I love Lake Worth!

[TriMT7]

Magnolia, the Palm Beach Post has a section called "New to Town" where newcomers write about their experiences being new to the area. You're post here would make a great contribution.

[nanc295]

I've lived in the So. West Palm area since I was a teen, over 30 years. I raised my daughters alone here and now they are raising their children here, too. I have seen so much change in this area I feel like one of the old folk "I remember when...". Lake Worth has certianly gone thru it's share of ups and downs, yet it always rises again. Lake Ave was a vibrant place to dine, shop, antique, and just hang out in the 70's, even 80's. Things went into a bit of a slump, but I would never say I avoided downtown. It's just some of the outlying areas that have been taken over by the hookers on the road, drug pushers and gangs. If you don't look for them, you probably won't see them, but I would not drive on streets I was not familiar with or had no business in that area. Bryant Park has always been the BEST spot for festivals and hands down surpasses anywhere for FIREWORKS - even 4th on Flagler. You can bring your blanket, lay around with your family, listen to music and lay under a great display of sparkle and flash in a friendly atmosphere with out spending all your money. The cottages both north and south of "The Avenue" have been on the upswing for years, and are sooo pretty! Biking in the area around the golf course is great. Love ya Lake Worth!

[Magnolia Bloom]

Yes, I do see drug dealers and a few hookers. I look them in the eye and give them the stink eye when I pass. One guy in particular that I have seen a number of times out on a corner, I pretended to take a pix of him with my phone and made sure that he saw me. I drove by some guy taking a leak right in the road in the middle of the day and said, "Aww c'mon, man!" as I drove by. The other afternoon I was going to a friend's just west of Federal and a melee broke out between two groups of guys. We scurried into the house quickly and by the time that we left, PBSO was on the scene. I will say that the sheriff's office here is very responsive, unlike Jacksonville's.

One of the issues with crime here, I think, is the large population of undocumenteds. They don't want to draw attention to themselves, so don't report crime. It's sad, because the children probably grow up without any feeling of security or control over their environment.

It's no gated community, that's for sure. But I've been there and done that. Here I can have a rain barrel- yeah! Add a fence and good dog and we're all set.

It's cool to hear about Lake Worth's past. And, yes, the neighborhoods north and south of Lake/Lucerne to the east have so many really great homes. I'll have to keep my camera with me to get some pix to post.

[nanc295]

There was an article in the paper a while back about the pockets of different "nations" in the area just south of Lake Ave. And it was true, it is almost like there is an imaginary line drawn in the street. This section speaks Spanish, this section speaks French, this another language, and so forth. The churches in that area have been making strides to help the needy but are struggling to keep up. I have a friend who is Italian, he lives in the middle of a typically Haitian neighborhood there. He loves it, except that he doesn't speak the language. He loves the aromas at dinner time, the sounds of the music, the children; he says the atmosphere of his little corner is more like island living than he ever imagined. Of course that is just one little neighborhood. I wish everyone would care about where they lived as much.

[TheLuckoftheDraw]

Another Lake Worth fan. That's one of the first places I'd look for houses if I were moving back to the area.

[labets]

I work out of LW and do like alot...have a 10 yr.old and could not afford to find a good school there, tell me if I am wrong.Live in Boca but I am basically poor now, public school system here does provide acceptable and beyond...tell me if there is something I do not know, please.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Magnolia, the Palm Beach Post has a section called "New to Town" where newcomers write about their experiences being new to the area. You're post here would make a great contribution.

Found it!

Downtown West Palm, in its attempt to be one-size-fits-all, succeeds in being rather generic compared with the pastiche of establishments located on Lake Avenue, which truly provides something for everyone.

New in Town: The beachier feel of downtown Lake Worth*|*Palm Beach Entertainment: Events, movies, restaurants, nightlife & more | pbpulse.com (http://www.pbpulse.com/bars-and-clubs/new-in-town/2010/07/15/new-in-town-the-beachier-feel-of-downtown-lake-worth/ - broken link)

The comments following the article are good, too.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Off topic, but we just found a stray kitten- a couple of months old- and I'm hoping that someone here can take it in during the storm. There are dogs here that are not cat friendly and the owner of the house is allergic. The kitten is very friendly and seems to sense something is happening with the weather, as it is staying very close to us. We checked with all the neighbors in the hood and no one has ever seen it before. It's in a small shower stall for the night, but tomorrow we have to find someone to take it in. Help!