Palm Beach County
Besides offering visitors 47 miles of wide, sandy beaches, Palm Beach County offers nearly 150 golf courses, more than
any other county in the nation. Art lovers also flock here
for ballet, opera, theater, music and modern dance. The city
of Palm Beach, with its sunny palm-lined street, elite shopping
and oceanfront estates has the most concentrated wealth in
the region. Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton are
quieter, but please visitors with scenic beaches as well as
a variety of performing arts, shopping and dining
.
Beaches
Let the palm-lined avenues lead you to the pristine beaches
of Palm Beach and you will understand why the rich and famous
have flocked to this area for more than a half century. Elegance
and luxurious comfort are the hallmarks of this slice of paradise.
Shopping
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.
Entertainment
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. Definitely one of the more popular
nighttime hotspots, West Palm Beach's nightlife scene is in
no way restricted to Clematis Street. Cozy pubs, energetic
dance clubs and concert halls abound throughout the area, giving
revelers ample choice of how to spend their evening.
Performing Arts
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. The Norton Museum of Art houses
a world-renowned collection of European, American, Chinese
and contemporary art, along with rotating exhibitions. SunFest,
Florida's largest waterfront music and art festival, takes
place in West Palm Beach each May.
Downtown
City Place is a $55 million development in the center of downtown
that has been called "one of the most ambitious urban
developments in the country." Complete with a Muvico
20 - screen theater modeled after the Paris Opera House,
75 speciality retailers such as Macy*s Resort concept store
and FAO Schwartz, 10 gourmet restaurants, a $3.5 million
fountain and more that 500 private residences, CityPlace
is a new adventure in retail.
Polo
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 galore will
keep you busy. West Palm Beach also offers family fun, with
the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park, the South Florida Science
Museum and the Seaside Activity Station.
Art
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 Gallery of Art is home to a distinguished
permanent collection of American and European masterpieces.
Whether you come for the shining sun or the shining storefronts,
the subdued elegance of West Palm Beach is sure to captivate
you.
Photos courtesy of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors
Bureau.
