West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach is a mid-sized city of 117,000 residents (2020) in the Greater Miami (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach) Metropolitan area.

Understand
West of the smaller, more famous town Palm Beach, West Palm Beach is mostly commercial but has some attractions and landmarks worth visiting.

By car
West Palm Beach is easily accessible by Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike.

By bus
The West Palm Beach bus stations are at the and the  at 205-209 S Tamarind in downtown West Palm Beach. See the below as to where the bus companies stop in:

By car
The easiest way to get around West Palm Beach and South Florida is by car. The city is set up on grid system, and is fairly easy to navigate. Downtown is roughly 2 miles north east of Palm Beach International Airport. Palm Beach County is served by Interstate I-95 and U.S. Highway 1 and US 441. It is also served by Florida's Turnpike.

In-Airport car rental companies include:



Outside-of-airport car rental companies with Shuttle include:

By taxi
Taxis are generally expensive, but available at almost any time and place.

See



 * Graffiti Street Art you will find one of the most beautiful and biggest graffiti street art of Florida if you walk around wpb downtown
 * Graffiti Street Art you will find one of the most beautiful and biggest graffiti street art of Florida if you walk around wpb downtown
 * Graffiti Street Art you will find one of the most beautiful and biggest graffiti street art of Florida if you walk around wpb downtown

Do
There are over 40 miles of beautiful beaches in Palm Beach County. The proximity of the Gulf Stream keeps the waters warm year-round although many miles are private a nearby public beach in the city of Palm Beach has lifeguards during the day, and is easily accessible. Flags by the lifeguard announce hazardous conditions (red for dangerous surf conditions, and purple for dangerous sea life).

For snorkeling, two places might satisfy. One is John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, on the north end of Singer Island. The beach contains a shallow reef full of fish. Be careful, shark and barracuda are seen occasionally. This park also has kayaking, music on Sundays, and some short hiking trails. Kayaking is popular in a calm inlet in the park, which is surrounded by mangrove swamps.

Another snorkeling spot is the 'Breaker's reef on Palm Beach. The reef is nestled right behind the Breakers hotel. This reef is one long stretch that juts out into the ocean. You can park on the side roads near the Breakers, although it is illegal and police often tow out of town cars from this wealthy neighborhood.

A beach activity unique to Florida is watching space shuttles launch out over the ocean. Shuttles lifting off from Cape Kennedy are visible during daylight and night hours, although night and early morning launches are significantly more impressive. From most beaches, looking directly north up the coast will orient you correctly. Launches are visible from anywhere in Florida, but the ocean guarantees a clear view and night launches often reflect in the water.

There are bicycle paths throughout the area. One of the nicest is on the West (Intracoastal) side of Palm Beach. It runs from the middle bridge to the inlet that separates Palm Beach from Singer Island. This path is also suitable for roller blading.

Buy
Shopping is a popular activity in West Palm, not least because the weather is so mild year-round. There are a number of places to shop, including:


 * CityPlace, two renovated blocks in downtown West Palm that now features dozens of high-end shops, including Brookstone; Pottery Barn; White House, Black Market; and more.
 * Clematis Street runs perpendicular to CityPlace, and is the older, trendy shopping district, featuring Ann Taylor and several unique, eclectic shops and some pubs, nightclubs and restaurants.
 * South Dixie Highway provides several blocks of second-hand shops, from thrift stores to high-end antiques.
 * Worth Avenue on Palm Beach Island is home to many luxury boutiques.
 * Downtown at the Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens has many restaurants, along with other stores selling clothing, like urban outfitters, and other shops. Includes Cobb movie theaters.

Drink

 * Clematis by Night, sponsored by the City of West Palm, is a lively event each Thursday on Clematis Street until 9PM. There's live music, and the audience can purchase beer and wine -- poured by a (rotating) area non-profit, who gets to keep the profits.

Stay safe

 * Driving -- Florida has "no fault" auto accident laws, which means you are responsible for up to $10,000 in damage to your car, even if you are not responsible for the accident. Make sure your rental car comes with collision insurance, or obtain separate insurance.  Florida also has a very high rate of auto fatalities, so take extra care on the roads.
 * Crime -- Despite a dropping crime rate, the crime is very high for a city the size of West Palm Beach, it has been rated as the 14th most-dangerous city in the United States, but the areas of high crime are not anywhere near the areas that would be traveled by the everyday tourist.

Go next
The Tiki Bar is a casual bar on the Intracoastal about 2 miles north of West Palm, in Riviera Beach just off US 1. They feature live music 7 days a week. If you go, try the Grouper Tacos, an unforgettable taste treat. One plate serves 2 people.

Heading north about 5 more miles takes you to Blue Heron Blvd. Turn right, and cross the bridge. You'll find yourself on Singer Island, a small beach community that wants to be the next Cocoa Beach. Featuring clean, wide, white sandy beaches, several open-aired beachside restaurants, and a few large surf shops, this is a very relaxing place to get away from the trendy shopping and nightlife of West Palm.

There are a lot of other interesting cities surrounding West Palm, including Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens to the north, Royal Palm Beach to West, Atlantic Ocean to East and Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach to the south.