West Palm Beach, Florida

Encyclopedia : W : WE : WES : West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach, also known as WPB, or (locally) West Palm, is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the incorporated part of the city had a total population of 82,103 but, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 estimates, the incorporated city had a population of 97,498. [link] As of 2004, unincorporated areas near West Palm Beach that use "West Palm Beach" as their mailing address had a population of 257,274, for a total population of 352,618.

It is the county seat of Palm Beach County^{[Geographic references#6GR6]}, the northernmost county in the South Florida metropolitan area. The West Palm Beach market area, which includes all of Palm Beach County as well as nearby Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties has a population 1,732,952. Television stations, newspapers, and transportation hubs that serve this market are all based in the city.

Contents

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Notable residents, past and present
5 Climate
6 Education

6.1 Primary and Secondary Education
6.2 Post-Secondary Education
6.3 Libraries

7 Controversies & crime
8 Transportation
9 See also
10 External links

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the 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. Much of the urban area directly west of the incorporated area, which includes areas such as Westgate, Belvedere Estates, Lakeside Green, Century Village, Golden Lakes Estates, Lake Patrick, Bahama Heights and Drexel Park, to name a few, is not officially within the boundaries of West Palm Beach, but for all intents and purposes, residents consider themselves as living in "West Palm Beach." Urban services, such as police, fire, parks and water and sewer are sometimes provided by Palm Beach County in these areas.

Demographics

As of the census^{[Geographic references#2GR2]} of 2000, there were 82,103 people, 34,769 households, and 18,253 families residing in the incorporated area. 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 58.09% White, 32.21% 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.

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.

History

The city was founded by Henry Flagler in 1894, 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. During the 1920s, the city boomed and was a rival to Miami, leaving it with many historic structures and neighborhoods. The city quickly declined thereafter, however, due to hurricanes, the Great Depression and rampant suburbanization.

The Palm Beach Mall was Palm Beach County’s first enclosed shopping mall.

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County’s first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and indoor arena were completed. These projects then led to another "prime-time" for the city. However, West Palm Beach then declined again a decade later. Crime was a serious issue due to racism and vacancy rates. But following the 1970s to the new millennium, the city had undergone a tremendous 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. But, Clematis Street, West Palm Beach's historic shopping venue feared it would lose popularity. To keep that from happening, the Clematis Street district was extensively renovated and refurbished. It is now home to Clematis by Night, an outdoor event held on the street with live music and food. It is also home to West Palm Beach's nightlife, along with CityPlace.

Notable residents, past and present

Marshall Criser, former president of the University of Florida.
Theresa LePore, former Supervisor of Elections; designer of the "butterfly ballot", which figured prominently in the U.S. presidential election, 2000.

Climate

The climate in West Palm Beach is subtropical, with no discernible seasons. Winters are noticeably cooler than the humid, tropical summers with low temperatures frequently dipping into the 40s F (5-9 C) and 30s F (1-4 C), and on rare occasions below freezing. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the city was 27 F (-2.8 C) on January 19, 1977, a date which also recorded measurable snow; and January 20, 1985 which was accompanied by a heavy frost. Other notable freezes which damaged the area's lucrative winter vegetable industry occurred in 1983, 1989, 1997 and 2006. A record high of 100 F (37.8 C) was recorded in June, 1921.

Education

Primary and Secondary Education

Public education is provided and managed by The School District of Palm Beach County. Their main office is located in unincorporated West Palm Beach.

Post-Secondary Education

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. [link]

Palm Beach Atlantic University's campus is located south of West Palm Beach’s downtown.

Libraries

West Palm Beach’s public library sits on the end of Clematis Street. Prior to the library's construction in the 1960s, this site was a park - this gave a waterfront view to the famed Clematis Street. The city will later move the library a few blocks west (to the site of the D+D building) and again reopen this area as a park.

The Palm Beach County Library System’s main library is on Summit Boulevard in unincorporated West Palm Beach.

Controversies & crime

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. However, crime remains a serious issue. Annual crime rates are always more than three times the national average and West Palm Beach consistently ranks as one of the nation's 100 most dangerous cities. However, as of 2006, the city's crime average has been gradually decreasing while robbery was up 17 per cent. [link]

Morgan Quitno lists West Palm Beach as ranking as the 14th Most Dangerous city by population in the United States. However, it should be noted that crime data concerning West Palm Beach is unfairly skewed because it does not take into account the much larger unincorporated part of the city, which has a much lower crime rate than the incorporated part. Even the troubled neighborhoods within the incorporated parts of the city are isolated geographically and largely avoided by the general public. If crime rates were examined for a consolidated city (incorporated as well as unincorporated) the city's statistical crime rate would most likely fall dramatically, perhaps even below the national average.

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.

Transportation

Air: The city is served by Palm Beach International Airport, located in unincorporated West Palm Beach. The airport also attracts people from all over the county.

Highways: US Highway 1 passes though the city’s downtown, commercial, and industrial districts. Interstate 95 bisects the city from north to south with several interchanges serving West Palm Beach. Florida's Turnpike passes through West Palm Beach further west. State Road 80, running east-west, is currently being converted from a surface artery to a partial expressway, which will run from Interstate 95 to State Road 7.

Rail: The Tri-Rail commuter rail system serves the city with its historical station located on the west side of Tamarind Avenue, just east of I-95. CSX Transportation and the Florida East Coast Railway also serve the city.

External links

[West Palm Beach Official Website]

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