What two cities have links to mythology? What city was named for heir to an industrial fortune? There are some intriguing stories behind the names of Palm Beach County real estate.

While most people think that the towns of Jupiter and Juno Beach were named for the Roman god and goddess, that’s only half correct. Jupiter came first, and was named during the period when the British controlled Florida, between 1763 and 1783. The British examined a 1742 map listing the area as Rio Jove. Jove was the Roman name for the god Zeus, but because the Brits loved to anglicize words, their version was Jupiter. They renamed area in Florida Jupiter, and later, American’s named the town directly to the south Juno, because Juno was Jupiter’s consort.

Today, Jupiter real estate and Juno Beach real estate is characterized by its breathtaking, unspoiled beaches and its dedication to preserving Florida’s natural beauty.

Singer Island was named for Paris Singer, one of the 23 children of Isaac Singer, who made his fortune with Singer sewing machines. Paris Singer visited Palm Beach in 1920 and met architect Addison Mizner, who had been designing distinctive homes and hotels in Palm Beach. Singer was so taken with the area and with Mizner’s style that he offered Mizner a $6,000 a year retainer for life if he limited his work to Palm Beach. Singer and Mizner envisioned golf courses and hotels in the midst of the Florida land boom of the early 1920s. A combination of the 1928 hurricane and the 1929 stock market crash caused the boom to go bust, and Singer’s fortune was decimated. With his fortune so severely depleted, Singer left America and spent his final years on a houseboat in Egypt.

Singer Island homes today are known for their proximity to the ocean, their breathtaking views and their preservation of old Florida charm.

The new Riverwalk project in Jupiter, which was designed to keep the ocean accessible to the public, is spurring growth in Jupiter real estate.

Nestled under the Indiantown Bridge, one of the first phases of the project is being celebrated by city officials and residents of Jupiter. But while it was designed to keep residents who don’t live along the water from getting squeezed out of an accessible waterfront, Riverwalk is actually attracting developers, eager to build town homes and condos in Jupiter.

Several communities already back up against Riverwalk, including Mangrove Bay. Several of the newer developments helped pay for the Riverwalk project, in exchange for the right to build extra stories and more condos in Jupiter along the water.

One of the proposed projects of new development is called Harbourside, and plans include a parking garage, shops and restaurants, all designed to maintain the small-village feel of the homes in Jupiter Inlet Colony.