Worth Avenue, Palm Beach

Palm Beach, FL Print   Leave a comment

Description

Note: If you come at sunset or at night, bring mosquito spray, because all this beautiful landscaping is not without a price!
Worth is the right name for this avenue because everything sold in the shops here is WORTH thousands. If you can get past the inequality and the women with tiny plastic-surgery noses, this is a gorgeous place to stroll along. At the 300 block the arches you stroll under look like a cathedral's arches! Little alleyways (paseos) off the main street are the true delight here. There are an abundance of them and each is unique. Flowers hang from baskets, Spanish archways add texture to the backdrop, fountains bubble up around sculptures, wooden balconies jut out in the bright sun. And tropical palms reach for the sky in the midst of it all. This is Santa Barbara, California but in the tropics!
Historical tours depart from the Gucci courtyard (256 Worth Ave) at 11am Wednesdays from late November (Nov 25, 2015) to late April (Apr 27,2016) for a cost of $10.
Worth Avenue leads down to the ocean where it meets Ocean Blvd. Here, a fancy white archway where the pier used to be provides shade so you can stand and look out at the incredible color of the water. What bliss! A promenade leads along the ocean both south and north.
The Gucci courtyard has sculptures of children climbing, reading, or standing under an umbrella (drops of rain included). Here there are colorful flowers galore.
There are some very romantic spots to eat lunch with your spouse in the adorable courtyards on Worth Avenue. Some are so lovely, such as Via Parigi, with Il Papiro paper shop, Blue Caribe Gems, and the amazing art gallery, John H. Surovek Gallery. 
Outside Tiffany & Co, check out the gorgeous Christmas tree in December, or the pale purple flowering trees in February and March. Here there is a long rectangular pool with lily pads. A gazebo with a bench stands at the end- it's a nice place to take in the lovely scene.
After April, when the "season" is over and many of the store owners flee to stores they own in the Hamptons and other east coast get-aways, things become quiet here.
Also check out Memorial Fountain Plaza, a European-style plaza which is two blocks from Worth Ave. 
At the eastern end of Worth Avenue is the most glorious beach called Midtown Beach with a salmon-pink wave wall with white trim and a walking path that goes for miles along the shore.
Flagler's mansion is a wonderful place to gain some history of the area and see the true opulence that is Palm Beach.
On the western end of Worth Ave, at 400 Worth Ave, there is a stretch of grass with the prettiest intracoastal views, in a curved spot on the water. Continue west to S. Lake Drive to see a row of huge banyan trees that look like Hawaii! The side streets here, that lead between S. Lake Drive and S. Ocean Blvd, are filled with coconut trees, huge glamorous hedges, bougainvillea, ornate gates, and gardens (Brazilian Ave, Chilean Ave). Peruvian Ave, another side street, which runs behind Worth Ave, has some sweet cafes and architecture. There is so much exploring to be done on Palm Beach Island!
Another great shopping center on the island is Via Flagler shops on Royal Poinciana Way.

Photo Gallery

Blissful day in May at Worth Avenue.	Coconut trees and blue sky at Worth Avenue.	Spanish architecture.
Statue of girl feeding a fish to a dolphin, in Gucci Courtyard.	Statue of boy climbing over the wall, in Gucci Courtyard.	Amazing vertical garden, at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Worth Avenue leads east to Ocean Blvd and a gorgeous promenade beside the sea!	The clocktower at the beach end of Worth Ave.	Purple flowers in a planter on Worth Ave.
The arches at Worth Ave.	The romantic arches.	Spanish building on Peruvian Ave.
Details on Spanish building.	Via Parigi.	Spanish architecture and canary palms.
Wonderful Spanish balconies.	Alley with shops.	Skinny palms in alley.
Ceramic tiled stairs.	Festive arches.	Gorgeous archway and ironwork gate...one of my favorite photos of Worth Ave.
A paradise of arches...	Stained glass windows and palms, at the Everglades Club, a secret social club that doesn't allow cell phones and has no sign or website.	Bell tower.
See the ironwork lamps, wooden ceiling, and painting on the wall.	Wonderful, chunky archway.	Tiled stairs that curve around just perfectly.
Spanish architecture bliss.	Gorgeous combination of tiled fountain, small palm, wooden table set, and striped umbrella.	Archway and sky.
Heavenly courtyard.	Monkey, leaves, and flower details on copper work.	Palm and gothic windows.
Statue in pale blue courtyard.	Salmon stairs and flowers.	Striped awnings as you near the beach.
Palms galore as you reach the beach.	Colorful tiled stairs and decorated column.	Garden in courtyard on Worth Ave.
Lovely cafe in Gucci courtyard.	Sculpture of child climbing a ladder.	Sculpture with children under umbrella.
Incredibly cute building.	Long view of arches.	Curlicue gate.
Yellow awning and Spanish balcony.	Golden-striped alley at Worth Avenue.	Beautiful wave wall at the end of Worth Ave.
Spiky plants, blue-green ocean, and white wave wall at the end of Worth Ave.

Directions

Exit Highway 95 at Okeechobee Blvd and head toward the ocean. You will pass over a two bridges and then you are on the island. Turn right on Cocoanut Row and once you get nearer to Worth Ave you can park for free along the road on Cocoanut Row. 
If you turn left on Peruvian Ave, you can park along the road on Peruvian Ave, though you must pay at the meters with your credit card. Parking costs $2 for the first hour and $1 for each half hour after that.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Overall Visitor Rating:

Shannon 12/14/2016 05:18	I'll be there in two days!!
Editor 06/24/2016 00:58	Sorry, I don't know!
Rebecca 06/23/2016 16:38	What is the name of that amazing boat store at the end of Worth street by the ocean?