Briny Breezes, Florida
Encyclopedia
Briny Breezes is a town in Palm Beach County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 411 at the 2000 census. Briny Breezes (or "Briny" as it is known locally) is a small coastal community of approximately 488 mobile home
s along State Road A1A
. Briny is a private community consisting mostly of "Snowbirds
" from the Northeast, Midwest, and Canada. It is currently the only mobile home
park with beach front property in Florida. It and Ocean Breeze Park
are the only two mobile home parks in Florida that are incorporated towns.
farm owned by Michigan lumberman Ward Miller. Around the time of the Great Depression
, he allowed tourists, who brought their trailers down from the North
, to camp on his land. He began advertising the land by placing flyers
in Northern newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune
, that touted Briny's "$3 a week rent." In 1958, Miller wanted to retire and made an offer to the campers to buy the land: $2,000 per lot and $2,500 for those near the water. The campers brought their assets together and the town was incorporated on March 19, 1963, complete with its own mayor and post office.
The town's first mayor was Hugh David, who held office until his death in 1997 and was never opposed in an election. His successor, Robert Conkey, also died in office only months into his second term in 2000. Conkey's second term was notable as he won the election by only five votes. The town's current mayor is Roger Bennett.
In its beginnings, the town was mainly made up of families that came to live during the winter. Now, the residents are senior citizens that live there either year round or just in the winter.
Briny Breezes was used as the setting for the 2005 film In Her Shoes, and many of its residents served as extras
in the movie.
Had the sale gone through, it would have meant a huge windfall for each lot owner. Many people paid between $30,000 and $40,000 when they purchased their homes. In comparison, the 2000 census
reported $129,000 was the median value of a home in Briny.
A vote to ratify the deal was set for January 10, 2007 and 80 percent of residents approved of the sale, with 97 percent of owners voting. The residents would not receive any compensation until 2009 and the plan was yet to be approved by state and local officials, due to zoning concerns.
However, on July 30, 2007, when the "earnest money" was due to the town, the deal was cancelled by the land developer over a dispute with the town board of directors over how long a period was to be allowed for due diligence.
It is about 1.6 miles south of Ocean Ridge
and 1.3 miles north of Gulf Stream
. It sits between the Atlantic Ocean on the East and the Intracoastal Waterway on the West.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²). 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (22.22%) is water.
of 2000, there were 411 people, 266 households, and 129 families residing in the town. The population density
was 5,912.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,267.0/km²). There were 534 housing units at an average density of 7,682.0 per square mile (2,945.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.27% White, 0.49% Asian, and 0.24% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.
There were 266 households out of which 1.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
living together, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.5% were non-families. 48.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 34.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.55 and the average family size was 2.06.
In the town the population was skewed toward mostly older persons with 1.9% under the age of 18, 1.5% from 18 to 24, 4.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 66.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 70 years. For every 100 females there were 77.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,583, and the median income for a family was $55,500. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $35,338. About 1.5% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English
as a first language
accounted for 100% of all residents. It, along with Cloud Lake
, and Golf
, and Jupiter Inlet Colony
were the only municipalities
in Palm Beach county with all residents having the mother tongue of English.
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 411 at the 2000 census. Briny Breezes (or "Briny" as it is known locally) is a small coastal community of approximately 488 mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
s along State Road A1A
Florida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
. Briny is a private community consisting mostly of "Snowbirds
Snowbird (people)
The term snowbird is used to describe people from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, or Canada who spend a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States,...
" from the Northeast, Midwest, and Canada. It is currently the only mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
park with beach front property in Florida. It and Ocean Breeze Park
Ocean Breeze Park, Florida
Ocean Breeze Park is a town on the Indian River in Martin County, Florida, United States. It and Briny Breezes in Palm Beach County are the only two towns in Florida in which all residents live in a mobile home park bearing the name of the town. The population was 463 at the 2000 census. As of...
are the only two mobile home parks in Florida that are incorporated towns.
History
In the 1920s, the land housed a strawberryStrawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
farm owned by Michigan lumberman Ward Miller. Around the time of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, he allowed tourists, who brought their trailers down from the North
Northern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
, to camp on his land. He began advertising the land by placing flyers
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
in Northern newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, that touted Briny's "$3 a week rent." In 1958, Miller wanted to retire and made an offer to the campers to buy the land: $2,000 per lot and $2,500 for those near the water. The campers brought their assets together and the town was incorporated on March 19, 1963, complete with its own mayor and post office.
The town's first mayor was Hugh David, who held office until his death in 1997 and was never opposed in an election. His successor, Robert Conkey, also died in office only months into his second term in 2000. Conkey's second term was notable as he won the election by only five votes. The town's current mayor is Roger Bennett.
In its beginnings, the town was mainly made up of families that came to live during the winter. Now, the residents are senior citizens that live there either year round or just in the winter.
Briny Breezes was used as the setting for the 2005 film In Her Shoes, and many of its residents served as extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in the movie.
Development
In October 2005, developer Jean Francois Roy, of Ocean Land Investments, made an offer to buy the entire town for $500 million. This would equate to an average of slightly more than $1 million per residential lot. In December 2005, it was announced that 73 percent of the 488 lot owners had voted to hire a lawyer to pursue the sale. Later, Roy raised his offer to $510 million.Had the sale gone through, it would have meant a huge windfall for each lot owner. Many people paid between $30,000 and $40,000 when they purchased their homes. In comparison, the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
reported $129,000 was the median value of a home in Briny.
A vote to ratify the deal was set for January 10, 2007 and 80 percent of residents approved of the sale, with 97 percent of owners voting. The residents would not receive any compensation until 2009 and the plan was yet to be approved by state and local officials, due to zoning concerns.
However, on July 30, 2007, when the "earnest money" was due to the town, the deal was cancelled by the land developer over a dispute with the town board of directors over how long a period was to be allowed for due diligence.
Geography
Briny Breezes is located at 26°30′32"N 80°3′15"W (26.508849, -80.054150).It is about 1.6 miles south of Ocean Ridge
Ocean Ridge, Florida
Ocean Ridge is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,636 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,702.-Geography:Ocean Ridge is located at ....
and 1.3 miles north of Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream, Florida
Gulf Stream is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 716 at the 2000 census.and ranked as the 11th highest-income place in the United States. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 746.-Geography:...
. It sits between the Atlantic Ocean on the East and the Intracoastal Waterway on the West.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²). 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (22.22%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 411 people, 266 households, and 129 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,912.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,267.0/km²). There were 534 housing units at an average density of 7,682.0 per square mile (2,945.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.27% White, 0.49% Asian, and 0.24% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.
There were 266 households out of which 1.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.5% were non-families. 48.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 34.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.55 and the average family size was 2.06.
In the town the population was skewed toward mostly older persons with 1.9% under the age of 18, 1.5% from 18 to 24, 4.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 66.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 70 years. For every 100 females there were 77.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,583, and the median income for a family was $55,500. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $35,338. About 1.5% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as a first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
accounted for 100% of all residents. It, along with Cloud Lake
Cloud Lake, Florida
Cloud Lake is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 167 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cloud Lake is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
, and Golf
Golf, Florida
The Village of Golf is a village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 260 at the 2010 census, and ranked as the 4th highest-income place in the United States. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
, and Jupiter Inlet Colony
Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida
Jupiter Inlet Colony is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 368 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 388.-Geography:Jupiter Inlet Colony is located at...
were the only municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Palm Beach county with all residents having the mother tongue of English.
External links
- The town of Briny Breezes - The official Town Website
- Briny Breezes, Florida
- Briny Breezes Memories