City Profile: Palm Beach

Even on an island a mere 14 miles long and only a few blocks wide, distinct neighborhoods develop (though they have in common the high ficus hedges blocking the views of curious passersby). Cris Condon, a real estate agent with Sotheby’s International Realty, and our Palm Beach friends -- landscape architect Jorge Sanchez, designers Brooke Huttig and Mimi McMakin, and shop owners Tracy Smith and Amy Lagae -- discuss the lay of the land. 

Estate Section
“This section is composed mainly of Mediterranean-style houses built in the ’20s, ’30s, and perhaps ’40s,” says Condon. The south end is a showplace of the works of well-known architects such as Addison Mizner, Maurice Fatio, Marion Sims Wyeth, and John Volk. Originally, some estates stretched the width of the island. Today, many of those properties are subdivided.

Mid Town
This mixed-use area from Worth to Atlantic Avenue combines condominiums, town houses, and small single-family residences with upscale shops and restaurants within walking distance. For the most part, architectural styles mimic those of the grand houses to the south. “A lot of the in-town residences are smaller versions of the Estate Section homes,” says Condon.

North End
“The North End is where families meet in the evenings after work on the beach, or gather to go fishing with their families off their docks on the Lake Trail. It’s like a wonderful block party after work,” says designer Mimi McMakin, who lives in the North End and whose family has been on the island since 1890. “Children can walk or bicycle from house to house. The lots are not big, and the area consists of beach houses or informal Bermuda or Florida-style homes.”

West Palm Beach
When Henry Morrison Flagler first developed Palm Beach as a resort destination, he intended West Palm to house those who worked on the island. Today the area is known for its prime real estate and shopping -- South Dixie Highway is renowned for its antiques shops. Its neighborhoods, such as El Cid and SoSo (South of Southern), attract a younger crowd.