South Palm Beach.

Below Sloan's Curve the island narrows to a ribbon, and living here becomes elemental: the ocean on one side, the lake on the other, and rarely more than a building's width between them. This southern stretch — the condominium row of the Town of Palm Beach and the small Town of South Palm Beach beyond it — is defined by oceanfront buildings with direct, private beach access and sweeping Atlantic views from nearly every residence.

It is also the most attainable way onto the island. Full-service oceanfront buildings here trade at a fraction of mid-island prices, which has made South Palm Beach a quiet favorite of seasonal residents and downsizers who want the Palm Beach life — the beach, the light, the address — without the estate upkeep.

Worth Avenue is a ten-minute drive north; the Lantana bridge puts the mainland minutes west. In between, the water is never more than a step away.