Boca is a city of firsts, featuring notable areas like The Boca Raton, Old Floresta and Mizner Park.
As the first subdivision, Old Floresta has worn the city’s official Historic District marker since 1990. Mizner bought the land to house his company’s executives and his brother. Construction of 29 homes changed hands several times as Old Floresta’s Mediterranean-style architecture and barrel roof tiles set Mizner’s style for posterity.
Mizner’s also responsible for the rebranded and redesigned with historical features intact Boca Raton Resort & Club. Originally called The Cloister Inn, Mizner famously invited guests for Christmas dinner in 1925. Opened to the public in 1926, The Boca Raton as it’s called now is still going strong as a resort hotel with golf of course and a membership beach club. The Boca Raton Historical Society gives tours. https://www.bocahistory.org/the-boca-raton
Built in 1991 and also named for you-know-who, Mizner Park was among the country’s first mixed-use developments with residential, office and commercial properties downtown. The city’s amphitheater and Boca Raton Museum of Art anchor the north end of the popular shopping and dining complex with city-owned attractions and a pavilion in the median. Real estate in Boca Raton has come full circle from its origins as Mizner’s vision with a contemporary choice of Intracoastal Waterway and beachfront condos, exclusive residential golf and country clubs, gated clubhouse communities, townhouses and one-story villas, and regular single-family neighborhoods in the city and suburban locales.
Many homes near historic Boca Raton landmarks still wear the sheen of Mizner’s architectural style. He would be proud.
