Palm Beach Gardens, FL

With strict zoning laws, public art mandates and countless gated communities, Palm Beach Gardens is home to some of Florida's wealthiest residents. Approximately 49,000 people live on Palm Beach Gardens' 56 square miles. A divided roadway between hills of coral rock, accented with shrubs, flowers, towering palm trees and a pair of transplanted banyan trees, began the "garden city" image for Palm Beach Gardens.

The area sees more than 61 inches of rain annually, and golf plans are most often ruined in September, when more than 8 inches of the 61 inches falls.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

The most common industries in Palm Beach Gardens are health care, education, and professional, scientific and technical services. Unemployment stands at roughly 3 percent.

Palm Beach Gardens is home to the PGA National Resort and Spa, which features five championship golf courses. Besides the PGA, a number of major corporations call Palm Beach Gardens home, including Ameribank, Wackenhut, Dycom Industries Inc., TBC Corporation and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

EDUCATION

A satellite campus of Florida's oldest community college, Palm Beach Community College is located in Palm Beach Gardens. It includes the Eissey Theatre for the Performing Arts. The Palm Beach Gardens campus is also home to a 90,000-square-foot bioscience facility providing life science training for students in a number of fields.

BEST BETS

As one of Florida's "Signature Cities," Palm Beach Gardens hosts numerous local events. The Annual Heart Burner Chili Cook-off is held at Burns Road Recreation Center. Founder's Day celebrations are held each year, and 2009 marks the city's 50th anniversary with food, live music, games and entertainment at the Burns Road Recreation Center. Gardens Park hosts a regular Taste of the Gardens Farmers Market, featuring fresh, locally grown produce and art and entertainment. Beaches along the Atlantic Ocean are popular with tourists and residents alike. There are also numerous nature trails and ecosystems within city limits. Other area attractions include:

• The Gardens Mall, an upscale shopping mall featuring high-end retailers and valet service.
• PGA Commons, featuring luxury town homes and European style apartments, this community also offers boutique shops and restaurants.
• Downtown at the Gardens, a two-level, open-air shopping and dining center; also home to the Cobb Theatre movie complex.
• Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, dedicated to the history of Florida's Gilded Age and its development under Henry Flagler.
• Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, a $68 million project completed in 1991, featuring three performance venues, a banquet facility, an arts education center and a five-story parking garage.
• Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
• Norton Museum of Art
• American Orchid Society Botanical Garden

Golf is a major part of Palm Beach Gardens' deluxe appeal. The city is home to the Pro Golf Association's national headquarters, 12 pristine courses and several professional tournaments. Renowned municipal Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course is located in the Loxahatchee Nature Preserve.

GETTING AROUND

Highway 9, known as the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, runs north-south through the city. There are four exits off of Interstate 95 that provide access to the city, and PGA Boulevard and Lake Park Road serve as major east-west arteries.

PalmTran provides bus service to the area, which includes door-to-door service for qualified individuals.

There are several private and commercial airports in the area, including North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport and the William P Gwinn Airport to the east and Palm Beach International Airport to the south.

LOCAL MEDIA

Local television stations include:

• WPBF Channel 25 - ABC
• WPTV Channel 5 - NBC
• WPEC Channel 12 - CBS
• WFLX Channel 29 - Fox
• WXEL Channel 42 - PBS

Local radio stations include:

• WEAT 104.3 FM - Oldies
• WIRK 107.9 FM - Country
• WKGR 98.7 FM - Classic Rock
• WRMF 97.9 FM - Pop
• WJNO 1290 AM - Talk
• WPSL 1590 AM - Talk