More information about Lake Park, FL

Affectionately called “The Jewel of the Palm Beaches” Lake Park, Florida sits seven miles north of West Palm Beach and 10 miles south of the Jupiter area. A service oriented town staff and an engaged community is proud of their lush landscaping and their revitalized downtown. Lake Park has a bit of history.

Lake Park History

Before its current name Lake Park had these titles: Kelsey City, The Miracle City of Florida, A New City in the Making, The Courtesy City of Florida and the The Gateway to the World’s Winter Playground. As you can see the city kept evolving from its origination. It all started with Harry Seymour Kesley of Boston, the president of Waldorf Systems. He sold everything and moved to Florida to develop Kesley City into a resort mecca and a winter playground. By the year 1919 Kelsey owned over 100,000 acres in Palm Beach County. He hired the Olmstead Brothers and Dr. John Nolan to plan and design the first zoned municipality south of Washington DC. The Olmsteads were known for the National Mall, the Jefferson Memorial, the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Central Park in New York City to name just a few projects. In 1920 Kelsey City drew national attention as a revolutionary town. The Land Boom was on and the city was incorporated in 1923. A hurricane in 1928 set the city back for decades. Then came the stock market crash of 1929. The city was vacated by many and the state asserted that the town was no longer functional and nullified its charter. In 1939 a local garden club petitioned the state to change the name to Lake Park. The city started growing again in 1940 and then the military personnel during World War II increased the population again. It continues to welcome a bright future even today.

Lake Park Today

The city today has a population of over 9,000 residents. The original layout is still evident if you visit. The blocks are perfect rectangles oriented north and south. The majority of the buildings face north or south. The city doesn’t have multi-use areas. The original plan has residential stretching along the Intracoastal Waterway, then the business zoning next followed finally by the industrially zoned area. In the residential area you will see original housing styles from Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Eclectic and Craftsman Bungalows. Being in the heart of Palm Beach County you will not lack for anything to do, going either north or south. Right at home in Lake Park is the Phil Foster Park which is now known for a two acre underwater snorkeling trail through a reef. The ledges are home to fish, octopus, seahorses and many other forms of aquatic life. There is an endless list of activities for your family, both outdoors and indoors, both on the beach or heading inland. There is shopping in each of the beach towns and venues for eating and enjoying evening entertainment. Lake Park has indeed met the title of The Jewel of the Palm Beaches.