5 Reasons to buy in Boca

How does one the most affluent cities in the nation continue to attract interest from all over the world?

For a slice of South Florida that encompasses only 30 square miles, and for which fewer than 100,000 people reside, Boca Raton certainly doesn’t play by small-town rules. The southernmost city in Palm Beach County, long viewed as one of the most affluent communities in the region, continues to attract interest from all over the world as a place to call home. Here are five reasons why.

1) The neighborhoods: A host of amenity-rich luxury communities—among them, Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Le Lac and Woodfield Country Club—gives Boca a residential cachet that few towns of its size can match. Better still, there’s a home for every lifestyle, from dramatic waterfront estates to exclusive high-rise condos to sprawling, one-of-a-kind architectural marvels. Over the past two decades, real estate in Boca Raton has appreciated by nearly 150 percent, with an annual rate of some 5 percent.

2) The shopping: In addition to the walkable worlds of Mizner Park and the Shops at Boca Center, both of which feature independent and brand-name retailers, Boca sports one of South Florida’s premier shopping malls. Town Center at Boca Raton, all 1.8 million square feet of it, hosts an impressive mix of upscale boutiques, restaurants and anchor stores (like Saks Fifth Avenue).

3) The restaurants: Thanks to fine-dining mainstays like New York Prime, Casa D’Angelo, La Nouvelle Maison, The Capital Grille and countless other five-star restaurants, Boca has emerged as one of the culinary capitals of South Florida.

4) The education: Families continue to look to Boca Raton for its rich selection of A-rated schools that cut across all age groups. In addition, Boca has not-so-quietly become a prominent college town thanks to private Lynn University and state college Florida Atlantic University. The next generation of medical professionals is honing its skills in Boca thanks to the recent addition of a college of medicine at FAU.

5) The arts and culture: Along with signature attractions like the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Boca Raton Children’s Museum and the city’s venerable Historical Society, the popular Festival of the Arts—an annual weeklong celebration of music, performance and authors—has helped to put Boca on the map as a national cultural destination.