West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach
—  City  —
West Palm Beach Skyline
Seal
Nickname(s): Orchid City, West Palm, WPB
Location in Palm Beach County and the state of Florida.
U.S. Census Bureau map showing city limits
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Palm Beach
Incorporated	November 5, 1894
Government
- Mayor	Lois Frankel
Area
- City	58.2 sq mi (150.7 km2)
- Land	55.1 sq mi (142.8 km2)
- Water	3.1 sq mi (7.9 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (6.4 m)
Population (2008)[1]
- City	99,504
- Metro	5,413,212
	2009 Census Bureau estimate
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	33401-33422
Area code(s)	561
FIPS code	12-76600[2]
GNIS feature ID	0293097[3]
Website	http://www.cityofwpb.com/

West Palm Beach, also known as West Palm, is the largest and most populous city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2009 the city had an estimated population of 99,504.^[1] It is the county seat of Palm Beach County,^[4] and is one of the principal cities in the South Florida metropolitan area, which has an estimated 2007 population of 5,413,212.^[5] The area is known as the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach Metropolitan Division, which covers the entire Palm Beach County area.^[6] It is situated in the northernmost county of the South Florida metropolitan area.

Demographics

As of 2006, there were 86,302 people, 34,769 households, and 18,253 families residing in the city. The population density was 574.9/km² (1,488.9/mi²). There were 40,461 housing units at an average density of 283.3/km² (733.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.09% White (of which 36% were Non-Hispanic Whites,)^[7] 36.21% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 4.35% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.21% of the population.

There were 34,769 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, 21.3% of the population is under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,774, and the median income for a family was $42,074. Males had a median income of $30,221 versus $26,473 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,188. About 20.5% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over 95 .

As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 72.49% of all residents, while those who spoke Spanish made up 17.71%, French Creole 4.46%, French 1.27%, German 0.62%, and Italian 0.52% of the population.^[8]

As of 2000, West Palm Beach had the 65th-highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 5.29% of the populace (tied with Cooper City.)^[9] It had the forty-third highest percentage of Haitian residents in the US, at 4.20% of the city's population (tied with Roosevelt, New York,)^[9] and the fifty-sixth highest percentage of Guatemalan residents in the US, at 2.24% of its population.^[10] There is a thriving Hispanic community just south of the Downtown area called Poinciana Park.^[11]

History

West Palm Beach in the 1880s

West Palm Beach in the 1960s

Henry Flagler began buying land - paying US$75,000 for the old Geer home in Palm Beach, which was then owned by R.R. McCormick of Denver, and $50,000 for a piece of E.M. Brelsford's land. Soon, the massive Royal Poinciana Hotel would rise on McCormick's land and Flagler's marble palace, Whitehall, would be built on Brelsford's. Across the lake, he bought a strip of land that stretched from Lake Worth to Clear Lake, paying $35,000 for Captain O.S. Porter's homestead and $10,000 for Louie Hillhouse's land. That $45,000 investment became West Palm Beach, the city Flagler founded for "my help". By now, South Florida's destiny was clear: Land was the hot commodity, and nearly everyone in town was trying to buy land and sell it.^[12]

The city was founded by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth. The original spelling was "Westpalmbeach", but it was feared that the 13-letter word would be an ominous omen for the fledgling community. On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County).^[12] This made West Palm Beach the oldest incorporated municipality in the county and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. During the 1920s, the city grew rapidly during the Florida land boom, during which many historic structures and neighborhoods were built.

The city has a very rich history. Prior to the founding of Miami, West Palm Beach was a thriving cultural center. Originally, Henry Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but due to a deep freeze, he decided to extend the railroad to Miami. For many years West Palm Beach and Miami were rival South Florida cities and they both thrived in the early 20th century. Although it was originally intended to be a settlement for the servants of the wealthy Palm Beach Island neighbors, West Palm became a thriving center in its own right. Pleasant City is a neighborhood in the original Uptown West Palm that had a thriving middle-class African-American population. This community still has a rich heritage, whereas many of the families have lived there for generations.

Pratt & Whitney, IBM, RCA and others helped put the city on the map in the late 1960s and 1970s. But now the focus was on the whole of Palm Beach County, not just West Palm Beach. The city was loving its position as the county's hub and heart. And so many other things were changing. Integration brought the end of Palm Beach and Roosevelt High schools and the beginning of a new high school, Twin Lakes (now Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts).

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a revival for the city. However, crime was a serious issue due to racial tensions and high vacancy rates. But following the 1970s, the city has undergone a renaissance as newcomers have rediscovered the city's historic areas, graceful new high-rises including Donald Trump's elegant "Trump Plaza", and a resurgent downtown entertainment and shopping district called CityPlace. Clematis Street and CityPlace are some of the centers of West Palm Beach's nightlife.

Historic neighborhoods and communities

West Palm Beach skyline from the north.

Clematis Street

Comeau Building, Clematis Street

Hibiscus Street, downtown.

Flamingo Park Historic Marker.

Bel Air Historic District - Developed from 1925 to 1935 as a neighborhood for tradesmen and real estate salesmen who helped develop Palm Beach County, some of Belair was originally a pineapple plantation owned by Richard Hone. Hones's frame vernacular house, built around 1895, still stands at 211 Plymouth Road. After Hone was murdered in 1902, his property was sold to George Currie, who created Currie Development Co. But before it was developed, the land was sold to William Ohlhaber, who raised coconut palms and ferns. Eventually, Ohlhaber platted the subdivision and sold off lots. The first house built in the subdivision was Ohlhaber's mission-style home at 205 Pilgrim. Ohlhaber's grandson said Ohlhaber bought the tract to provide dockage for his 90-foot (27 m) yacht, but the yacht ran aground in the Gulf of Mexico and never reached Lake Worth. In 1947 Hone's house was bought by Max Brombacher, Henry Flagler's chief engineer, and it remains in the Brombacher family today. Belair became West Palm Beach's fourth historic district in August 1993.

Central Park - Central Park is a collective name for several subdivisions north of Southern Boulevard. It originally was part of the Estates of South Palm Beach (which went from Wenonah Place to Pilgrim Road east of Dixie Highway). Like other West Palm Beach neighborhoods, the Estates of South Palm Beach boomed after Henry Flagler's descent on Palm Beach. In 1884, James W. Copp, a bachelor in the boating business, borrowed $367.20 from Valentine Jones to buy the land. The ownership of what is now known as Central Park changed hands many times before being developed. Around 1919, the tropical wilderness was transformed into an exclusive neighborhood with curbed roads, sidewalks and a pier (at the foot of what is now Southern Boulevard). The neighborhood became part of West Palm Beach in 1926, and was named a city historic district in December 1993. In 1999 the neighborhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

El Cid - Noted for its Mediterranean revival and mission-style homes, El Cid developed in the height of Florida's real estate boom. In the late 1800s, most of the land north of Sunset Road was pineapple fields, but the crop dwindled in the early 1900s. Pittsburgh socialite Jay Phipps subdivided the old pineapple fields in the 1920s. He named it El Cid, after the celebrated Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, who conquered Valencia in 1094. He was called "Cid", meaning "lord". El Cid became a city historic district in June 1993. In 1995 the neighborhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Flamingo Park - Originally a pineapple plantation, Flamingo Park was established by local contractors and developers, who saw the potential in this area—one of the highest coastal ridge sections from downtown West Palm Beach to Miami. Some ridge houses even had ocean views from upper floors. Houses cost about $10,000 to $18,000 in the boom era, and many buyers were owners of shops and businesses on fashionable Dixie Highway nearby. Recently, residents rallied to have stop signs installed throughout the neighborhood and have banded together to ward off commercial and industrial zoning. Property values are rising as residents renovate and restore Spanish-style houses. Most of the homes in the neighborhood, developed from 1921 to 1930, are mission style, but nearly every style is represented. There are many Mediterranean revival-style houses along the high ridge line. Only two buildings in the historic district are known to have been designed by architects: 701 Flamingo Drive designed by Harvey and Clarke, and the Armory Arts Center designed by William Manly King. The neighborhood became a West Palm Beach historic district in January 1993 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Grandview Heights - One of the city's oldest neighborhoods still intact, Grandview Heights was built as an extension of Palm Beach Heights from around 1910 to 1925. Almost all of Palm Beach Heights and half of Grandview Heights was demolished in 1989 to make way for the proposed Downtown/Uptown project, which remains undeveloped. Grandview Heights originally attracted construction workers who helped build the luxury hotels, ministers and store owners. In recent years, residents rallied to stop random demolition of neighborhood homes. And they banded together to chase drug dealers and prostitutes from the neighborhood. New investors are helping bring back the neighborhood, which has one of the city's best collection of early craftsman-style bungalows, as well as some modest, Mediterranean revival-style homes. The neighborhood became a West Palm Beach historic district in 1995 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Mango Promenade - Mango Promenade became a West Palm Beach historic district in 1995 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Lies just south of Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Northboro Park- An expansion of Old Northwood, Northboro Park was mostly custom houses for upper-middle-class professionals. Most of the houses are Mediterranean revival, mission and frame vernacular. Developed from 1923 to 1940, the neighborhood became the city's second historic district (November 1992) and the historic designation may soon expand north to 45th Street. The oldest building in the neighborhood is Northboro Elementary School at 36th Street and Spruce, built in 1925 by DaCamara and Chace. The demolition of Northboro Elementary School began in late 2009. The first home in Northboro Park is 418 36th St., built in 1923.

Northwest - West Palm Beach's first historic district to be included on the National Register of Historic Places (February 1992), the Northwest neighborhood was first settled in 1894, when the black community was moved from the Styx in Palm Beach to West Palm Beach. It also served as the city's segregated black community from 1929 to 1960 (along with Pleasant City). Northwest remains a predominantly black community but according to the city planning department, most middle- and upper-class blacks moved to other neighborhoods after desegregation. Tamarind and Rosemary Avenues were the commercial centers for blacks by 1915, but most commercial buildings have been demolished or remodeled so the architecture is no longer significant. There are still good examples of late 19th- and early 20th-century American bungalow/craftsman-style homes in this neighborhood, which also has mission, shotgun, Bahamian vernacular and American Foursquare styles. The Alice Frederick Mickens house, at 801 Fourth St., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Mickens was a philanthropist and humanitarian who promoted education for black youth. Another notable house is the Gwen Cherry house at 625 Division Ave. Cherry, Florida's first black woman legislator and a resident of Miami, inherited the house from relative Mollie Holt, who built the house in 1926. Now it is the Palm Beach County Black Historical Society. The Northwest neighborhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The next year the neighborhood became a West Palm Beach historic district in 1993.

Old Northwood Historic District- Old Northwood was developed from 1920 to 1927—the height of the city's real estate boom. The Pinewood Development Co., platted and developed the area. Old Northwood became a neighborhood of what was considered extravagant Mediterranean revival, mission and frame vernacular houses, at $30,000 to $36,000. The buyers were professionals, entrepreneurs and tradesmen. Among them was Dunkle, who was mayor of West Palm Beach. There are houses here designed by notable architects John Volk (best known for his Palm Beach houses), William Manly King (who designed Palm Beach High School and the Armory Arts Center) and Henry Steven Harvey (whose Seaboard Railroad Passenger Station on Tamarind Avenue is listed in the National Register of Historic Places). The neighborhood became a West Palm Beach historic district in 1991 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in June 1994.

Northwood Hills Historic District- On August 4, 2003, the City Commission designated the Northwood Hills neighborhood as the 13th Historic District in the City of West Palm Beach. Northwood Hills comprises the area from 29th Street on the South to 39th Court on the North. The east side of Windsor is the Western boundary, and Greenwood Avenue is the Eastern boundary. The Neighborhood Association has worked several years to achieve the distinction of historic designation. This is the first district to be designated since 1996. Northwood Hills has a number of Mission Revival houses, a significant collection of Post-World War II architecture, a unique street layout, and one of the highest elevations in the City. The Northwood Hills neighborhood has also elected to allow the establishment of Bed and Breakfast establishments within the neighborhood.

Pleasant City

Prospect Park- Promoted as a high-end neighborhood patterned after the prominent Prospect Park district in Brooklyn, this area consisted of mostly smaller estates for prominent businesspeople and northern investors. The neighborhood has a high concentration of Mediterranean revival and Mission revival houses. It was developed from 1920 to 1935 and became a city historic district in November 1993.

West Northwood Historic District- Cashing in on the real estate boom, developers of West Northwood built speculative and custom houses for upper-middle-class professionals from 1925 to '27. Dominant architectural styles are Mediterranean revival and mission. Although the area was declining, that has reversed in recent years, as more investors buy and restore the houses. West Northwood became a city historic district in August 1993.

West Palm Beach Census Designated Places and Urbanized Area

An aerial view of Downtown West Palm Beach.

The estimated 2008 population of West Palm Beach and the immediately adjacent Census Designated Places is 134,795.^[13] Much of this urbanized area lies directly west of the city and includes the neighborhoods of Westgate, Belvedere Homes, Lakeside Green, Century Village, Schall Circle, Lake Belvedere Estates, Plantation Mobile Homes, and Golden Lakes. These neighborhoods are not technically within the boundaries of West Palm Beach, being located in unincorporated Palm Beach County. However, residents possess a "West Palm Beach" address and urban services, such as police, fire, parks, water and sewer, are provided by a combination of Palm Beach County and the City of West Palm Beach in these areas. The City of West Palm Beach also provides water and sewer service to the Town of Palm Beach. The contiguous "urbanized" area, of which West Palm Beach is the core city, includes most of eastern Palm Beach County and has an estimated 2008 population of around 1,250,000.^[14]

Key incorporated cities and their populations within the West Palm Beach urbanized area include:

Education

K-12 education

K-12 public education is administrated by the School District of Palm Beach County, which is the eleventh-largest school district in the United States by enrollment.^[15] The district main office is located in unincorporated West Palm Beach.^[16]

Bak Middle School of the Arts is a magnet middle school in West Palm Beach, just south of Mangonia Park, FloridaThe school's campus was formerly that of the Dreyfoos High School of the Arts. The first auditions took place in July 1997. The campus property of Bak Middle School of the Arts was also home to North Shore High School from 1965-1989. The school accepts students from all over Palm Beach County. Students may audition for two out of five art areas: communications, dance, music (consisting of band, keyboard, strings, and vocal arts), theater, and visual arts.

Post-secondary education

The original Palm Beach Junior College building was recently restored and is being used by Palm Beach Community College.

Palm Beach State College - is the oldest community college in Florida, founded in 1933. The original building housing Palm Beach Community College is in West Palm Beach, adjacent to the Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. School of the Arts (on the site of the old Palm Beach High School), and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building has been restored and is once again being used by the college. The College now has four campuses in the county, with the main campus located in neighboring Lake Worth.^[17]

Palm Beach Atlantic University lies along the Intracoastal Waterway Lake Worth Lagoon

Palm Beach Atlantic University - is a four-year, private, university with approximately 3,200 students. The university has grown rapidly in the past ten years, and future growth is expected to continue. The expanding waterfront campus is located on seven blocks within the south end of downtown, and includes several historic structures converted to academic use. PBAU has added both a school of nursing and school of pharmacy.

Northwood University - is a four year private business college offering bachelor and graduate degrees. The campus is located in the northwest part of the city and has approximately 1,000 students. Northwood University is a sister school to a main campus in Michigan. The majority of the university's majors are concentrated toward careers in various facets of the automotive industry including a world renowned program in automotive marketing. The school also has a great deal of very well known benefactors including Amway Founder and Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos, famed builder and author Frank McKinney, Artist Thomas Kinkade, and Wendy's founder Dave Thomas.

Florida Culinary Institute - The school offers a variety of diploma and degree programs in Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Culinary Nutrition, Food and Beverage Management and International Baking and Pastry.

Lincoln College of Technology - Founded 1982 in the Palm Beaches, the West Palm Beach campus of Lincoln College of Technology (formerly New England Institute of Technology) is a non-accredited vocational school.

South University - A business college, the campus is just minutes west of both Interstate 95 and downtown West Palm Beach. Bachelor's, associate's and academic programs offered.

Libraries

The West Palm Beach Public Library serves the city.^[18] West Palm Beach opened a new public library of its own in April 2009 at 411 Clematis Street. The library replaced an older city library that sat at the end of Clematis Street in what is now being developed as Centennial Park. A library had occupied that spot as far back as the 1930s when the city opened it as a place to discourage people from drinking during prohibition.

In addition the Palm Beach County Library System has the Main Library in a nearby unincorporated area.^[19][20]

Arts and culture

The exterior of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (Photo by: John Panicci)

Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace.

Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts – Since 1992, the Kravis Center has provided the city a venue for world class performances in theatre, dance, opera, and music. The venue holds more than 800 events each year, with more than 400,000 people in attendance annually.

Norton Museum of Art – located just south of downtown, is the largest art museum in Florida and boasts many traveling exhibits that runs the circuit of world class museums. The Museum is internationally known for its distinguished permanent collection featuring 19th and 20th century European and American art, Chinese, contemporary art and photography. From its founding the Norton has been famous for its masterpieces of 19th century and 20th century painting and sculpture by European artists such as Brancusi, Gauguin, Matisse, Miró, Monet, Picasso and by Americans such as Davis, Hassam, Hopper, Manship, O'Keeffe, Pollock and Sheeler.^[21] The gallery also offers classes and seminars for children and adults.

The Carefree Theatre – (1940) in the historic Flamingo Park district had provided the city with various art house cinema shows and alternative music performances, however, the structure was severely damaged by Hurricane Wilma and has been closed indefinitely. The owners have re-opened the venue at a renovated church located further south on Conniston Road under a new name, The Theater.

Meyer Amphitheatre – An abandoned Holiday Inn was demolished in 1993 and transformed into the Meyer Amphitheatre, which schedules a myriad of events all year long including weekly live jazz performances and other musical venues. The coconut palm lined amphitheatre offers spectacular views of Lake Worth, the waterfront and Palm Beach beyond.

Palm Beach County Convention Center – Features a total of 350,000 square feet (33,000 m²) of exhibit halls and meeting rooms in downtown West Palm Beach. There are a wide variety of events held in this world-class venue. Everything from the popular Palm Beach County Home Show to the International Fine Arts and Antiques Shoe to the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Show (now held in the suburban South Florida Expo Center).

Festivals and shows

SunFest is Florida's largest waterfront music festival.

SunFest - is a music, art, and waterfront festival in Florida. SunFest was founded in 1982 to draw visitors to the area during the ‘shoulder season’. SunFest has an annual attendance of more than 275,000 people. Some artists who have performed are Carrie Underwood, Harry Connick, Live, John Mayer, Jon Secada, Ray Charles, Keb Mo, Ludacris, Nelly, Lenny Kravitz, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, No Doubt, Kenny G, Earth Wind and Fire, Cyndi Lauper, Rick Braun, Peter White, Noel Lorica, Pink Floyd and The Wailers. SunFest is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.^[22]

Palm Beach International Film Festival - The Palm Beach International Film Festival hosts filmmakers, celebrities, industry executives, and press from around the world. Attendance over the past two years has increased over 50 percent to nearly 40,000 attendees.

Palm Beach Boat Show

National Horse Show – the National Horse Show is America's oldest horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show has now become one of America's most prestigious outdoor horse shows. 2004 for the third year will be held at Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida and will offer many of the top horses and riders the chance to rein supreme with National Honors.

Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction – One of the premiere classic car auctions in the world. Each March more than 40,000 people walk through the halls of the South Florida Expo Center in suburban West Palm Beach. The annual event has included the sale of Howard Hughes' personal 1963 Buick Roadmaster for a record-shattering $1.62 million and the first Shelby G.T.500E convertible ever made for $520,800.

City festivals – Weekly events such as Clematis By Night on downtown's Clematis Street offer live music and a festive atmosphere. Moonfest is held each year on the 500 Block of Clematis Street on the Saturday before Halloween, and a seasonal downtown Green Market is held each winter on Saturdays on Second Street and Narcissus Avenue.

Transportation

The historic Seaboard Air Line station serves Amtrak and Tri-Rail

The Water Taxi is means of transportation in West Palm Beach

Air: The city is served by Palm Beach International Airport, located in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The airport attracts people from all over the county as well as from the Treasure Coast and Space Coast counties to the north. In 2006 there were 6,824,789 passengers who passed through the gates of PBIA making it the 58th busiest airport in the nation.^[23]

Highways: U.S. 1 passes though the city's downtown, commercial, and industrial districts. Interstate 95 bisects the city from north to south with multiple interchanges serving West Palm Beach, including an entrance to Palm Beach International Airport. Florida's Turnpike passes through West Palm Beach further west, connecting with the western suburbs of Royal Palm Beach and Wellington. State Road 80, running east-west, is a partial expressway, that runs from Interstate 95 to State Road 7.

Rail: Tri-Rail commuter rail system serves the city from a historical station located on the west side of Tamarind Avenue, just east of I-95. Tri-Rail provides commuter rides north to Mangonia Park and south to Miami. Amtrak has daily trains arriving and departing to points north. CSX Transportation and the Florida East Coast Railway also serve the city.

Trolley: There is a free downtown trolley that provides transportation around downtown including Clematis, City Place and Waterfront districts of the city.

Bus: Greyhound Lines operates scheduled intercity bus service out of the train station on the west side of Tamarind Avenue. Palm Tran, the Palm Beach County municipal bus service, operates scheduled service throughout the city and the suburban areas of Palm Beach County.

Port: The Port of Palm Beach is located on the northern edge of the city limits. It is the fourth busiest container port in Florida and the 18th busiest in the continental United States. In addition to intermodal capacity, the Port is a major modal point for the shipment of various goods^[23] as well as being the home to several small passenger cruise lines.^[24]

Water Taxi: As a waterfront city there is specific need for water transportation between points in the city and surrounding areas. Waterway transportation is available to and from the downtown Clematis Street District, Sailfish Marina Resort, waterfront attractions, Peanut Island and special events.

Sports

West Palm Beach does not host any professional sports teams, but the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League play at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise to the south. Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins, the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association all play in nearby Miami-Dade County. In the past West Palm Beach has hosted various professional teams such as Arena Football, minor league hockey and baseball as well as semi-pro football.

Spring Training Baseball – The Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals conduct spring training in suburban West Palm Beach in the town of Jupiter, Florida at Roger Dean Stadium. In the past West Palm Beach hosted the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos at the former Municipal Stadium and the Philadelphia Athletics at old Connie Mack Field.

Collegiate Athletics – Palm Beach Atlantic University competes in NCAA Division II basketball, baseball and soccer. Gal Presser is Northwoods best athlete and recently has been inducted into NU hall of fame. PBAU has recently purchased a large tract of land just west of downtown where there will be built a multi-use athletic stadium.^[25] Indoor athletics play their home games at the Greene Complex which is an on campus arena. Florida Atlantic University's athletic programs are played in neighboring Boca Raton. FAU competes in the highest level of NCAA athletics including football, basketball, baseball, softball and tennis. Northwood University competes at the NAIA level, where their basketball coach Rollie Massimino, has given the athletic program national exposure.

Professional Golf – PGA National Resort & Spa in suburban Palm Beach Gardens hosts the PGA Tour Honda Classic.

Polo and Equestrian – Palm Beach Polo and Country Club counts 7 polo fields among its world-class facilities and many high-goal games are played in the area. The equestrian events at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club are the National Horse Show and the world-renowned Winter Equestrian Festival, hosted in Wellington.

Croquet – The National Croquet Center has 12 full sized croquet lawns, making it the largest dedicated croquet facility in the world. It hosts several national championships and in May 2009 will host the World Championship when representatives of up to 25 countries will be competing for the Wimbledon Cup.

Shopping areas/districts

Palm Beach Mall – an enclosed mall with JC Penney and a couple of other stores. The mall recently closed, however several stores remain open.

CityPlace – described as "old-world architecture, beautiful fountains, and sidewalk cafés create an atmosphere strikingly reminiscent of a European town center". There is a multi-plex movie theater, IMAX Theater, several night clubs (comedy, dance), several world famous restaurants as well as clothing and home-decor retail outlets surrounded by multi-story town houses and apartments. Opened in 2000 where single family homes and dilapidated apartments once stood, City Place is West Palm Beach's best example of gentrification.

Clematis Street – best represents the old South Florida charm of the now thriving metropolis. Clematis Street, is West Palm Beach's historic shopping venue. It is now home to Clematis by Night, an outdoor event held on the street with live music and food. There are dozens of eateries, night clubs and retail outlets on the street and surrounding downtown streets. Donald Trump once told People Magazine that Clematis Street was "..the hottest street in Florida".

Antique Row – a shopping district on the south side of the city. Along Dixie Highway lie over 45 antique shops offering a selection of 17th to 20th century antiques, fine and decorative arts, period deco and modern furnishings. All within walking distance, there is a vast array of quality antiques shops and complemented by four restaurants, and a boutique hotel. Architectural Digest, The New York Times, Art & Antiques, and House Beautiful have all heralded Antique Row as one of the east coast's premier antique districts, considered the "antique design center" of Florida.^[26]

Notable buildings

West Palm Beach skyline from Interstate 95.

Attractions

I-95/PBIA Interchange, Downtown WPB in background.

• Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
• Rapids Water Park
• South Florida Science Museum
• Lion Country Safari
• International Polo Hall of Fame
• National Croquet Center
• Palm Beach Polo and Players Club
• Trump International Golf Club

Media

Newspapers:
The Palm Beach Post: is the 57th highest daily circulation in the country, according to the 2007 BurrellesLuce survey, and is the city's sole daily newspaper.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: is based in nearby Fort Lauderdale, and is increasing its coverage of the area, reporting local news in Palm Beach County.

Palm Beach Daily News: sister publication of the Palm Beach Post serving the town of Palm Beach, it covers events and social affairs of the celebrities and wealthy residents of Palm Beach. Frequently extends coverage to events taking place in West Palm Beach.

New Times Broward-Palm Beach is an alternative weekly publication serving West Palm Beach along with Fort Lauderdale.

The Beacon is Palm Beach Atlantic University's student award-winning newspaper.

Radio:
West Palm Beach is ranked as the 46th largest radio market in the country by Arbitron.

Television:
West Palm Beach is ranked as the 38th largest television market in the country by Nielsen Media Research. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including:
WPTV-TV/5 (NBC), WPEC/12(CBS), WTCN-CA/15(MYTV), WPBF/25 (ABC), WFLX/29 (FOX), WTVX/34 (CW), WXEL-TV/42 (PBS), WWHB/48 (Ind.), WFGC/61 (Ind.), WPXP/67 (ION)

The areas official Telemundo affiliate is WSCV in Miami, and WLTV is the areas Univision affiliate, also in Miami. In addition to those, many Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market TV and radio stations are also available and viewed in West Palm Beach.

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau, this city has a total area of 150.7 km² (58.2 mi²). 142.8 km² (55.1 mi²) of it is land and 7.9 km² (3.1 mi²) of it (5.26%) is water.

Due to vast areas of swampland immediately to the west of the city's downtown, growth occurred to the north and south in a linear fashion. Until the 1960s, the city was no more than several blocks wide but over 100 blocks in length. Large scale development finally occurred to the west of the city with improved access and drainage in the 1960s. However, the city boundaries were not expanded much with the exception of the "Water Catchment Area", an uninhabited area in the northwest part of the city that serves as a reservoir for the city drinking supply.

Climate

West Palm Beach, has a Tropical monsoon climate with mean temperatures each month above 64.4°F (18°C).^[27][28]

Summer (wet season) of May through October are hot, humid and wet with average high temperatures of 86 - 90°F (30 - 32°C) and lows of 70 - 75°F (21 - 24°C). During this period, more than half of the summer days bring afternoon thunderstorms and seabreezes that cool the air for the rest of the day.^[29]

Winter (dry season) of November through April are warm and mostly dry with average high temperatures of 75 - 82°F (24 - 27°C) and lows of 57 - 66°F (14 - 19°C). However, the city experiences occasional cold fronts during this period, bringing high temperatures in the 50s and 60s (10 - 16°C) and lows in the 40s and 50s (4 - 10°C) lasting only for few days.^[29] During a severe and prolonged cold snap in January 2010, the city recorded 12 consecutive days of low temperatures between 32° and 45° (0°-6°C) and nine of the twelve days below 40° (4°C) with several mornings at or near freezing.^[30]

Annual average precipitation is 63 in (1560 mm), making it the fourth wettest city in the country after Mobile, Pensacola and New Orleans.^[31] Most of the precipitation occurs during the wet season of May through October, mainly as short-lived heavy afternoon thunderstorms. Occasionally, stalled cold fronts in the fall and spring can also lead to heavy and prolonged rainfall. West Palm Beach has an average of 133 wet days and 234 sunshine days annually. The hurricane season is officially from June 1 through November 30, with the peak months being August, September and October. The city has received direct or near direct hits from hurricanes in 1928, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1965, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2004, and 2005.^[29]

Sister cities

West Palm Beach has one sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:^[32]

• Tzahar, Israel

Notable area residents, past and present

Controversies

Political Corruption - During the past two years, West Palm Beach has experienced a surge in political corruption scandals. Most recently Former City Commissioner Jim Exline was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for not reporting to the IRS a $50,000 payment from a developer and then funneling it through a jewelry store. Not long before, the County Commissioner of Palm Beach County, Tony Masilotti, pled guilty to Federal charges stemming from corrupt land deals.

Crime - According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)statistics, West Palm Beach is experiencing a steep drop in major crimes. In the past decade, crime has dropped more in West Palm Beach than in any other major city (approximately 100,000 residents or more) in the state of Florida. In 1993, West Palm Beach was featured in a 60 Minutes segment on urban decay. At the time, 80% of downtown properties were vacant. Since then, the city has done much to improve its image, at least in the physical sense. Occupancy is high, and housing prices have risen rapidly. FLDE stats show that the total crime rate per 100,000 residents has dropped by more than 50% since 2000, from 13,880 that year to 6,571 in 2008. In 2008 alone, there was a 17.9% drop in crime. Annual crime rates are always more than three times the national average. However, as of 2006, the city's crime average has been gradually decreasing while robbery was up 17 percent.^[33] West Palm Beach's northern neighbor, Riviera Beach, has an even higher violent crime rate.^[34]

The following are the crime rates, per 100,000 people, for West Palm Beach as of 2005.^[35]

2000 Election - West Palm Beach was the focal point of a controversy regarding voting irregularities that some claim may have affected the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, 2000.

Dunbar Village - In 2007, a resident was gang-raped by Jakaris Taylor^[36] and a group of 3 other teenagers in one of the City's public housing developments, Dunbar Village Housing Projects, with her son forced to participate, drawing national outrage.^[37]

Cityscapes

Downtown skyline at night	Downtown skyline at night	Flagler Drive	Downtown shops
Australian Avenue skyline on Clear Lake	Olive Avenue and Datura Street	North Bridge Centre	View of Palm Beach County Courthouse from Centennial Square

References

External links

• Palm Beach County official website
• West Palm Beach official website
• Palm Beach International Airport
• Palm Beach Post on-line
• Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
• Palm Beach Atlantic University
• The National Croquet Center.

Municipalities and communities of Palm Beach County, Florida County seat: West Palm Beach Cities Atlantis | Belle Glade | Boca Raton | Boynton Beach | Delray Beach | Greenacres | Lake Worth | Pahokee | Palm Beach Gardens | Riviera Beach | South Bay | West Palm Beach Towns Briny Breezes | Cloud Lake | Glen Ridge | Gulf Stream | Haverhill | Highland Beach | Hypoluxo | Juno Beach | Jupiter | Jupiter Inlet Colony | Lake Clarke Shores | Lake Park | Lantana | Loxahatchee Groves | Manalapan | Mangonia Park | Ocean Ridge | Palm Beach | Palm Beach Shores | South Palm Beach Villages Golf | North Palm Beach | Palm Springs | Royal Palm Beach | Tequesta | Wellington CDPs Belle Glade Camp | Boca Del Mar | Boca Pointe | Canal Point | Century Village | Cypress Lakes | Fremd Village-Padgett Island | Golden Lakes | Gun Club Estates | Hamptons at Boca Raton | High Point | Juno Ridge | Kings Point | Lake Belvedere Estates | Lake Harbor | Lake Worth Corridor | Lakeside Green | Limestone Creek | Mission Bay | Plantation Mobile Home Park | Royal Palm Estates | Sandalfoot Cove | Schall Circle | Seminole Manor | Stacey Street | Villages of Oriole | Westgate-Belvedere Homes | Whisper Walk Unincorporated communities The Acreage | Boca West | Dahlberg | Deem City | Dunes Road | Loxahatchee | Okeelanta | Pelican Lake

State of Florida Tallahassee (capital) Topics Delegations | Education | Environment | Floridians | Geography | Government | History | State Parks | Transportation | Visitor Attractions Regions Big Bend | Central Florida | Emerald Coast | First Coast | Florida Heartland | Florida Keys | Florida Panhandle | Forgotten Coast | Fun Coast | Gold Coast | Nature Coast | North Central Florida | North Florida | South Florida | Southwest Florida | Space Coast | Sun Coast | Tampa Bay Area | Treasure Coast Metropolitan areas Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice | Cape Coral-Fort Myers | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin | Gainesville | Greater Jacksonville | Lakeland-Winter Haven | Naples-Marco Island | Ocala | Greater Orlando | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | Palm Coast | Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach | Pensacola Metro Area | Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Area | Punta Gorda | Sebastian-Vero Beach | South Florida metropolitan area | Tallahassee Metropolitan Area | Tampa Bay Area Largest cities Jacksonville | Miami | Tampa | St. Petersburg | Orlando | Hialeah | Fort Lauderdale | Tallahassee | Cape Coral | Port St. Lucie | Pembroke Pines | Hollywood | Coral Springs | Gainesville | Miramar | Clearwater | Pompano Beach | Palm Bay | West Palm Beach | Miami Gardens | Lakeland | Davie | Sunrise | Boca Raton | Miami Beach Counties Alachua | Baker | Bay | Bradford | Brevard | Broward | Calhoun | Charlotte | Citrus | Clay | Collier | Columbia | DeSoto | Dixie | Duval | Escambia | Flagler | Franklin | Gadsden | Gilchrist | Glades | Gulf | Hamilton | Hardee | Hendry | Hernando | Highlands | Hillsborough | Holmes | Indian River | Jackson | Jefferson | Lafayette | Lake | Lee | Leon | Levy | Liberty | Madison | Manatee | Marion | Martin | Miami‑Dade | Monroe | Nassau | Okaloosa | Okeechobee | Orange | Osceola | Palm Beach | Pasco | Pinellas | Polk | Putnam | Santa Rosa | Sarasota | Seminole | St. Johns | St. Lucie | Sumter | Suwannee | Taylor | Union | Volusia | Wakulla | Walton | Washington