Lake Worth History

After Henry Flagler extended his rail line south from West Palm Beach to Miami in 1896, a land development scheme was created to plant a townsite between the railroad and the lake. Purchasers of lots within the townsite would also receive a larger plot of land west of town for agricultural use.

The initial name proposed for the new town was Lucerne. The city was severely damaged in the 1928 hurricane, toppling the bell tower on the elementary school (today the City Hall Annex) and destroying the beachfront casino and automobile bridge over Lake Worth. This led to a severe economic decline within the community which led into the Great Depression.

Things were so dire in the city in the 1930s, that FDR's Works Progress Administration built a striking, moorish-styled "City Gymnasium" on the corner of Lake Avenue and Dixie Highway to provide employment for the impoverished citizenry. The building today serves as City Hall.Development started again after World War II with many modest pensioners, especially from Quebec, Finland and eventually Germany, moving to the city and building 1,000 square foot cottages.

These new immigrants brought their industrious nature with them as well as their native customs, restaurants, shops, and churches and for decades the town flourished. To this day one can find an unusual abundance of beer halls, chocolatiers, Bavarian delicatessens and Lutheran churches, which stand out in the semi-tropical urban sprawl of south Florida.

After a short period of neglect and decline in the 1980s and 1990s, the downtown area has seen a huge resurgence in interest and development.

The city's charming main street, Lake Avenue, contains some of the oldest commercial structures in south Florida, including the Lake Worth Play House and the art deco building, originally a cinema, which formerly housed the PBICA. The re-discovery of this unique charm has spurred new interest in the city enticing new boutiques and shops.

The Exquisite Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is the region of the southeastern coast of the U.S. state of Florida between Palm Beach and Miami. The region consists of the long urban cluster that runs along the eastern shores of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade County; also called the South Florida metropolitan area. It includes the cities of West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach and Hollywood, as well as the famous beach chic Fort Lauderdale.

The name "Gold Coast" comes from the coins that occasionally wash up on the shore in the area.[citation needed] This is due to a large number of Spanish Galleons that sank off the coast carrying large amounts of gold and silver coins. However, the term is also used as a double entendre to indicate the fabulous wealth that has accrued in the area, especially near the coast (such as Miami Beach, Palm Beach, etc), including Donald Trump's $125 million estate. Used in that sense, the 'Gold Coast' wouldn't really include the entire 'South Florida' area, just that part east of U.S. 1 or, some would say, the Intracoastal Waterway.

Over 300 years ago, several ships of Spanish galleons carrying gold and silver are thought to have shipwrecked off the southeastern shore of Florida dumping their vast treasures into the ocean. Then, over 100 years ago, Palm Beach became a popular vacation destination of the rich and famous – coming by way of Henry Flagler's railroad. Many stayed... and you could say the rest is history.

After Henry Flagler, came Addison Mizner, an architect with a penchant for Mediterranean-styles. Both men dreamed of Palm Beach as an affluent mecca and since that time Palm Beach has attracted money and influence. Palatial homes of the rich and famous – including Perry Como, the Kennedy's, and Donald Trump – dot the island. The Gilded Age estate of Flagler, which is a National Historic Landmark, is open to the public as the Flagler Museum where Flagler's private railcar is exhibited on the South Lawn.

As one of the world's premier destinations, Palm Beach's warm and breezy climate is perfect for just about every recreational activity imaginable and Palm Beach and its neighbor to the west, West Palm Beach, provides them all – golf, croquet, tennis, horseback riding, polo, and rollerblading. Plus, the area boasts 47 miles of pristine beaches, superb parks, unique attractions, cultural venues, shopping, and a fantastic nightlife. Connoisseurs of fine dining delight in the vast selection of four-star restaurants with plenty of after-dinner delights including after-hour cafes, dinner theaters and discos.

Palm Beach advertises itself as offering "The Best of Everything." No doubt that is true but it is not financially accessible to everyone. Although the area boasts 16,000 guest rooms in more than 200 hotels offering accommodations to fit any budget, its "affordable luxury" may be out of reach for some.

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