I visited CityPlace not too long after it first opened in 2000 and was quite impressed. It started as a shopping, dining, and entertainment center, and I really loved all the fountains, landscaping, and people-watching opportunities. It was filled with upscale shops and restaurants, which due to my being a confirmed cheapskate, I avoided at all costs. The complex is located along Rosemary Street in West Palm Beach, just south of the Clematis entertainment district. I visited it once again this past Tuesday. It still has very impressive landscaping and all those upscale shops and restaurants, but now is also filled with office buildings, apartments, and condos. I took the photograph on the left of a fountain in front of the Harriet Himmel Theater, which was built in 1926 and is currently undergoing a controversial renovation.
This mixed-use urban neighborhood was renamed Rosemary Square a number of years ago to reflect its status as a residential and work destination, and later shortened to The Square. Virtually everyone, from people who lived and worked there to the visitors coming to shop and dine, hated the name, and insisted on still calling the area CityPlace. It was only this past May that the owners finally gave in to public opinion and changed the name back to CityPlace.
Just for fun, I checked the CityPlace website and found several new high-rise apartment buildings with units for rent. One, called The Laurel, has a 1 bedroom, 1 bath available for a mere $3,300 per month. It is the cheapest apartment in the building, and I am not sure if it includes parking (why do I think it doesn't?) and utilities. Another luxury high-rise with units for rent is called The Flats, but you have to contact them directly to find out how much they charge. Hopefully there will be a more affordable choice in the near future. Perhaps they could call it The Rock Bottom. I should suggest that to Related Companies, the developer. Considering the name of their company, as well as The Square fiasco, it appears they could use some help with names. The photograph on the left, by the way, is one of a handful of historic buildings still left in the area. It appears West Palm Beach is not all that vigilant about protecting their heritage. Since this is, according to Governor Ron DeSantis, "The Free State of Florida," I guess people can do whatever the hell they want. As long as they keep those campaign donations flowing, of course.
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