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Palm Beach, Florida

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 81.99.223.37 (talk) at 19:00, 25 July 2012 (The "Russians" in Palm Beach are Jews from the former Russian Empire, i.e. traditionally Yiddish speaking people, not Russian speaking people). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Palm Beach, Florida
Town
Aerial Photograph Of Palm Beach Proper
Aerial Photograph Of Palm Beach Proper
Official seal of Palm Beach, Florida
Seal
Nickname: 
The Island
Motto: 
The Best of Everything
Location of Palm Beach, Florida
Location of Palm Beach, Florida
U.S. Census Bureau map showing town boundaries
U.S. Census Bureau map showing town boundaries
Country United States
State Florida
County Palm Beach
Area
 • Total
10.4 sq mi (27.0 km2)
 • Land3.9 sq mi (10.2 km2)
 • Water6.5 sq mi (16.9 km2)
Elevation
7 ft (2 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
10,468
 • Density2,669.2/sq mi (1,030.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
33480
Area code561
FIPS code12-54025Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0288390Template:GR
WebsiteTown of Palm Beach
The Lake Trail along the Lake Worth Lagoon
File:WORTH AVENUE PALM BEACH FLORIDA AERIAL 2011.JPG
Worth Avenue in The Town of Palm Beach

The Town of Palm Beach (called Palm Beach Island or the Island of Palm Beach to differentiate between the town and the county) is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. As of 2000, Palm Beach had a year-round population of 10,468, with an estimated seasonal population of 30,000.

History

Palm Beach was established as a resort by Henry Morrison Flagler,[1] a founder of Standard Oil, who made the Atlantic coast barrier island accessible via his Florida East Coast Railway. The nucleus of the community was established by Flagler's two luxury resort hotels, the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers Hotel. West Palm Beach was built across Lake Worth as a service town and has become a major city in its own right.

Flagler's houselots were bought by the beneficiaries of the Gilded Age, and in 1902 Flagler himself built a Beaux-Arts mansion, Whitehall, designed by the New York–based firm Carrère and Hastings and helped establish the Palm Beach winter "season" by constantly entertaining. The town was incorporated on April 17, 1911.

An area known as the Styx housed many of the servants, most of whom were black. The workers rented their small houses from the landowners. In the early 1900s the land owners agreed to evict all of the residents of the Styx (who moved to West Palm Beach, Florida) and Edward R. Bradley bought up much of this land.[2] The houses were razed, according to the Palm Beach Daily News.

Geography

Palm Beach is the easternmost town in Florida, located on a 16-mile (26 km) long barrier island.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.4 square miles (27 square kilometres). 3.9 square miles (10 square kilometres) of it is land and 6.5 square miles (17 square kilometres) of it is water. The total area is 62.45% water.

Climate

Palm Beach, and the rest of southern Florida has a tropical climate, with mean temperatures any month never below 64.4 °F (18.0 °C).[3][4]

The summer and wet period of May through October are hot, humid and wet with average high temperatures of 86 to 90 °F (30 to 32 °C) and lows of 70 to 75 °F (21 to 24 °C). During this period, more than half of the summer days bring occasional afternoon thunderstorms and seabreezes that somewhat cool the rest of the day.[5]

The winter and dryer period of November through April are warm and mostly dry with average high temperatures of 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C) and lows of 57 to 66 °F (14 to 19 °C). However, the city experiences occasional cold fronts during this period, bringing high temperatures of 50s and 60s (10 to 20 °C) and lows of 40s and 50s (5 to 15 °C) lasting only for few days.[5]

The annual average precipitation is 61 in (1,500 mm), most of which occurs during the summer and wet period of May through October. However, rainfall can occur in any month, primarily as short-lived heavy afternoon thunderstorms. Palm Beach has an average of 133 wet days and 234 sunshine days annually. 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 2006.[5]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 89 90 94 99 96 98 101 98 97 95 91 90
Norm High °F 75.1 76.3 79.2 82.1 85.9 88.5 90.1 90.1 88.7 85 80.4 76.4
Norm Low °F 57.3 58.2 61.9 65.4 70.5 73.8 75 75.4 74.7 71.2 65.8 60.1
Rec Low °F 27 32 30 43 51 61 66 65 66 46 36 28
Precip (in) 3.75 2.55 3.68 3.57 5.39 7.58 5.97 6.65 8.1 5.46 5.55 3.14
Source: USTravelWeather.com

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, over half the population (52.7%) are 65 years of age or older, with a median age of 67 years. 9.4% are under the age of 18, 1.5% are from 18 to 24, 11.5% are from 25 to 44, and 25.0% from 45 to 64. For every 100 females there are 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 77.0 males.

The per capita income for the town is $109,219. Males have a median income of $71,685 versus $42,875 for females. 5.3% of the population and 2.4% of families are below the poverty line. 4.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

The racial makeup of the town is 96% Euro American (93.8% were non-Hispanic White),[6] 2.57% Black, 0.53% Asian, 0.04% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 2.56% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The 10,468 people in the town are organized into 5,789 households and 3,021 families. The population density is 2,669.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,031.1/km2). There are 9,948 housing units at an average density of 2,536.6 per square mile (979.8/km2). 7.7% of the households have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% are married couples living together, 3.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 47.8% are non-families. 42.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 27.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.81 and the average family size is 2.38.

Many of Palm Beach's residents are affluent, with a median household income of $124,562 and a median family income of $137,867. The town's affluence and its "abundance of pleasures" and "strong community-oriented sensibility" were cited when it was selected in June 2003 as America's "Best Place to Live" by Robb Report magazine.

As of 2000, English was the first language of 87.81% of all residents, while French comprised 4.48%, Spanish consisted of 3.65%, German made up 2.16%, Italian speakers made up 0.45%, Yiddish made up 0.36%, Russian was at 0.30%, Arabic and Swedish at 0.25%, and Polish was the mother tongue of 0.24% of the population.[7]

As of 2000, Palm Beach had the 40th highest percentage of Russian residents in the U.S., with 10.30% of the populace (tied with Pomona, N.Y. and the township of Lower Merion, Pa.).[8] It also had the 26th highest percentage of Austrian residents in the US, at 2.10% of the town's population (which tied with 19 other US areas).[9]

Transportation

The city is served by Palm Beach International Airport and Amtrak,[10] as well as Tri-Rail-– all located in West Palm Beach and connecting Palm Beach to Miami. Public transportation is available through Palm Tran, and connects with the rest of the county.

The northern portion of Palm Beach is served by the Route 41 bus which travels from the northern most portion of Palm Beach at the inlet and then down to Royal Palm Way, across the Royal Park Bridge (Florida State Road 704) into West Palm Beach and up to the government center, and then follows the same route in reverse.

Palm Beach was served by the Route 42 Palm Tran bus from Lantana in the south going along State Road A1A up to Royal Poncianna Way and over the Flagler Memorial Bridge into West Palm Beach to the government center, and then back again for the southbound trip. Route 42 ended on May 10. 2008 due to low ridership.[11] Effective July 9, 2008, the southern end of Palm Beach is served by the "Coral Link" operating only on Wednesdays, going between Hypoluxo Road and Lake Worth Road via US 1 and SR A1A.[12]

Private vehicles and taxis are the predominant means of transport in Palm Beach. Bicycles are a popular transport on the island, although most areas have no bicycle trails, so safe and comfortable travel is not always assured. The Lake Trail, exclusively for pedestrian and bike traffic, extends from Royal Palm Way (State Road 704) in the south up to the north end of the island. The trail follows the edge of the Lake Worth Lagoon (part of the intercoastal waterway) except for a section between the Flagler Museum and the Biltmore Condominiums, where the trail follows the streets. Another break occurs to pass around the Sailfish Yacht Club in the north end of the island. The Lake Trail is filled daily with bikers, rollerbladers, runners, and dog-walkers.

Traveling by bike along the ocean can be hazardous. Only a short section in the downtown area has sidewalks. The roads along the ocean are narrow and have small or no shoulders, making biking a potentially dangerous activity in those areas.

In the southern end of the island, south of Sloan's Curve, through South Palm Beach to East Ocean Avenue (linking to Lantana) is a two-mile long, relatively wide pedestrian path that is popular with walkers, runners, and bikers alike.

Schools

Palm Beach Public Elementary is located on the island and has kindergarten through fifth grade. It has a school grade of A and 477 students attend the school. The Palm Beach Day School recently combined with the Academy of the Palm Beaches on West Palm Beach to form the Palm Beach Day Academy. [13]

Points of interest

Notable residents — past and present

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Madoff scandal stuns Palm Beach Jewish community". Reuters. 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  2. ^ "The Styx: Removal". Palm Beach County History Online. 1910-03-22. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  3. ^ "Köppen Classification Map". .johnabbott.qc.ca. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  4. ^ "Normal Daily Mean Temperatures of Select Cities". Erh.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  5. ^ a b c "Historical Weather for West Palm Beach, Florida, United States of America". Weatherbase. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  6. ^ "Demographics of Palm Beach, Florida". MuniNetGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  7. ^ "MLA Data Center Results of Palm Beach, FL". Modern Language Association. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  8. ^ "Ancestry Map of Russian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  9. ^ "Ancestry Map of Austrian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  10. ^ "Stations: West Palm Beach, FL (WPB)". Amtrak. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  11. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Palm Tran - The Link", Town of South Palm Beach, accessed 2009-02-10. [dead link‍]
  13. ^ "Palm Beach Public Elementary". Edline.net. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  14. ^ a b Clemence, Sara. "Palm Beach Peach", Forbes, 2005-09-12, retrieved on 2010-01-01.
  15. ^ "Ann Coulter's Felonious Florida Voter Registration Application", Brad Friedman blog, 2006-04-11, retrieved on 2010-01-01.
  16. ^ Hyde, Charles K. (2005). The Dodge brothers: the men, the motor cars, and the legacy. Wayne State University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-8143-3246-7.
  17. ^ Martin, Douglas. "Joseph Gurwin, Textile Manufacturer and Philanthropist, Dies at 89", The New York Times, September 26, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
  18. ^ Dargan, Michelle (2011-11-13). "Service to be Monday for Evelyn Lauder, beauty exec and pink ribbon co-creator". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  19. ^ "El Solano Review - Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast". Fodor's Travel Guides. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2010-10-25.
  20. ^ "Rush Limbaugh’s House, and Other Egomaniacal Estates", New York Magazine, 2008-07-07, retrieved on 2010-01-01.
  21. ^ http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/biz/content/news/2009/01/28/BILTMORE0129.html palmbeachdailynews.com
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