City Profile: West Palm Beach

By VISIT FLORIDA staff
Published: February 26, 2008
Last Updated On: December 2, 2011

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West Palm Beach

Palm Beach

Arts, culture, shopping and nightlife round out your West Palm Beach experience.

It's no wonder the rich and famous have flocked to West Palm Beach for more than a half century; elegance and luxurious comfort are the hallmarks of this southeast Florida city.

For the serious shopper, Worth Avenue is lined with posh boutiques offering designer clothes, original artwork and many unique gifts. When the sun sets, enjoy fine dining by candlelight at one of the many lovely oceanfront restaurants. Nearby areas with world-class beaches and fishing include Boynton Beach and Lake Worth.

The Clematis Street Retail and Entertainment District is a vibrant area lined with fashionable martini bars, trendy nightclubs, elite boutiques and fine restaurants. Every Thursday evening the area comes alive with the "Clematis by Night" series, when visitors mingle among arts & crafts vendors while enjoying live entertainment.

Though Clematis Street is one of the more popular nighttime hotspots, West Palm Beach's nightlife scene is in no way restricted to it. Cozy pubs, energetic dance clubs and concert halls abound throughout the area, giving revelers ample choice of how to spend their evening.

For theater and performing arts, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is the premier location in West Palm Beach to spend an evening.

Professional polo matches are played here throughout the winter, and you don't have to be one of the affluent to join in the fun. Golf courses, tennis courts and watersports will keep you busy. West Palm Beach also offers family fun, with the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park, the South Florida Science Museum.

To experience graceful, turn-of-the-century ambience, visit the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. This elaborate mansion was built in 1901 and now immortalizes the railroad tycoon who established Palm Beach as a playground for himself and his wealthy friends. The Norton Museum of Art is home to a distinguished permanent collection of American and European masterpieces.

For theater and performing arts, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is the premier location in West Palm Beach to spend an evening. SunFest, Florida's largest waterfront music and art festival, takes place in West Palm Beach at the end of April and beginning of May.