by James McClister

Trip Advisor calls its beaches “brilliant.” Sperling’s rates it among the best places to live in all variety of categories. But to the actual residents of Key Biscayne, it’s simply known as a paradise.

And here’s why:

1. THE luxury market in South Florida – Key Biscayne is one of the most exclusive markets in not only Florida, but the entire country. Its streets are lined with lush hedges and palm trees, and every home is barely more than a stone’s throw away from the beach. This year, the majority of both single-family homes and condos sold on the island closed at $3 million or more, according to EWM. It was also on our list of the most active luxury markets in Greater Miami during this year’s third quarter, and one of the handful that saw sales increases in the $1 million-and-up range; they were up just over 5 percent.

2. Greater Miami’s best schools are there – In our list of top combination schools in Miami-Dade County (which used Florida Department of Education data), Key Biscayne’s Mast Academy was No. 1, with strong achievement ratings across all subjects. But Mast Academy is not alone – GreatSchools.org gives Key Biscayne a perfect rating, making it one of the best school systems in the country.

3. Village taking an active role in its sea level rise – As we’ve reported on numerous occasions, the sea is slowly swallowing South Florida. The prospect of Greater Miami being under water by the turn of the century is terrifying, but the Village of Key Biscayne is not taking it lying down. It has been actively formulating a master plan to improve stormwater drainage and thwart flooding, which includes sea level rise. And just last week, the Village hosted a town hall-style meeting to discuss the Coastal Risk Consulting’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Study and Adaptation Plan for the Village of Key Biscayne. While it may still be underwater by 2100, Key Biscayne is not sinking without a fight.

4. It is extremely safe – According to the FBI’s most recent crime rates report, Key Biscayne is the safest city in Florida. Residents have only a 2.2 percent chance of being involved in a property crime, and the violent crime rate is only 23.4 per 1,000 people – compared to the second safest city, Punta Gorda, where the violent crime rate is 65.

Photo Credit: Blackbow17 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported