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Get to know Palm Beach

Palm Beach is an exceptional place, and it really could not have been any other way. The area we know today was founded as a Gilded Age-era resort by oil magnate Henry Morrison Flagler at the turn of the 20th century. Beneath swaying palm trees, Flagler built his fabulous Beaux-Arts mansion — now the eponymous museum — along with extravagant hotels, and the world followed him there. Since the very start, Palm Beach has defined timeless elegance. Literally and metaphorically, it’s an island: Bridges may now connect Palm Beach to the mainland, but it remains a place set apart. It’s a world unto itself, a town with global tastes and a value for the finer things in life. From its spectacular residences to its immaculate parks, every aspect of the island fits the dictionary definition of magnificence.

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Palm Beach History & Culture

Over a century after its founding, Palm Beach still captures the imagination and inspires passion. The community is global, as residents find themselves part of a tree with branches extending to Manhattan, London, Capri, and elsewhere. You never know what kinds of conversations you’ll catch over a tennis match, beside a turquoise pool, or at a philanthropic gala. However, simple pleasures take hold as well. Walks along beaches and pathways are a daily activity for most, and arts festivals and concerts — as well as boat and auto shows — take place throughout the year. While tourists come to take in the magnificent architecture and spectacular weather, residents of Palm Beach know it as a friendly beach town. They are quick to give a wave to their neighbors across a crowded restaurant floor, on the sidewalks of Worth Avenue, or from private dock to private dock.

Palm Beach Dining & Shopping

Shopping isn’t so much a pastime in Palm Beach as it is a full-fledged adventure. Worth Avenue is a four-block stretch that rivals the world’s best in its caliber of retailers, with all the premier label names rendered in brass on their respective doorframes. Restaurants helmed by some of the world’s greatest chefs are a mainstay of social life on the island, and you can expect to find fresh twists on timeless classics, seafood by the seaside, and delectable comfort food all on the menu. Elegant dining rooms are packed every night of the week with people recognizable by name, if not immediately by sight. During the day, the café crowd soaks in the sun and ocean breezes, reveling in an endless meal that starts with brunch and continues until much later in the day, a time you'd probably call “after work" if such a concept existed here.