West Palm Beach

Long considered Palm Beach's less privileged stepsister, West Palm Beach has come into its own over the past 30 years, and just in this millennium the $30 million Centennial Square waterfront complex at the eastern end of Clematis Street, with piers, a pavilion, and an amphitheater, has transformed West Palm into an attractive, easy-to-walk downtown area—not to mention there's the Downtown Trolley that connects the shopping-and-entertainment mecca CityPlace with restaurant-and-lounge-lined Clematis Street. West Palm is especially well regarded for its arts scene, with unique museums and performance venues.