Palm Beach Mall's Neighborhood? (Delray Beach, Wellington: section 8, apartments, foreclosures)

[brqa]

Numerous people have stated that the Palm Beach (Lakes) Mall's "high crime" location contributed too its demise.

But hold on? Just to the north and west (other side of I-95) are luxury apartments, townhouses, and a golf course. To the south, more townhomes are being constructed, and the east is offices. When people say its a "bad neighborhood" surely they're not referring to this, but further east where Dunbar Village, and numerous other low-income housing is. Correct? If not, please elaborate.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by brqa

Numerous people have stated that the Palm Beach (Lakes) Mall's "high crime" location contributed too its demise.

Yeah, I commented on this in the thread I started about the Palm Beach Mall. That argument doesn't work because the various neighborhoods near the Palm Beach Mall were never any different as long as the Mall existed. In fact, the ghetto area was larger than it is today.

[PBCboy]

I live near the Palm Beach Mall on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

The luxury apartments you speak of are nearly empty and there are some terrible neighborhoods to the north and east (especially on Australian Ave). My neighborhood has gotten worse through the past few years in terms of crime and such, though it's a middle class neighborhood for the most part. Could Section 8 be to blame?

The "nice" areas you speak of are a tiny fraction of the population as a whole that goes to the Palm Beach Mall. Just because those are the ones directly surrounding the mall doesn't mean that they're the only ones that exist.

[brqa]

You mean east of Lake Mangonia and the 45th street corridor?

[Pebbs78]

I don't entirely agree with the mall's location as part of the problem...perhaps it contributed to it, but it wasn’t the main problem. I worked in the mall for nearly 8 years, and lived in the Villages for about 15 years. The area worked great for me, since it is centrally located and convenient to downtown/I-95. Never robbed once.

IMO, the problem with the mall boils down to high theft, (which forces stores to eventually close), reputation, and competition. Let's face it, Saturday nights in the mall were nothing but trouble. Any other time the mall was OK. Nick was killed on a Saturday night, but by his own employee. It was an inside job and not a random robbery. This could of happened anywhere...it's what happens when you hire bad people. His killing marred the mall's image and it never recovered. Finally, you have competition from other new malls, such as Wellington and City Place. There’s just not enough dollars to stretch over 3 malls, so something’s ‘got to give.’

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by Pebbs78

IMO, the problem with the mall boils down to high theft, (which forces stores to eventually close), reputation, and competition.

I agree especially with the reputation factor, and especially because of the murder at the Chick Fil-A.

I also worked there for a couple years (at Camelot), but that was in . . . hmm . . . yikes, the late 80s? (Not sure if that's right--I've worked so many different places, lol.) I also went to school right down the street--Palmview for elementary, Roosevelt for junior high, and Twin Lakes for high school, so that's one way I know those nearby neighborhoods so well.

[TriMT7]

If the "good" neighborhood you mean is "Lands of the Presidents," that's mostly a retirement area, where Mayor Frankel lives. It's an OK place, but it's getting a little long in the tooth. Some expensive properties in there, however, especially along Lake Mangonia. "Cityside" is the townhouse development across the street from the mall... it's a mixed bag. Young professionals and renter trash mixed together. Maybe with the high foreclosures, some families who actually want to live there will be able to scoop up the townhomes and live there and take pride in the neighborhood. Until then, there are better options closer to the "real" downtown.

I work in one of the office buildings in the general area around the Palm Beach Mall. I drive along and through Australian and onto Palm Beach Lakes every day. I'm not sure I would call the area "middle class...." maybe lower working middle class.... and a whole lotta "poor, non-working class".... but I don't think many people whose families don't have some connection to the area around Palm Beach Lakes Blvd east of 95 MOVE there by choice after seeing other parts of the city in their price range. A lot of it looks like serious government subsidized housing, especially on the North side of Australian between Banyan and Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. On Realtor.com, houses on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. are priced in the mid 200s. For THAT you can live in a much nicer, safer part of the city in the Southern part of town. I really just don't get it at all!

[JMadison]

Just a word of advice. Don't bother living in the area.

Again, speaking as someone born in the area and spent the majority of my life and growing up there, WPB sux. And *way worse* than it did 30 years ago.

Used to Christmas shop in that mall as a kid up 'till my early 20's and thought it was great. By the late 80's it was already considered a problem spot, if memory serves me correct.

Urbanized crap sounds about right.

[cruzdesk]

Need Police...... Law ENFORCEMENT is the keyword, no place is safe but you can make it safer

[mikecu]

Go north to Palm Beach Gardens or South to the Boynton-Delray Beach area.