Get in

By plane
West Palm Beach is served by Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), a small, yet highly adequate airport. While both the Miami and the Ft. Lauderdale airports are busy, PBI is easy to get in and out of, and is about 5 minutes from downtown West Palm Beach. Travelers flying into South Florida or the Bahamas should strongly consider PBI.

By train
Amtrak has a stop in the southern part of the county (about 12 miles away), and the Tri-Rail runs between Miami and West Palm.

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

By bus
PalmTran runs throughout Palm Beach County. At the corner of Quadrille and Clematis you will find a popular hub, connecting many different routes

Attractions

There are entire guidebooks dedicated to covering Palm Beach County. Here is just a short list:
 • Flagler Museum, on the island of Palm Beach, features the restored home of Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil, and the man who conceived of Florida as a tourist destination. Tour his home ($10 per person) and have high tea ($28 per person).
 • Norton Art Museum, in downtown West Palm, has been newly renovated and has become a piece of art itself. Located on Dixie Hwy, about a quarter of a mile from Okeechobee Blvd. Open 7 days. Forgot the price, but no more than $10 (I think). Go check it out.

Shopping

Shopping is a popular activity in West Palm, particularly considering the weather is so mild year-round. There are a number of places to shop, including:
 • CityPlace, two recently-renovated blocks in downtown West Palm that now features dozens of high-end shops, including Brookstone; Pottery Barn; White House, Black Market; Macy's; and more.
 • Clematis Street, runs perpendicular to CityPlace, and is the older, trendy shopping district, featuring Ann Taylor and several unique, eclectic shops.
 • South Dixie Road provides several blocks of second-hand shops, from thrift stores to high-end antiques.

Dining

Budget
 • Pizza Girls -- gourmet pies, or pizza by the slice
 • Tony's Place -- good Cuban food, cheap

Mid-range
 • Rhythm Cafe -- outstanding food -- the menu changes regularly -- in an eclectic setting
 • ER Bradley's Saloon -- bar food in sight of the Intracoastal
 • India Palace -- great Indian food
 • Brewzzi -- local microbrewery cooks up excellent meals
 • TooJay's -- ny style deli just over the bridge in palm beach

Splurge
 • Legal Seafoods -- excellent seafood and service
 • Blue Martini -- well-made drinks and live music on the weekends

Sweets
 • Bacio is a gelateria in CityPlace that boasts some of the best sweets in West Palm. As an added bonus, it's lower in fat than traditional ice cream!

Drink

 • Clematis by Night, sponsored by the City of West Palm, is a lively event each Thursday on Clematis Street. 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. Imagine: drinking and doing good!
 • O'Shea's Pub is a traditional Irish pub with a great beer garden on Clematis.
 • The Blue Martini, an upscale martini bar (martinis run about $15 apiece), featuring al fresco and a weekend jazz band, dining in CityPlace.
 • Paradise Bar and Grill, on Clematis, features cheap pitchers and live bands on weekends.

Lodging

Mid-range
Hotel Biba is a funky, sea-foam-colored hotel with colorful, ultra-modern decor. Located about 3 miles south of Clematis Street, Hotel Biba bills itself as "a 43-room historic landmark boutique hotel." The hotel features Biba Bar, a hip nightclub featuring live music on the weekends. For more information, contact: 561.832.0094