"The Parker drawbridge was completed in 1926. Our first pioneer family to live year-round on the mainland in the Village of NPB were the Parker family. The county built his house on stilts just east of the bridge." (North Palm Beach 50th Anniversary Booklet)
Hearing the words "palm" and "beach" make you want to dig out the bathing suit and find the nearest bottle of sunscreen. Don't get the idea this place is "au naturel." Incorporated in 1956, it took dredging, highway building and general destruction of the mangrove swamps and farmland to create the original community. Cut them some slack, though, because the EPA didn't even exist then. The early developers didn't have anyone telling them that destroying a natural environment to build ritzy neighborhoods is a big no-no. So today's 12,015 residents can sip martinis on their balconies with clear consciences.
Moving? Keep This in Mind
You won't get far in this city without a car. Don't worry if you want to stay on the eco-friendly side of things, though. There's always bike commuting. Think of it like this: you'll be in great shape after a few months!
There are great rentals available that don't require you to name the apartment complex in your will. It's best to check out the available properties online or drive around in that car that runs and spot some of the tucked-away places that rent with little fanfare.
Plan Ahead
Don't think you can just show up, find a move-in special and have a roof over your head that night. The rental managers have sworn under oath to only rent to people who will not repair their motorcycle in the living room or hang their underwear out to dry on the patio railings. To fulfill their commitment, the managers will have to run credit checks and verify you're telling the truth about being a perfect renter. Have everything in order to expedite the process -- good credit, good rental history, a big deposit and first month's rent.
Neighborhoods are Communities on the Water
Come one, come all to the waterfront! Some cities are defined by their restaurants or local attractions. North Palm Beach is defined by water -- the Atlantic Ocean, lagoon, lakes and canals. The neighborhoods are so nice that traffic jams happen when people slow down to gawk at mansions, country clubs and water.
Waterfront Properties on US Route 1: These are honkin' big houses with a view of the Atlantic or the Lake Worth Lagoon. This neighborhood has the Seminole Golf Club on its north edge. The community stretches down the lagoon shoreline, all the way to the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. If location is really the thing in real estate, this is IT.
Twelve Oaks Way and the City Center: On the west shore of the upper portion of the Lake Worth Lagoon are some pet-friendly apartments. You might see a poodle hitching a ride in a purse. There's a great selection of two-bedroom and studio apartments for rent in high-rise apartment complexes here.
Country Club: If claiming that you live in the same neighborhood as a country club is critical to your shallow existence, this is the place for you. It lies between the lagoon and Prosperity Farms Road. Don't look for any farmland though. It was sacrificed to the North Palm Beach Country Club.
Lost Tree Village: This is a la-di-da community that is purposely la-di-da. It makes no bones about being ritzy. It's mostly homes, and if you look for rental property here, there is no doubt you are a la-di-da person. It has Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Little Lake Worth and Intracoastal waterway to the west.
Juno Ridge: On the west side of U.S. Highway 1 and the country club area is Juno Ridge. The PGA Boulevard cuts it in half, so what does that tell you? Yes yes it's a short trip to Lake Little Worth, the lagoon marinas, the Soverel Harbour Marina, the beach and everything else. Some of the more popular places to live in North Palm Beach are found in this section, despite sounding uppity. If you're a couch potato, don't bother looking here because becoming a bicyclist is mandatory.
Anchorage Park: Check out the area between Lighthouse Drive and Northlake Boulevard. It's not actually on the lagoon, but no one will look down on you for living in this area if you choose to find a rental property here. Instead of poodles, you are more likely to see Chihuahuas with attitude.
Seminole Landing: Whenever anyone describes this neighborhood, they first stutter and then spit out the word "exclusive." It's 77-acres of "exclusive" to be exact. Properties are beachfront, canal front, intracoastal front and golf course front. The "apt for rent" sign is likely written in gold paint.
Life in the City
North Palm Beach is nine miles north of West Palm Beach and likes to brag about warm weather. That's fine, but it's hard to brag too loud about a place that is 5.8 square miles in total and a little over two square miles of that area is water! What were they trying to do -- isolate themselves from the riffraff in the other Palm Beaches? North Palm Beach sits on a lagoon. It's accessible because U.S. Highway 1 runs along the edge of the lagoon and connects with A1A-703 to run back down to the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.
Fore! You'll hear that often. The North Palm Beach Country Club sits on top of Seminole Ridge and has a municipal Jack Nicklaus Signature course. There are two other private courses: the Lost Tree Club and the Seminole Golf Club. However, a mere eight miles away on the west side of I-95 are a bunch more golf courses in Palm Beach Gardens, and a mere eight miles south in West Palm Beach are yet more public and private courses. Even if you don't play golf when you move here, there's probably a law that says you have to become a golfer.
You must like being outdoors to live here. This is Florida, after all. The hearty kind go kayaking in the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, while the lazy-at-heart can lounge on the beach. The sporty types can catch a charter or crank up the engine on their own boat and fish up and down the coast. The lazy-at-heart can rent a tiki hut at the North Palm Beach Pool, invite a few friends over and enjoy a nice sunny day.
If shopping is on the agenda, the Gardens Mall and the Shoppes at City Center can help out. For serious, trendy shopping, the Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens is filled with boutiques, entertainment venues and restaurants. The restaurants get four and five stars, but what else would you expect of places with names such as the entre nous bistro, Ruth's Chris Steak House and Barolo Ristorante?
