfront place on Jupiter Island. Most of the properties in northern Palm Beach County are located on a comparatively narrow and very scenic coastal corridor dominated by the Jupiter Lighthouse.

Prices for homes in central Palm Beach County can range from $30,000 for a small condominium to well over $1 million for an executive home, says the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. For the median price of $132,700, you can probably purchase a new, three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,800-square-foot house on a zero lot line in one of the western communities, perhaps in the Royal Palm Beach area or near the Florida Turnpike. Or you can buy an older home about the same size on a larger lot in an established central or eastern neighborhood, perhaps in West Palm Beach or Palm Springs.

"The South Palm Beach markets of Boca Raton, Delray and Boynton Beach are unique in their concentration of high-end country clubs and gated communities," says the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. The association notes, however, that the area offers "all price ranges for all people." The median figure of $132,700 is somewhat low for the county's southern section; a median price of $150,000 to $175,000 for a 2,000-square-foot house with three bedrooms and two baths is more accurate. As Fortune 500 companies come to the area, mid- and upper-level management buyers demand quality housing. But the popular perception that all the housing is high-end is simply not true. There's plenty of inventory in the $100,000-150,000 range.

The average home sale on the barrier island is $1.4 to $1.5 million, according to the Palm Beach Board of Realtors. That's a hefty sales price almost anywhere, except in Palm Beach, where home prices range from $350,000 to $75 million and the island's tax base is an impressive $1 billion. Estate homes are the rule rather than the exception. At the southern end of the island, you'll find 3,900 condominium units on the beach or the Intracoastal. They're located in 40 or 41waterfront buildings. Prices range from under $100,000 to $2.5 million--even $3 million for a penthouse in a new or newer building. Two condo complexes are Palm Beach Hampton and Sloan's Curve. At Sloan's Curve, the two, 96-unit buildings contain condos priced between $500,000 and $1.7 million; the 16 attached townhouses that are part of the development range from $2 to $3.5 million. Empty land is rare and goes for premium prices. Gordon says that Palm Beach offers both village ambience and high culture, a rare combination in Florida or anywhere.

Vital Stats

Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach/Boca Raton MSA)

Population: 1,003,798
Median age: 42.8

New citizens: 20,140 yearly
New job creation: 5.5 percent (1999)

Unemployment rate: 5.6 percent in August, 1999
Cost of living: 103.45 percent (U.S. average: 100 percent)

Per capita income: $38,081
Median household income: $35,833

Rain & Shine

At least a little rain falls 131 days per year. Average annual rainfall is slightly over 62 inches, but it doesn't snow. The tropical climate is enhanced by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, which are only about a mile offshore and help keep both water and air balmy. Average year-round temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The average July temperature is 89.6, but a comfortable 55.9 degrees in January.

Job Market

Many Fortune 500 companies do business in Palm Beach County, and some have their headquarters here. The county's top 10 employers are the Palm Beach County District Schools (15,500), Palm Beach County (8,600), Pratt & Whitney (4,900), Motorola (3,200), Florida Power & Light (2,400), Flo Sun (2,300), St. Mary's Hospital (2,000), Boca Raton Resort & Club (1,850), Columbia/JFK Medical Center (1,700) and Office Depot (1,600).

Class Notes

Extensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend.

Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth.

For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."

Getting Around

Getting to Palm Beach is a breeze. Palm Beach International Airport serves 5 million passengers yearly with more than 100 flights daily during winter's peak season. Three regional airports--Boca Raton, Lantana and North County--add convenience for executive airplanes and local commercial flights. Amtrak trains come and go from the historic station in West Palm Beach. CSX Freight Lines and FEC (Florida's East Coast Railroad) move supplies and goods through the region. The Port of Palm Beach handles significant import/export traffic. Tri-Rail (a commuter service for Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties) and PalmTran, a countywide bus system, provide options for area workers who don't wish to negotiate the main highways--Interstate 95, the Florida Turnpike, U.S. Highway 1 and Military Trail.

Great Outdoors

What could surpass 47 miles of beautiful beaches? Perhaps the unspoiled region of more than 10,000 acres encompassed by Hobe Sound's Jonathan Dickinson State Park near the mouth of the Loxahatchee River where it joins ocean waters at Jupiter Inlet. Or how about the Josepth Verner Reed Wilderness Sanctuary, which preserves ancient Indian mounds and serves as safe haven for thousands of birds on its 120-acre, oceanfront site. At the other end of the county, staff members of Boca Raton's Gumbo Limbo Nature Center lead residents in canoes and kayaks around and through native vegetation during the center's monthly Mangrove Adventure, and nature lovers enjoy 1,460 acres of Everglades in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

Good Sports

Although the sport of kings--polo--is played at three sites, the king of county sports is undoubtedly golf, not polo. With 145 courses and PGA corporate headquarters, Palm Beach is a golfer's paradise. But don't pity the polo players. The regal Wellington facility (Palm Beach Polo and Country Club) is reputed to be the world's best. Prefer the sedate sport of croquet? Palm Beach prides itself on 16 croquet clubs. It's also the headquarters of the U.S. Croquet Association; the national championship is played here each year. A perennial favorite with fishermen and boaters, the county also sports bicycle trails, plenty of safe places for inline skaters and an astonishing 1,100 tennis courts. The Montreal Expos and the Atlanta Braves hold spring training in Palm Beach this year. The Braves will move elsewhere in 1998, but the St. Louis Cardinals move in. With the Montreal Expos, they'll continue the county's spring training tradition at a new facility being built in the 2,300-acre mixed-use Abacoa development in Jupiter. The Class A West Palm Beach Expos keep baseball's local fans happy during the summer months. And the big-league Florida Marlins aren't far away. In fact, neighboring Miami has plenty of pro sports activity for the area's spectators--not only the Marlins, but also Miami Dolpins football, Miami Heat basketball and Florida Panthers hockey. But Palm Beach fields some hometown teams, too, including the Beach Dogs of the Continental Basketball Association and the West Palm Beach Barracudas, a minor league hockey team.

Hot Times in the City

The Palm Beaches provide a cultural oasis, filled with museums, galleries, theaters and awesome entertainment venues, including the $55 million Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, the gem of West Palm Beach's revitalized downtown district, the unique Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens and the impressive Norton Museum of Art, to name a few. Even the Palm Beach Community College possesses a memorable Museum of Art, well-known for its glass and ceramic collection and its contemporary art and sculpture holdings. Ballet, opera, symphony and pops orchestras perform in season; drama from classic to avant-garde reigns year-round.

Youngsters enjoy the Dreher Park Zoo in West Palm Beach and the International Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, also a hit with adults who appreciate popular art and possess a sense of humor. Covering more than 200 years of American cartoon history, the museum includes cartoons ranging from one by Paul Revere to Road Runner and includes 160,000 items by more than 1,000 artists.

Popular festivals include the Italian Festival, Jupiter's Seafood Festival and Oktoberfest at the American/German Club in Lake Worth. The first weekend in May ushers in SunFest, which rates a star on the permanent community's social calendar. It's held in West Palm Beach along historic Flagler Drive.

Shop 'til You Drop

Anyone who thinks a mall is a mall is a mall hasn't been to Palm Beach. The glitzy and glamorous shop at The Esplanade at 150 Worth Avenue, a Mediterranean-style shopping court that some have called Palm Beach's version of a mall. It shelters some very upscale shops like Saks Fifth Avenue, Calvin Klein and Ungaro; or try Tiffany's, Chanel, Ferragamo and other elegant retail establishments on world-famous Worth Avenue itself for shopping. If your budget is modest by millionaire standards, window-shopping may be the most prudent course. Occasionally, you'll see small cards marked "special offerings"--that's Palm Beach for "sale--placed discretely in display windows. Actually, the area offers malls, including the massive Palm Beach Mall and an outlet center called Factory Stores at Palm Beach. In Boca Raton you'll find the Town Center Mall (180 specialty stores and four upscale anchors), the one-of-a-kind Mizner Park and the 80 shops of the Royal Palm Plaza, a.k.a. the Pink Plaza. Boynton Beach houses the mall bearing the town's name, but artsy Delray Beach favors its own memorable Atlantic Avenue, the antithesis of the modern mall and a lot more charming.

Nightlife

The watering holes stay open until 3 a.m., so you can party almost until dawn if so inclined.Most clubs and bars feature a lounge pianist at the very least, but many have live musical groups--some jazz, some the "oldies," some country. If you stay up late enough, indulge in the famous Sunday brunch at Charley's Crab, reputed to feature a mere six different kinds of eggs Benedict. Another highlight is sipping tea and seeing tapestry at the elegant Tapestry Bar of The Breakers, probably the most famous of Palm Beach's many five-star hotels

For a memorable meal, choices abound. This is a great place to go gourmet. You might want to try La Vieille Maison in Boca Raton, Chuck and Harold's in Palm Beach, The Riverhouse on the Intracoastal or Charley's Crab, which does more than brunch at its two locations in Jupiter and Palm Beach. The Restaurant and Cafe l'Europe, both in Palm Beach, won 1997 Florida Trend Golden Spoon awards, the magaine's highest accolade. Boca Raton placed a full dozen dining spots on the publication's Top 200 list. Florida Trend also tapped five area eateries as among 1997's 20 best new restaurants: The Esplanade and Palm Beach Tavern in Palm Beach, Fandango Grill in West Palm Beach and New York Prime and Rino Balzano's in Boca Raton.

College Scene

Florida Atlantic University, part of the state university system matriculates 18,000 students on its main campus in Boca Raton; soon the north end of the county will hosts its own FAU campus in Jupiter on part of the massive Abacoa development there. The county is deservedly proud of its role as home for Florida's first community college--Palm Beach Community College, which now boasts four busy locations for learning. Barry University specializes in programs for the working adult. The private coed four-year Lynn University enrolls 1,660. Dancers and musicians study at the Harid Conservatory, founded in 1987. The College of Boca Raton, the Northwood University-Florida Education Center in West Palm Beach with almost 10,000 students and Palm Beach Atlantic College with 2,000 students, also in West Palm Beach, complete the post-secondary school lineup.

Just for Seniors

Palm Beach County's Senior Services Division administers three federally funded Senior Citizens Centers (in Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth and Belle Glade) that offer opportunities for socializing, arts and crafts activities and group meals. Anyone over 60 is welcome. Two adult day care facilities are also available for seniors who need daytime supervision while their families are at work. For information and referral on all senior services available in the county and senior housing options, dial 930-5040 from within the county or 561/547-8677 long distance.