Is Lake Worth a Ghetto? (Miami, Lakeside: real estate market, landscaping, gated)

[Traveler626]

I lived in Palm Beach County for 3 years and Lake Worth for almost one year until 2012. Don't believe all the hype! Even the coastal area East of S. Dixie Hwy is a two-bit ****hole by all reasonable standards. Any place where you find dispensed heroin needles strewn about in public parks and near schools on a regular basis qualifies as a ghetto. Rebuilt homes are interspersed with abandoned delapidated ones; utilities are set to gouge prices and benefit only a few privilged business owners. All other infrastructure is pathetically lacking. Its 'cute' little boutiques and shops constitute only two short avenues (Lantana and Lake) in the middle of a gang-laden and poverty stricken cess-pool. The local government is incompetent and completely corrupt. Most of the law enforcement are a bunch of redneck brutes who are not even fit to work as security guards. To top it all, the airs taken by a good many shop owners and establishments towards local residents are snobbish if not just downright rude. What a dump!

[rainroosty]

Originally Posted by Traveler626

I lived in Palm Beach County for 3 years and Lake Worth for almost one year until 2012. Don't believe all the hype! Even the coastal area East of S. Dixie Hwy is a two-bit ****hole by all reasonable standards. Any place where you find dispensed heroin needles strewn about in public parks and near schools on a regular basis qualifies as a ghetto. Rebuilt homes are interspersed with abandoned delapidated ones; utilities are set to gouge prices and benefit only a few privilged business owners. All other infrastructure is pathetically lacking. Its 'cute' little boutiques and shops constitute only two short avenues (Lantana and Lake) in the middle of a gang-laden and poverty stricken cess-pool. The local government is incompetent and completely corrupt. Most of the law enforcement are a bunch of redneck brutes who are not even fit to work as security guards. To top it all, the airs taken by a good many shop owners and establishments towards local residents are snobbish if not just downright rude. What a dump!

Not at all true.

[wireyourworld]

I'd say its a solid 50/50.

[Kim918]

I left Lake Worth 6 years ago and went back to visit in Feb of this year. I was shocked at the beach area. It looked great! There has been a lot of changes there for the better. I did miss John G's. I don't like their new location in Manalapan. I would love to see all the alphabet streets cleaned up and some of it looks like it has. It's a cool area with old Florida housing stock and lot of charm.

Unincorporated Lake Worth (military and maleluca ) area looked ghetto! Yuk!

[Pimpy]

Downtown Lake Worth is very underrated. Lots of cool places to grab a drink for dirt cheap and the ambiance is a lot more laid back than Atlantic Ave. You'll see some "interesting" people there, to say the least, but I've never had a bad time.

Unfortunately, most of the surrounding city west of Dixie (really M Street) is just horrendous. Way worse than the "bad" part of Delray (95 to Swinton).

As you travel west, it doesn't get nice again until you're almost in Wellington, and even though that area may still have a Lake Worth address, it isn't Lake Worth.

In a way, Lake Worth is like the less motivated, less intelligent, less attractive sibling of Delray. Both have a ton of potential with the historic downtowns and the "village by the sea" feel. At some point Delray decided to straighten itself out and make something great of itself. Lake Worth is still underachieving and at this rate may never reach its potential.

[LakeWorthBeach]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

Downtown Lake Worth is very underrated. Lots of cool places to grab a drink for dirt cheap and the ambiance is a lot more laid back than Atlantic Ave. You'll see some "interesting" people there, to say the least, but I've never had a bad time.

Unfortunately, most of the surrounding city west of Dixie (really M Street) is just horrendous. Way worse than the "bad" part of Delray (95 to Swinton).

As you travel west, it doesn't get nice again until you're almost in Wellington, and even though that area may still have a Lake Worth address, it isn't Lake Worth.

In a way, Lake Worth is like the less motivated, less intelligent, less attractive sibling of Delray. Both have a ton of potential with the historic downtowns and the "village by the sea" feel. At some point Delray decided to straighten itself out and make something great of itself. Lake Worth is still underachieving and at this rate may never reach its potential.

You have your streets mixed up. M Street is 4 blocks EAST of Dixie & its lovely. Many artists & musicians live in the first few blocks east of downtown. They have block parties, Thursday night bicycle rides together, impromptu chat sessions in the front yards on nice evenings, art shows in the neighborhood… I love having my windows open and hearing people singing as they walk down the sidewalk. And I'm talking singing like you might hear in the best church choir.. extraordinary!

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by LakeWorthBeach

You have your streets mixed up. M Street is 4 blocks EAST of Dixie & its lovely. Many artists & musicians live in the first few blocks east of downtown. They have block parties, Thursday night bicycle rides together, impromptu chat sessions in the front yards on nice evenings, art shows in the neighborhood… I love having my windows open and hearing people singing as they walk down the sidewalk. And I'm talking singing like you might hear in the best church choir.. extraordinary!

I know exactly where M Street is. The street itself is pretty decent, but once you go further west, it starts getting dicey. I looked at a house for sale on L Street about a year ago, and it was a no-go when I drove the block at night.

[J Street]

M street runs North and South so I do not know which M street you are talking about. Lake Worth has issues but I think we are trying to improve. If you do not like LW then stay away is all I can say

[suepsyd]

Originally Posted by Pimpy

I know exactly where M Street is. The street itself is pretty decent, but once you go further west, it starts getting dicey. I looked at a house for sale on L Street about a year ago, and it was a no-go when I drove the block at night.

Shame you didn't buy the house on L St. Prices have doubled here since last year. Obviously a lot of people see the potential in Lake Worth. I live on L St. and feel completely safe walking into town for a nice meal, shopping or to participate in the many community events. We can ride our bicycles to the beach and launch our kayaks from the new Snook Islands nature preserve. Neighbors here actually greet you when you walk down the street. Lake Worth is unique to South Florida because it is a small town with a town center. It hasn't become overgrown and overcommercialized like Delray. It has many dedicated citizens and community groups who are working to solve the problems here, which are not unique to Lake Worth. I have no regrets about buying a home here nearly two years ago and would never trade the lifestyle here for a stuffy gated community.

[WhatUpFLA]

The short answer is "yes."