Discussion: Belle Glade, Florida - America’s forgotten city

Jay Fenty

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/ne...le-glad/nLx6s/

Quote:

Once dubbed ‘The AIDS capital of the world’ A town plagued by disease and poverty sits just 40 miles west from some of the wealthiest towns in the United States. Belle Glade, a small farming town on the southern shore of Lake Okechobee in South Florida with a population less than 20,000, once had higher HIV rates than New York City and San Francisco.

Start at the east end of Southern Boulevard - at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, one of the country's poshest private clubs - drive west 38.8 miles on the same road and you reach Belle Glade, a city with some of the worst unemployment and poverty in the country. Palm Beach County is amongst the wealthiest counties in the United States

Without using your blinker, you go from a 20,000-square-foot Louis XIV ballroom, gilded ceilings and a $100,000 fee just to join the club to overflowing soup kitchens, child poverty at twice the national rate and people capturing rain in buckets because their water was turned off for nonpayment.

I live in Palm Beach County and I recently just found out about this town, its crazy to think about how extravagant it is down here yet just a few miles inland you have one of the worst living conditions in the country. There is such a huge gap. This county prides itself so much on its wealth yet is oblivious to these inland towns that are struggling. I asked co-workers about this town today and they immediately said AIDS and poverty, its sad that this town has such a horrible reputation. It’s been forgotten by its own county and America

Marvin

Immokalee too

drieka

wow, that's crazy. I live in Lauderdale and I've never heard of this place, not to sound voyeuristic but I would love to go there sometime. i went to college in palm beach county and the wealth there is crazy. two extremes.

RichyRich

Quote:

Originally posted by drieka

wow, that's crazy. I live in Lauderdale and I've never heard of this place, not to sound voyeuristic but I would love to go there sometime. i went to college in palm beach county and the wealth there is crazy. two extremes.

I live in Lauderdale too! You know how South Fl is. Super pretentious. It's either super wealthy or super poor. I hate how extreme it is.

RunningIITheSun

I live in North FL and I've heard of the town. Never knew of its reputation or conditions tho

Jay Fenty

Quote:

Originally posted by drieka

wow, that's crazy. I live in Lauderdale and I've never heard of this place, not to sound voyeuristic but I would love to go there sometime. i went to college in palm beach county and the wealth there is crazy. two extremes.

I kind of want to go to the town too, its in the middle of nowhere and i have no good reason for being there, but just to see the major differences that are happening in the county..