RICHEST TOWN, USA -MILLIONAIRES CREATE A SCHOOL IN FISHER ISLAND, FLORIDA AMERICAS WEALTHIEST

Miami’s ritzy Fisher Island – which offers “splendid isolation” for its roster of celebrity and CEO residents – is about to be even more, well, splendid. Accessible only by ferry – or yacht – Fisher Island is the wealthiest community in the U.S (average net worth of residents: around $10 million). It boasts its own private restaurants, beach club, golf course and spa. Chauffeurs are optional; the main mode of transportation on the island is by golf cart. Then again, at just 216 acres, residents could just take their well-heeled selves for a walk.

“It’s really quite beautiful – I guess everybody says that,” says resident Sharon King – yes, that’s Larry’s ex – of Fisher Island. “It’s 180 degrees from Manhattan. And Washington. And Los Angeles. It’s like a resort, but the best thing about it is that South Beach is just 15 minutes away.”The island (current population: 650) is shattering its own Venetian glass ceiling with the construction of Palazzo del Mar, a new tower of 34 residences featuring a private concierge who can help you navigate your built-in cappucino maker. You’ll also get large terraces with bay, ocean and Miami skyline views, dahlink. Keeping with the “isolation” theme, private elevators (with ocean views, of course) whisk residents to their sparkling condos. Configurations run the gamut from three-bedroom, 3 ½-bath apartments to five bedroom, 5 ½-bath palaces, some with a den, library and maid’s quarters. Apartments between 3,500 to 7,000 square feet go from $2.2 million to $6.5 million. That’s pricey, but then again, Fisher Island’s stunning homes, on average, run between $1.5 to $5.5 million. Over the years, condos at the former winter home of William Vanderbilt have attracted such boldface buyers as Oprah Winfrey, Boris Becker and Mel Brooks. Palazzo del Mar is the most recent addition to a steady stream of new construction on the island, which has been booming ever since Waste Management and Blockbuster entrepreneur John Melk took over as developer in 199x. “Fisher Island’s had another record year,” says spokesperson Sissy DeMaria. “There’s a lot of fabulous condominiums out there that might be, say, more modern. But what they don’t have is a golf course, two marinas, six restaurants, 50 full-time security officers, an aviary.” It’s a bird-watching oasis for both Bottega Veneta-wearing babes and, increasingly, their babies. Over the last five years, the average age on the island has slipped from 58 to 48. Today, there are approximately 130 children on the island – and a growing number of bald heads are due to the island’s mini baby-boom, not an influx of retirees. “Fisher Island is the nicest place in the world,” says car dealership and real estate entrepreneur Robert Potamkin, who lives with his family on Fisher Island nine months of the year. “There’s no crime. It’s an ideal place to raise children.”The growing under-16 population has prompted local parents to pool their resources and create their own school. “Enrollment is higher than expected,” Potamkin, the chairman of the board, says of the 42 children slated to start at the school this fall – including his 4-year-old twins. “Even if the building isn’t finished, we’re already increasing its size.” “The school will be the prettiest school you ever saw,” he adds. “We’re hiring the best teachers we can find – and we don’t mind overpaying.” Money, it seems, is really no object when you have this kind of cash.

“People are always moving to larger places on the island,” King says. “They don’t seem to move off the island, just to a larger place to meet their needs.”

Oceans away

It’s expensive, private, on the water and hard to reach. No, it’s not Fisher Island, but it may be New York’s best alternative. Created by Sandy & Babcock International, the design architects for Fisher Island, Brighton Beach’s Oceana Condominium and Club is fetching top prices in Brooklyn. Recently, a 2,766-square-foot duplex penthouse sold for $2.5 million, and prices for other units in Ocean’s two latest buildings are approaching $900 a square foot. If the idea of a multimillion-dollar apartment in Brighton Beach has you up in arms about the state of New York City’s real estate market, rest assured that Oceana is filled with luxe amenities: balconies, ocean views and a 16,000-square-foot club with both an indoor and outdoor pool. Still, while the Oceana’s sister retreat some 1,300 miles to the south touts its total privacy and isolation, residents new to Brighton Beach may find themselves overlooking a busy boardwalk and faced with a long commute to Manhattan. For those willing to make the journey, Oceana will ultimately include 850 apartments in 15 buildings, rising from seven to 12 stories. Prices range from the $500,000s to more than $2.5 million. Residents are expected to move into the newest buildings in the summer of 2005.

FISHER ISLAND BRIGHTON BEACH TRANSPORTATION

golf cart Q train

NEIGHBORS celebrities, CEOs Russian immigrants

ACTIVITIES golfing, yachting strolling, fishing

NEARBY NIGHTLIFE South Beach Sheepshead Bay

CUISINE Atkins-friendly gut-busting

PERK isolation beach

DOWNSIDE ferry trips isolation

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