West Palm Beach Neighborhoods: A Guide
What comes to mind when you think of West Palm Beach? Golf? Dining? Vacation? The neighborhoods of West Palm Beach have changed significantly over the past few years alone. Entire new parts of the city have been developed, and some of the neighborhoods in West Palm have gotten makeovers. Yet some neighborhoods have remained quite unchanged. If you're thinking about moving to West Palm Beach, or even if you're just trying to figure out which part of the city to book your vacation rental, then here's an insider's guide to the various West Palm Beach neighborhoods!
West Palm Beach has dozens of Neighborhoods and Communities
Today we won't dive into each and every subdivision, gated community, or 'development'. For our purposes here, we're going to break down the West Palm Beach Neighborhoods into a few areas, describe the general vibe/atmosphere/real estate situation, and then you can take a deeper dive into each subdivision in our listings pages when you're ready.
Popular West Palm Beach Neighborhoods
Some of the most populous and popular West Palm Beach neighborhoods near the Intracoastal are:
Downtown/City Place
- Atmosphere/Vibe: if you want to be near the action, this is where you want to live. Walk to some of the best restaurants and nightlife destinations, the Green Market, the Intracoastal, or even across the bridges to the beach.
- Real Estate: From beautiful waterfront condos to modern apartment buildings, 55+ complexes, and some single-family homes in 'Progressive Northwest'
Pineapple Park/Flamingo Park/Sunshine Park
- Atmosphere/Vibe: Quieter, but for those who value being just a quick ride from downtown.
- Real Estate: Mostly single-family homes, popular with young families or for your winter retreat.
El Cid
- Atmosphere/Vibe: Also quieter and close to downtown, but also close to the Intracoastal!
- Real Estate: Some fantastic waterfront villas, and many charming single-family homes.
Northwood Shores/Historic District
- Atmosphere/Vibe: Similar to the neighborhoods just south of downtown. Known for its artsy side, with Northwood Village being a mini cultural hub.
- Real Estate: Waterfront condos line North Flagler Drive, and then mostly cross streets full of single-family homes.
Some of the most popular outer neighborhoods in West Palm Beach are:
Ibis
- Atmosphere/Vibe: Club community. Golf, pickleball, tennis, you name it. The people who live here rave about it.
- Real Estate: There are 33 sub-communities within this West Palm Beach neighborhood. So many waterfront options! Some (relatively speaking) large plots of land for a golf club community
Palm Beach Lakes/Villages of Palm Beach Lakes
- Atmosphere/Vibe: A diverse array of communities, many of which are gated. Close to the Outlets, I-95, and Okeechobee Boulevard, so perfect for a quicker commute to other places in the area.
- Real Estate: Pretty much everything. From single-family golf course homes to smaller condos and townhouses, most people could find something to love here.
Riverwalk
- Atmosphere/Vibe: Quiet, luxury waterfront living with its own 'Town Center'. Okeechobee Boulevard to the south, and a large natural preserve to the north!
- Real Estate: Almost exclusively waterfront single-family homes. A few aren't directly on the water, and there are a couple of townhouses.
Ironhorse
- Atmosphere/Vibe: A self-described 'family-friendly club with a youthful vibe and activities to entertain all ages and skill levels.'
- Real Estate: Houses with a typical square footage of over 2,000. Some with more than 5,000.
'Soso' (South of Southern Boulevard)
- Atmosphere/Vibe: Route 1 has a string of shops and restaurants that are perfect neighborhood spots. 'Southwest', 'Southend', 'Southside', and 'Parker Ridge' are the main neighborhoods. They're similar to the areas just to the north, but with a newer feel. Many of these homes have been renovated or completely rebuilt!
- Real Estate: Single-family homes that tend to be a little larger and more modern than those in Pineapple/Flamingo/Sunshine Park.
West Palm Beach's city limits make for an odd shape
Here's a screenshot of the map, with the border outlined:
As you can see, West Palm Beach extends from State Route 7 (441) in the west, to the Intracoastal Waterway in the east, and from the Bee Line Highway/Northlake Boulevard in the north to the canal just below The Park West Palm in the south. However, when people talk about West Palm Beach, they might include some other areas, such as many of the neighborhoods between Forrest Hill Boulevard and Okeechobee Boulevard.
Here's a better visualization of that area:
Of course, depending on who you're talking to, and where they're from, some people refer to almost all of Palm Beach County as "West Palm" or "the West Palm Beach area". That could be anywhere in this area:
Like with any city, you can get more specific if the person you're talking to actually knows the area. For instance, if you tell someone from a different state that you live in "The Villages of Palm Beach Lakes", they might have no idea where that is, but most people generally know "West Palm Beach".
Here's a more inclusive outline of the neighborhoods that people might mean when they say they live in West Palm Beach:
Explore the Neighborhoods of West Palm Beach for Yourself!
A tremendous amount of people have fallen in love with West Palm Beach over the past few years. It's a fast-growing city that is attracting people from all over. If you're thinking about moving to one of these West Palm Beach neighborhoods, we always recommend talking with some of the locals first. Our agents that specialize in these areas can be a great wealth of knowledge for you. But if you really want to get to know a place, plan a day trip, weekend, or vacation there. Stay in a vacation rental or nearby hotel, go to the local restaurants, play a round of golf at a nearby course, or find a community event, and just talk with people.
Everyone wants the perfect home, and everyone's definition of perfect is different. What one person loves, another person won't. The good news for you is that within just a twenty-minute drive of the West Palm Beach neighborhoods, you'll find so many different kinds of places. It is one of those cities that really could have 'something for everyone'.
Browse the currently available West Palm Beach homes for sale!
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