OVER THE BRIDGE AND THROUGH THE PALMS

WHAT’S HOT IN SISTER CITY

WEST PALM BEACH BY SKYE SHERMAN

West Palm Beach is on the rise — a steady but rapid rise. Palm Beach will forever be a billionaire’s hideout, but the ritzy island wouldn’t be the hotspot it is without the city of West Palm Beach just over the bridge.

A town first founded to house the workers bringing Henry Flagler’s vision of a world-class resort destination to life, West Palm Beach today is a destination in its own right with top-notch galleries, restaurants, arts and culture programs, entertainment, and more. With talk of the downtown core blossoming into Wall Street of the South, it’s time to take another look at the city you thought you knew.

If you’ve been to West Palm Beach but not within the last decade, you haven’t been to West Palm Beach. The city has transformed at the influx of billions of development dollars in the form of Class-A office and luxury residential towers along the waterfront and in the heart of downtown. And it’s not done yet: One developer has $1 billion in the development pipeline in West Palm Beach alone.

Plus, with the arrival of New York institutions from Sant Ambroeus to Harry’s, the city’s recently migrated population of young professionals and seasoned bankers feel right at home — albeit with no threat of snow, sleet, or subway. And yes, there are fi guys a’plenty: various funds and firms have made the move to West Palm seeking a better tax climate (and better climate overall).

While the award-winning 20-story 360 Rosemary office building already made its debut in The Square, it was only the first of its kind. One Flagler is under construction on the waterfront, the first building in what is poised to evolve into a business district along Flagler Drive. Also in The Square, Related Companies has 515 Fern (planned to be the largest office building downtown), two mixed-use towers, and 575 Rosemary (luxury rental, retail, and offices) underway.

Jeff Greene is building One West Palm toward downtown’s northern end while Charles Cohen is soon to break ground on West Palm Point, an office tower meant to serve as a landmark gateway into downtown. The workforce moving into these architectural wonders will be housed in any number of luxury towers popping up in the city, from La Clara to Alba Palm Beach.

Home sales are setting record after record as the downtown densifies and the population expands by the day. While the 2020 pandemic accelerated its growth, West Palm Beach has long been a desirable destination — with or without neighboring Palm Beach.