Boca Raton Population 2007 city/ 2008 MSA: 85,407 (City); 5,414,772 (Miami Metro) - (incorporated in 1925)
Jacksonville Pop. 2007 city/ 2008 MSA: 805,605 (City); 1,313,228 (Metro) - (incorporated in 1832)
City population 1940: Jacksonville (173,065); Boca Raton (723)
Metropolitan Area Growth rate (2000-2007)
Boca Raton (Miami): +8.09%
Jacksonville: +15.86%
Urban Area Population (2000 census); 2007 estimate
Boca Raton (Miami): 4,919,036 (ranked 5 nationwide) - 5,423,311
Jacksonville: 882,295 (ranked 43 nationwide) - 1,042,079
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/policy/demographic/2007urban.pdf
Urban Area Population Density (2000 census)
Boca Raton (Miami): 4,407.4
Jacksonville: 2,149.2
City Population Growth from 2000 to 2007
Boca Raton: +10,643
Jacksonville: +69,988
Convention Center Exhibition Space:
Boca Raton: There is no convention center in Downtown Boca Raton
Jacksonville: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center (1986) - 78,500 square feet
Tallest Building:
Boca Raton: Boca Raton Club Tower - 300 feet (not located downtown)
Jacksonville: Bank of America Tower - 617 feet
To view images of Boca Raton Club Tower:
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=bocaratonclubtower-bocaraton-fl-usa
Urban infill & Connectivity obstacles:
Boca Raton: The nearest Tri-Rail commuter rail station is four miles Southeast of Downtown Boca Raton.
Jacksonville: State & Union Streets cut off Downtown Jacksonville from Springfield.
Nightlife:
Boca Raton: Mizner Park.
Jacksonville: East Bay Street, located between Main Street and Liberty Street. This four block stretch is home to four bars and clubs.
Common Albatross:
Both communities are located in a State that favors suburban sprawl over sustainable development.
Unique Boca Raton
- Listed on early maps as "Boca Ratones", many people assume the name is simply translated to "Rat's Mouth."
- The City was the southern home of International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) from 1965 to 1996.
- Due to a strict development code, no car dealerships or billboards are allowed within city limits.
- According to Forbes, Boca Raton has three of the ten most expensive gated communities in the U.S.
- According to MessageLabs, Boca Raton is the "spam capital of the world."
- Once called "the only coastal city in Florida where there are more sharks on land than in the water" and described as the "Capone-Chicago of cyber fraud."
- Notable residents, past and present include Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Capriati, Cris Carter, Chris Evert, Jeff Gordon, Marilyn Manson, Vince McMahon, Greg Norman, Mark Richt and Pete Rose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boca_Raton,_Florida
Mizner Park
Completed in 1991, Mizner Park is a 398,000 square foot suburban lifestyle center located just north of the downtown core. Besides upscale shops, Mizner is comprised of rental apartments and offices. The Centre for the Arts is a cultural center on the north end of the development, with an amphitheatre and the Boca Raton Museum of Art. The art museum, Robb & Stucky Interiors (formerly Jacobson's), and a Sunrise Cinema are the anchor stores. Cooper Carry designed the architecture of Mizner as a Mediterranean revival town center.
Previously, the site of Mizner Park was home to a conventional enclosed mall called Boca Mall, which opened in 1974. Originally anchored by Britt's and Jefferson Ward, the shopping center was hurt by competition of Town Center at Boca Raton.
The Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency, formed in 1980, played a significant role in conveying redevelopment on the site, in addition to other major sections of downtown. Mizner Park has significantly aided downtown revitalization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizner_Park
http://www.miznerpark.com/html/index7.asp
Photos by Ennis Davis
Elements of Urbanism from around Florida:
Miami
West Palm Beach
Fort Lauderdale & The Beach
Tampa
Orlando
St. Petersburg
South Beach
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heights unknown
May 25, 2009, 12:29:30 PMBeautiful city; been through there once riding the BRT (Broward Regional Transit) when I lived in Fort Lauderdale. Nice city, clean, full of rich snobs similar to West Palm Beach; people not very friendly to outsiders or anyone who they know or perceive don't have money. Wouldn't want to live there, but all in all, very nice city.
Heights Unknown
reednavy
May 25, 2009, 12:59:21 PMWPB isn't the rich one, that's Palm Beach.
I envy this location for one thing, tropical palm trees. If we could grow those palms up here w/o worry, I'd be much happier.
tufsu1
May 25, 2009, 01:19:45 PMI envy this location for one thing, tropical palm trees. If we could grow those palms up here w/o worry, I'd be much happier.
that makes one of us
Cliffs_Daughter
May 25, 2009, 03:24:42 PMI lived a couple of years in Lighthouse Point, just a couple miles south of Boca on US1.
When you crossed that bridge into PB county, you KNEW it. There's an immediate difference in how things look and feel. Signage is different, landscape is better, everything seemed 'prettier'.
civil42806
May 25, 2009, 06:10:53 PMI envy this location for one thing, tropical palm trees. If we could grow those palms up here w/o worry, I'd be much happier.
that makes one of us
This isn't south florida, don't try and make it one. Grow the trees that are native, then you won't have to worry about the frost. How many queen palms has everyone seen dead in peoples front and back yards this year.
reednavy
May 25, 2009, 06:16:19 PMNot around here in Mandarin for sure.
I have native plants, I'm pushing the envelope here, my 2 almost 20yr old queens didn't suffer any damage. I got me som foxtail palms now, and my god they're pretty. I just like the palms down there because they're some pleasing to the eye and very pretty.
heights unknown
May 25, 2009, 11:13:40 PMBoth cities, WPB and Palm Beach are wealthy; there's "richness" all over that area including Boca Raton. Those are sable palm trees (the state tree) are they not? Maybe I am wrong. Jax used to have those palms all over the place but the severe cold and frosts we've had in the last 50 years or more have took its toll on them.
stjr
May 26, 2009, 12:10:31 AMBoca Raton looks pretty in the pictures but it also looks sterile and contrived as if it was created by a Disney architect. Very superficial and nouveau riche looking. Devoid of any true character. Not surprised it would draw in cyber crooks. Not for me.
I have two 70 plus year old sable palms in my yard and they are still going strong. According to a few web sites I checked, they are good for more northern areas because they are cold hardy. I didn't spot any sables in these Boca pictures and I don't recall seeing them in, at least, developed South Florida. They appear to be more frequent in coastal North and Central Florida up to South Carolina from my experience. It is the state tree of BOTH Florida and South Carolina.
Keith-N-Jax
May 26, 2009, 03:24:23 AMThey really like Royal Palms down there, they are native to South Florida area and hold up pretty well during hurricanes. I like palms also and have over 15 queens in my yard(yard is huge) and they did well during this winter and others. The tropical palms down south is why many people say SF is more beautiful than North Florida, but really its what one likes. Many people like the many trees seen in north Florida. Even though I like palms I like dense plantings of trees that you see here mostly, not down there. Nice pics though of Boca.