Who Lives on Palm Island Miami Beach? Notable Residents

Of the three islands off the MacArthur Causeway, Palm IslandMore Info is the one with the deepest history. Star IslandMore Info gets more attention today, and Fisher Island gets more headlines for its price tags, but Palm Island has a story that predates both of them by decades, and it starts with one of the most notorious names in American history.

Al Capone Bought His Summer Home Here in 1928

Palm Island, along with its neighbors Hibiscus Island and Star Island, was created in 1922 when the Army Corps of Engineers dredged Biscayne Bay to build new land. Just six years later, Al Capone paid $40,000 for a summer home on the island, then spent roughly $200,000 more expanding and refurbishing it. After his release from prison in 1939, he lived there full time until his death in 1947. The house still stands today, a genuine piece of Miami Beach history, and it changed hands in 2021 for $10.75 million.

Who Lives There Now

Palm Island has since attracted a different kind of resident, though the appeal, privacy, water access, and proximity to South Beach, hasn't changed. Boxer Floyd Mayweather has owned property there. Record producer Scott Storch, known for his work with major recording artists, is another notable resident. Actor Nick Nolte and actress Gabrielle Anwar have both called the island home, alongside singer Ana Gabriel and the late broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. Bryan "Birdman" Williams, co-founder of Cash Money Records, has also owned on the island.

Palm Island's smaller footprint, just 82 acres, gives it a genuinely different feel than its larger neighbors. It's a tight-knit community where residents tend to know each other, and it draws people who want the island lifestyle without the scale of Star Island's larger estates or Fisher Island's resort infrastructure.

A History Beyond Just Capone

The islands' entertainment history runs deeper than one famous resident. In their earlier decades, Palm and its neighboring islands were home to the Latin Quarter, a luxury nightclub that hosted performers including Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., part of a broader era when this stretch of Biscayne Bay was as much a nightlife destination as a residential one.

Getting to Palm Island

The island is accessible only by car, via Fountain Street off the MacArthur Causeway, the same access pattern shared by Star Island and Hibiscus Island. That single point of entry is a big part of what's kept all three islands as private as they are, no through traffic, no reason for anyone to be there unless they live there or know someone who does.

How Palm Island Compares to Its Neighbors

Buyers considering Palm Island are almost always also looking at Star Island and Hibiscus IslandMore Info, and the differences are real. Star Island holds larger estates and has drawn the current generation's highest-profile names. Hibiscus Island tends to run smaller and more residential in character. Palm Island sits in between, historic, established, and genuinely private, with a resident mix that spans entertainment, music, and business.

Thinking About Palm Island Yourself

If you're seriously exploring Palm Island rather than just curious about the history, understand that inventory here is limited the same way it is on the other two islands. Very little comes up publicly in a given year, and much of what does trade happens through broker relationships before it ever reaches a listing site.

Contact Ashton Coleman, Broker-Associate with ONE Sotheby's International Realty, for current and off-market opportunities on Palm Island and Miami Beach's other private island communitiesMore Info.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the most famous former resident of Palm Island?

Al Capone, who purchased a summer home there in 1928 and lived there full time from 1939 until his death in 1947.

How big is Palm Island?

Approximately 82 acres, smaller than neighboring Star Island.

How do you access Palm Island?

By car only, via Fountain Street off the MacArthur Causeway, the same single point of entry shared by Star Island and Hibiscus Island.

Is Palm Island the same as Star Island?

No. Palm Island, Hibiscus Island, and Star Island are three separate, adjacent islands, all created by the same 1922 dredging project, but each with its own distinct character and resident history.

Who else has lived on Palm Island besides Al Capone?

Notable residents have included Floyd Mayweather, Scott Storch, Nick Nolte, Gabrielle Anwar, Ana Gabriel, Barbara Walters, and Bryan "Birdman" Williams.