Ever since I started falling in love with Lilly Pulitzer, years ago, Palm Beach has been one of the destinations at the top of my US travel list. Lilly Pulitzer started her brand in Palm Beach 60 years ago, and to this day, the island is still is covered in Lilly Pulitzer! I finally had the opportunity to go, and I jumped at it.
WHAT TO DO
WORTH AVENUE
Driving down Worth Avenue for the first time was like something out of the movie. My initial reaction is that it’s like a combination of Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side and Rodeo Drive in LA, stuck down in the South and much, much calmer. Even at 2pm on Saturday, I wasn’t fighting crowds or trying to push past slow tourists. Even better, two hour parking is free on Worth Avenue, and no, it doesn’t fill up immediately. I definitely recommend walking vs. driving down Worth Ave. It’s not that long and is so scenic! Worth Avenue boasts everything from quirky, 60’s inspired lighting stores that Dorothy Draper herself would be jealous of, to high end favorites such as Intermix, Vineyard Vines, and Gucci. Even the exteriors of shops and boutiques are photo-worthy, with purple flowers trellising the exterior of Ralph Lauren and a resort white Tory Burch store.
TOP | SKIRT
TOP | SKORT | DRESS
SHOES
FLAGLER MUSEUM
1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, FL 33480
A true tribute to the gilded age, the Flagler Museum is beautiful at every turn. The museum is also known as Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s former mansion. The mansion boasts 75 rooms, with contents so precious that the house was built with a central heating system that took moisture out of the air to preserve the house. The museum is closed on Mondays, open from 10-5 Tuesday-Saturday, and 12-5 on Sundays.
LILLY PULITZER
240 Worth Ave, Palm Beach, FL 33480
While every Lilly Pulitzer store is unique, the new location on Worth Avenue truly is a must-go for any Lilly Lover. The Worth Avenue location boasts store features unique to the location. A custom shift bar is central to the location, where Lilly Pulitzer fans can customize their own iconic Lilly Pulitzer shift in one of four Worth Avenue-exclusive Lilly Pulitzer prints. This store is complete with a paint station for Lilly Pulitzer print designers, and a full bar for store special events. The Worth Avenue store is expansive and also offers lounge areas for friends and families of Lilly shoppers. Behind the store, Café Flora’s patio is covered in Lilly Pulitzer tablecloths, if you’re looking for a Lilly-filled bite after shopping.
THE BEACH
193 N Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL 33480
399 N Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Just like the name suggests, Palm Beach is full of well, beach. Although most of the shoreline on Palm Beach is private, there is public beach access at 193 N Ocean Blvd and 399 N Ocean Blvd. What’s so lovely about the beach on the island is that because most of the beach is private and the town itself moves slowly, the beaches don’t get overcrowded or loud. If you’re looking for a beach where you can relax and unwind without distraction, this is one of the best.
CLASSIC COLLECTIONS
118 N County Rd, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Years ago, when my Palm Beach interest was first piqued, I heard through the Lilly Pulitzer grapevine of a small vintage store on Palm Beach Island called Groovy Palm Beach Vintage. According to the store’s Pucci-clad visitors, Groovy Palm Beach Vintage was delightfully crowded and eccentric in the best way possible, boasting rare vintage finds from Lilly Pulitzer to Pucci to Prada and back again. Unfortunately, when I went to the store’s former location, I found that it had been replaced by an art gallery. Some accidents are happy accidents, however, because just at the corner I discovered Classic Collections of Palm Beach. Classic Collections has beautiful vintage designer prices at reasonable prices. The store had a large selection of Chanel, as well as miscellaneous pieces from Louboutin, Prada, Jason Wu, Pucci, and so many others. My favorite part of the store was the vintage evening gown selection. Even more surprisingly, the store was running a 50% off sale while I was there.
WANDER THE VIAS
Perhaps one of my favorite things about this island is the sense of whimsy and wanderlust it has. What may be considered alleyways in any other city, are flower covered vias in Palm Beach, leading to shopping, courtyards, and restaurants.
TOP | SKIRT
THE SKINNY DIP
100 N County Rd, Palm Beach, FL 33480
No, not that type of skinny dip. Come here for the clothing, stay for the gossip. I had stumbled across The Skinny Dip years ago on Instagram when some of my favorite bloggers such as the king and queen of prep themselves, Kiel James Patrick and Sarah Vickers, Abby of Belle of the Ball, and others began posting it. I had completely forgotten that they had a location on Palm Beach Island until my quest to find Groovy Palm Beach vintage brought me just next to it. I stopped inside and basically had to refrain myself from buying everything {Lisi Lerch is my weakness}. The Skinny Dip has a great selection of resort-ready designer, but what’s even better are their friendly, down-to-earth sales associates. These ladies were filled with some amazing recommendations on the best shopping, restaurants, and things to do in town. An unexpected stop made for a boutique that I will definitely be making a point to go back to on my next trip.
ROSEMARY SQUARE
700 S Rosemary Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Formerly known as CityPlace, the newly rebranded and remodeled Rosemary Square makes for a great central area in West Palm Beach. Although the shopping isn’t much out of the ordinary from your normal chain mall, Rosemary Square excels in offering a wide variety of high quality restaurants for every price point. One of my favorite parts was how picturesque the whole place was from the tiled staircases to beautiful fountain.
GRANDVIEW PUBLIC MARKET
6909, 1401 Clare Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Grandview Public Market is a relatively new, year round indoor public market in West Palm Beach. The market features local food vendors with a street food vibe to them, and an eclectic sampling of boutiques featuring local artists and designers. The space has something of a warehouse feel to it, save for a few trendy lounge style seating areas.
WHERE TO EAT
GALLEY
600 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
When asking locals about where to go, Galley was one of their first recommendations out of their mouths. After spending a Friday night there, I can see why. My meal was not only fantastic, but I was treated to live music from the Jam Band as well. If you’re not in the mood for a full meal but still want to enjoy the live music on Fridays, Galley has an Instagram-worthy lounge area that’s perfect for enjoying a cocktail, as well. See more of Galley by clicking here.
BŪCCAN
350 S County Rd, Palm Beach, FL 33480
One of the trendiest restaurants on Palm Beach Island at the moment, Būccan attracts a young, stylish crowd to dine on their fresh, small plate, American dishes. Despite being in the opulence of Palm Beach, Būccan remains warm and welcoming, presenting traditionally casual dishes in a sophisticated, elegant manner. It’s modern, trendy and full of flavor and life, making it a must-go when in the area.
RESTORATION HARDWARE
560 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Never did I ever think that I’d see the day I’d be recommending a Restoration Hardware store as a chic, modern eatery. That being said, the Restoration Hardware Rooftop Restaurant and Bar located at their WestPalm flagship gallery is truly beautiful. Delicious bites are balanced with a light filled dining room, complete with black and white French marble and a wine vault. Despite having a bar and wine vault, Restoration Hardware’s rooftop does close by 8pm as it can only be accessed through the gallery. Side note: who do I contact re: just living in this store because it’s so. freaking. beautiful. 😍
WHERE TO STAY
HILTON WEST PALM BEACH
600 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
The Hilton West Palm Beach is truly a gem, in terms of hotels. This hotel may have one of the convenient locations of any hotel I’ve stayed at. Located just across the street from Rosemary Place and only a seven minute drive to Worth Avenue, the Hilton West Palm Beach makes getting around the Palm Beaches easy. I stayed in the Queen Junior Suite which was was expansive. My suite had a great view of the picturesque pool, which I definitely spent a good few hours lounging by. For me, service is what makes or breaks a hotel. The staff here could not have been friendlier or more helpful, making this hotel a must. Read my full review on the Hilton West Palm Beach by clicking here.
TRANSPORTATION
Before leaving on my trip, I asked several locals how they would recommend getting around Palm Beach, and the answer was overwhelmingly, renting a car. After traveling to the Palm Beaches, I have to admit that I agree. If you’re staying strictly on Palm Beach Island itself, I might advise against a car as things on the island tend to only be a couple miles apart, which is an inexpensive Uber or a quick bike ride {I highly recommend biking on Palm Beach Island, it’s scenic and there’s tons of bike friendly areas}! If you’re interested in exploring both Palm Beach Island and West Palm Beach, a car is definitely necessary, or you’ll likely end up spending more on Uber than the price of a car rental and parking. My favorite rideshare apps available in the Palm Beach area are Uber and Lyft. To receive a discount on your first three Uber rides, click on this link or use code evap1241ue. Receive a $10 Lyft credit when you sign up using the code EVA07711 or by clicking on this link.
SAFETY
I’m going to divide safety into two categories, the island and the mainland, because they’re definitely different.
The island itself is easily one of the safest places I’ve ever traveled. Not once did I feel even slightly in danger or scared, even at night. Everyone I encountered was incredibly helpful, respectful, and well mannered. If you’re traveling solo in the States, this could not be a safer destination to go to. I saw a total of exactly two police cars over the three days I was there, I never once saw anyone in them, and they stayed in the exact same location the entire duration of the three days. Most of the crime that takes place on PBI is property crime.
The mainland, West Palm Beach, is definitely still very up and coming. The central/downtown area where the Hilton, Restoration Hardware, and Rosemary Place are is very clean and safe from my experience. When you start to leave that central area and head towards Grandview Public Market and Antique Row on Dixie Highway, it becomes a little sketchier. Antique Row didn’t make this guide for the reason that 1. I didn’t find it to be entirely unique and 2. When mentioning it to locals, I got a similar reaction from all of them that the Dixie Highway area where Antique Row sits should be avoided after dark as it does get shady. These areas are no more dangerous than any other location during the day, I would just give second thought to visiting them past dark.
SWIMSUIT {only $12!}
xx,
E
Thank you to the Hilton West Palm Beach for allowing me to stay there for two nights. All opinions, as always, are my own. I truly did enjoy my stay there.
LILLY PULITZER FAVORITES
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