Monday, 7 November 2016 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: North America / Nordamerika Category/Kategorie: GeneralReading Time: 4minutes
Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico coast with population of 12,018. The city is often referred to under the umbrella term of “Panama City“, despite being a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland Panama City to the east, making Panama City and Panama City Beach two separate cities. Panama City Beach’s slogan is “The World’s Most Beautiful Beaches” due to the unique, sugar-white sandy beaches of northwest Florida.
Panama City Beach has been a popular vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States. The city is also a very popular spring break destination, due to the popularity of the beach and its close proximity to most of the Southern United States, and relative proximity as a drive destination for the Midwest.
A construction boom in the early to mid 2000s changed the image of the area due to the older homes and motels being replaced with high-rise condominiums and more expansive homes. However, this is turning unobstructed, low-rise beach views and affordable waterfront property into rarities. At the peak of the real estate boom, many beachfront properties had quadrupled or more in value since 2000. In November 2006 CNN/Money named Panama City Beach the No. 1 real estate market in America for the next five years in. Beachfront property has sold for upwards of $60,000 per “front foot” (linear foot) at the top of the market. The downturn in the U.S. real estate market in 2007, combined with a surge of new condo construction, brought spiraling prices somewhat under control. With the real estate boom, Panama City Beach became a well known destination for Spring Break.
The new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport provides commercial flights into the area. The airport serves private aircraft, domestic passenger flights, and freight/cargo flights. It is the first international airport to be constructed after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The other modes of transportation is scooters, which can be rented by the day. As well as taxi and shuttle companies which are permitted through the local police. Panama City Beach also has a Trolley system available which runs hourly. The Bay Town Trolley system runs throughout the county giving its tourists and locals the resource they need to get around Bay County.
