REMEMBER WEST PALM? 10 GREAT THINGS TO DO
Those of us who’ve lived in West Palm Beach for a while think we know all there is to know about our town. We remember the old Carefree Theatre and the H&F Davis Five & Dime and the little daycare at the top of the hill where CityPlace now stands.
Knowing our way around is good. Great, even. But sometimes familiarity can breed passiveness. Laziness, even.
When’s the last time you jumped in the car and went and looked at the manatees at the power plant?
How about happy hour downtown?
And the Norton Museum of Art might look like it’s closed for renovations, but it’s not.
So we’ve polled some old-timers and come up with a list of 10 Really Great Things To Do in West Palm Beach this new year. And, yes. You’re welcome.
A (free) walk along Flagler
Of course, you’re familiar with the sidewalk along Flagler Drive, that lovely stretch along the Intracoastal Waterway from the south end of West Palm Beach to the
north end. You’ve been to SunFest, right? You know how great it is to snag a seat along the water, plop yourself on the seawall and enjoy a cocktail while you’re people-watching.
But here’s the deal: Flagler Drive is even better in the off times of year, when it’s not busy. Indeed, it’s a favorite among city locals, who use that wider-thannormal walkway to run, rollerblade, stroll, speed walk, bike, push a baby carriage, scooter, skateboard. And it’s been popular since our forefather’s time.
“They did have an early iteration of SunFest down there,” says city historic preservation planner Friederike Mittner, explaining that back then the celebration was more about Native American rituals than newage bands and rum drinks.
They also had a beautiful waterfront reading room, she said.
All these years later, the waterfront is still beautiful. It’s still free. And depending when you go, you’ll always be treated to something Florida. The light from a sunrise, sunset reflections, big boats, the occasional dolphin, a crazy rainstorm, an amazing view of Palm Beach.
And, yes, at the south end of Flagler Drive you can take a gander of the back side of the so-called Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago — another one for the history books.
Inspiration at Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County
559 N. Military Trail, 562233-1757; mounts.org
Plant lovers are a special gang, what with their floppy hats and SPF30 and rubber gardening clogs. But even if your thumb is, shall we say, the color of mud, a twohour visit to Mounts Botanical Garden can offer some serious inspiration.
Sure! You can grow begonias, plant some lettuces and create a “garden of well being” back in the corner of the yard by the garage.
Mounts, you see, is for dreamers.
We really cannot understate the magnificence growing in the 23 gardens of these 14 acres. Named after Marvin “Red” Mounts, the county extension agent from 1925 to 1965, the garden first sprouted fruit trees in the 1950s to help local families deal with vitamin deficiencies. But talk about growth. Today Mounts has cooking classes, book discussions, senior yoga. And if you have a plant that looks sad, you can even dial in for some help. Call 561-2331750 with your gardening questions.
A stroll through the Norton Museum of Art
1451 S. Olive Ave.; 561-8325196, norton.org
Sure our city’s magnificent art museum looks kind of down in the dumps right now. It’s going through a remodeling and an expansion. How would you feel if you were all torn up, for all to see? But the thing is, until the project is completed — probably the spring of 2019 — admission to the Norton Museum of Art is free.
Yes, free.
Remodeling a big art museum is no small task. Can you imagine? But the folks at the Norton have squeezed 66,000 square feet of exhibits into roughly 32,000 square feet of temporary space. And all that mess has Norton administrators thinking outside the box. They’ve added more classes and spruced up the outside gardens. And the Art After Dark program, a weekly event with gallery talks, special lectures, art workshops, live music and even a happy hour, is still going strong. Indeed, the word on the street is it’s a tad more intimate now.
Bocce ball and Frisbee at Meyer Amphitheatre
105 Evernia St.; Call 561822-1515 to make sure nothing’s booked when you go
Everyone local knows this is the best stage for SunFest, and we get excited when there’s somebody good scheduled there. But Meyer Amphitheatre — in the heart of downtown at the corner of Evernia Street and Flagler Drive — can actually be a quiet little respite, even when it’s a tad busy out there on Flagler Drive. Why?
Well, it’s built as a bit of a bowl, with embankments all around the perimeter. If you don’t know, there’s soft grass on the other side of “them thar hills,” you don’t know it’s a great place to spread a blanket, have a snack, let the kids run — and roll down a hill.
(City Events Manager Mary Pinak thinks the lawn there is Palmetto grass, a little softer than the regular crunchy St. Augustine.)
Meyer Amphitheatre is often the starting spot for things like festivals and 5Ks, and you don’t want to run into that if you’re wanting something quiet. But if you check the city’s schedule before you go, you’ll be able to find off-days where you just might have the place to yourself.
And thank you, city groundsmen, for keeping this sweet spot so beautiful. Seriously. Thank you.
A fresh look at Antique Row
3000 Block of South Dixie Highway; westpalmbeachantiques.com
How many times have you driven by all those wonderful stores along Dixie Highway, just north of Southern Boulevard, and gawked at something in the window from your seat in stand-still traffic?
Well, enough already. Choose a weekend, gather up your posse, and spend an afternoon checking out the many marvels of our very own Antique Row.
It’s world-famous, you know.
A stretch of some 40 shops along the 3000 block of Dixie Highway, this district is the go-to spot for decorators, especially decorators working on homes in Palm Beach.
“A spectacular gem,” said one New York Times writer, about our special shopping district.
But let’s do some truth talking. Antique Row can be intimidating, right? After all, who is really looking for a carved wood and brass mantelpiece signed by Louis Comfort Tiffany? Or a gilt wood console with Carrara marble?
It’s time, dear locals, to get over that. The shops here are full — FULL — of treasures, small and large. One day, not that long ago, we found some beautiful pillow cases with delicate embroidery, a pair of hand-painted clip earrings, and a porcelain ballerina lamp that we’re pretty sure once belonged to Caroline Kennedy. At least that’s what we’re telling our house guests.
Finding nature at Grassy Waters Preserve Nature Center
8264 Northlake Blvd.; 561804-4985, wpb.org/grassywaters
If you love archaeology and history and nature and Florida, you should study up, just a bit, on Grassy Waters. Known previously as the Water Catchment Area — because it “catches” water and holds it for use in the city’s water supply — Grassy Waters’ history is a fascinating mashup of wetlands, uplands, saltwater meeting freshwater and even underground reefs. (One was known as the “coral necklace.”)
But for everyday people like us, this is all there is to know when you drag the family from Jersey there: You need bug spray, and you’ll leave with some amazing photos.
Wooden boardwalks pave the way, so to speak, through these 23 acres. Eagle eyes are a must if you want to see anything good. Like what? Alligators, pig frogs, apple snails, great blue herons, anhingas, snail kites, red shouldered hawks, bobcats, feral hogs, oak toads, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, coyotes, woodpeckers, snowy egrets, glossy ibis, great horned owls, armadillos, great blue herons — all those species still live there, although in decreasing numbers. Indeed, this is old Florida, but with an iPhone to capture the beauty.
The view from the top, at Restoration Hardware
560 Okeechobee Blvd.; 561804-6826, restorationhardware.com
OK. Don’t hate us for including a business in our 10 great things to do in West Palm Beach. But have you seen this building, seemingly plopped in the middle of the road just to the south of the CityPlace garage on Okeechobee?
It is spectacular.
The new Restoration Hardware is 80,000 square feet, compared to the old one in CityPlace proper that was more like 16,000 square feet. There are some weird differences, like there’s no more fun tchotchkes for sale at the register. You definitely will not be buying a vintage-like car bingo game at this store. But the cool thing for the everywoman — and man — is the rooftop restaurant with an amazing view of the city.
Make your way up there, past all the rooms that look like Manhattan apartments, and have yourself a beer or some bubbly. And, get this. The folks at Restoration Hardware say we should feel free to waltz through the store, cocktail in hand. For that, we’ll give up the tchotchkes.