Discover West Palm Beach!
It might be fair to call West Palm Beach Florida’s best-kept secret. A friendly economy, appealing weather, and lots of options for both the recreational and the educational set West Palm Beach forth as an up-and-coming jewel of the south.
About 100,000 people live in WPB. This places it roughly between Hartford, Connecticut (124,775), and Santa Barbara, California (88,410).
This means it’s small enough to not feel overly congested or like you’ve just drowned in a wash of people. But, it’s also big enough to have an active culture and nightlife, loads of restaurants and interesting attractions, and an active historical preservation commitment.
Something of a joint initiative between local government and civilians, the culture of public (and often free) events is a big one in West Palm Beach. One of the most popular is Clematis by Night, which the city’s official website calls “a Thursday night tradition.”
Begun in 1995, the event features a concert series of local artists, numerous offerings from local eateries, and a happy hour along the waterfront. But don’t think the concerts and alcohol mean this isn’t for kids; the place is very kid-friendly, with one highlight being a huge fountain that the munchkins run through while their parents enjoy the music.
Other unique attractions put on by the city include the 4th on Flager (a huge Fourth of July bash held annually), and Holiday in Paradise, a new addition during the Christmas season which features a massive Christmas tree made entirely out of sand, a dance troupe, “snowman” building, and more.
West Palm Beach in particular benefits from a large Gulfstream, which is a warm underwater river that in this case makes its way from the Gulf of Mexico. This introduction of warmer water affects the local climate nicely, giving balmy winters and cool evenings after the afternoon rains. This is Florida, right? It and California are loaded with beaches. And West Palm Beach’s close proximity to the waterfront means it has a near-endless collection of beaches. Specifically, West Palm Beach is allotted about 47 miles of the Atlantic coastline, which has numerous beaches available for public use. Yelp even has a list of the ten best beaches in the city.
The headquarters of the PGA makes its home here, and as such there are numerous tournaments and events held year-round. More important to people who want to actually get a few rounds in, the city has the most courses in any county in Florida! Think of being able to get all 18 holes in without having to wait in line—and since Tiger Woods lives here, you just might get a selfie op.
While international flights might be better sought at the airport in Miami, for most people the Palm Beach International Airport will be the perfect fit. Like its mother town, it’s small without being minuscule and offers a passenger-friendly layout to reliable airlines. (Those business people migrating to WPB will need a good airport! )It would not be wrong to think of West Palm Beach as a bridge to other, bigger environs. And the cool thing is it’s not a very long bridge at all. Fort Lauderdale is only an hour away; Miami is an hour and a half, and Key Largo is two. Orlando is the biggest excursion, at a whopping two-and-a-half-hour distance.
Courtesy of Discover the Palm Beaches
