Palm Beach Homes | Palm Beach Rentals | south florida rental homes

Palm Beach is a barrier island sixteen miles long located 65 miles north of Miami. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the west is the Intracoastal Waterway, which separates Palm Beach from the cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth. The year-round population is 10,000 and the seasonal population is about 30,000. Palm Beach is the land area closest to the Gulf Stream which produces lush gardens, palm lined beaches, and an outstanding marine environment. The Town of Palm Beach provides a full range of municipal services including Police and Fire-Rescue protection, sanitation, recreation, street and road maintenance, planning, zoning and building and general administrative services. The Town employs approximately 434 full and part time employees.

Palm Beach is a fully developed community with Palm Beach condos, Palm Beach townhouses, Palm Beach villas and South Florida homes for sale in a city world-renowned for its extraordinary beauty, quality of life and small-town character. As we envision our future ten years from now, we see Palm Beach remaining true to the inspired legacy of our founders, a Mediterranean-style mecca of stunning architecture and natural beauty, acclaimed shopping, restaurants and hotels, a cosmopolitan culture, and an involved citizenry committed to civic and philanthropic causes and excellence in Town government. Our vision for the next decade and beyond consists of continuing to focus on our top-notch public safety departments of Police and Fire-Rescue; sustaining a quality of life by protecting existing open spaces and managing redevelopment both in residential and commercial districts; improving emergency management measures in preparation for a possible disaster; continuing to improve the island's infrastructure by renourishing its beaches, improving storm drainage and ensuring the integrity of our roads; and maintaining our excellent financial health.

According to early settler accounts, Palm Beach received its name from a shipwreck named the "Providencia." The ship washed ashore in January of 1878 with a load of cocoanuts bound from Havana to Barcelona. Early settlers lost no time claiming salvage and planting the cocoanuts which were not native to South Florida in an effort to launch tropical South Florida on a commercial cocoanut industry. Henry M. Flagler, a millionaire industrialist and owner of the Florida East Coast Railway, began buying acres of land on the island of Palm Beach. Many early homesteaders found themselves very wealthy, as orders had been given to buy "at any price." The town was incorporated on April 17, 1911 and soon began long range plans to develop and protect the island paradise. In 1929, the Garden Club of Palm Beach joined the Town and formally sponsored the preparation of a Town Plan. After over 70 years of graceful evolution, the Town today has a Strategic Plan and and a Comprehensive Plan which guide continuing efforts to preserve the quality and beauty of Palm Beach.

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