WPB Living
West Palm Beach, FL

Everything you need to live well in West Palm Beach

Moving here, settling in, or just exploring — WPB Living is your friendly, no-nonsense guide to the city by the Intracoastal. One place for the practical stuff and the fun stuff alike.

New here? Start here Hurricane prep

Save these numbers first

Before anything else, store the four numbers that matter most. They work anywhere in Palm Beach County, day or night.

For storm alerts, evacuation zones and the FPL outage map, see Weather & Hurricane Prep. For police, fire, beach and everyday safety, see Safety & Emergency.

Explore the whole guide

Fourteen in-depth topic pages, grouped four ways. Type below to filter the whole directory by keyword — neighborhoods, taxes, beaches, Brightline, hurricanes, whatever you need.

New Residents

Moving Here

A step-by-step relocation guide: Florida residency, driver license & REAL ID, vehicle registration, voting, the Homestead Exemption, and a 30/60/90-day moving checklist.

  • Two hard 30-day deadlines for your license & vehicle
  • No state income tax + March 1 Homestead deadline
  • Ready-to-use 30 / 60 / 90-day checklist

Neighborhoods

A resident's tour of WPB neighborhoods — walkable Downtown, historic El Cid, SoSo, Northwood and the western gated communities — plus the city-vs-town-vs-county primer.

  • City of WPB vs. Town of Palm Beach vs. county, untangled
  • Profiles of every key district
  • How to pull live value, walkability & flood-zone data

Housing & Cost of Living

Renting vs. buying, property taxes and the Homestead Exemption, the make-or-break role of wind and flood insurance, condo/HOA assessments, and the no-income-tax picture.

  • Insurance is the biggest cost swing for homeowners
  • Homestead caps assessed value — apply by March 1
  • Condo special assessments under SIRS milestone laws

Daily Life

Utilities & City Services

A complete setup guide: electricity (FPL), city-run water and sewer, trash and recycling, gas, internet, permits, business tax, and how to reach City Hall.

  • Set up FPL, City water/sewer, trash, gas & internet
  • Two-cart recycling: yellow for paper, blue for containers
  • Permits, inspections & the annual Business Tax Receipt

Getting Around

Brightline and Tri-Rail, Palm Tran buses, PBI airport, major roads, downtown parking and ParkMobile, the RideWPB shuttle, biking the Lake Trail, rideshare, and boating.

  • Brightline (Miami & Orlando) plus budget Tri-Rail
  • PBI airport just ~2.5 miles west of downtown
  • Pay any meter by phone with ParkMobile

Healthcare

Hospitals and trauma centers, veterans' care, urgent care, sliding-scale community clinics, mental-health crisis lines, and how to find a doctor and buy insurance.

  • 911 emergencies, 211 free help, 988 crisis lifeline
  • Good Samaritan, St. Mary's (Level I Trauma) & HCA JFK
  • Affordable care from FoundCare & C.L. Brumback clinics

Schools & Education

The Palm Beach County school district, attendance boundaries, school choice and magnets, notable schools, charter/private options, colleges, libraries, and free VPK pre-K.

  • One of the largest U.S. districts — 180+ schools
  • Magnets like Dreyfoos & Suncoast; nearby FAU & PBSC
  • Free VPK for every Florida 4-year-old

Explore WPB

Parks, Beaches & Recreation

City parks, the nearest barrier-island ocean beaches, golf, boating, kayaking, dog parks and trails — with links to confirm hours and closures.

  • The city fronts the lagoon; beaches are a quick bridge away
  • Free parking at Ocean Reef Park on Singer Island
  • Okeeheelee Park, Grassy Waters & Dreher Park zoo

Arts, Culture & Attractions

The Norton Museum, Kravis Center, Palm Beach Zoo, Cox Science Center, sculpture gardens, downtown districts, and the Palm Beach island landmarks across the bridge.

  • Free Saturdays at the Norton for WPB residents & veterans
  • Kravis Center: Broadway, opera, ballet & concerts
  • Zoo + planetarium side by side in Dreher Park

Dining & Nightlife

A district-by-district guide — Clematis Street, Rosemary Square, Northwood Village, Antique Row, the waterfront, and Worth Avenue — with tips on season, reservations and getting around.

  • Clematis Street is the downtown nightlife core
  • Free Clematis by Night & the Saturday GreenMarket
  • Plan ahead for season (Nov–April)

Annual Events & Calendar

Season-by-season and month-by-month: weekly staples like Clematis by Night and the GreenMarket, SunFest, July 4th waterfront fireworks, and "Sandi" the holiday sand tree.

  • Free weekly Clematis by Night & GreenMarket
  • Winter "season" peaks with Holiday in Paradise
  • 4th on Flagler — a huge July 4th fireworks show

Stay Safe

Weather & Hurricane Prep

The wet/dry seasons, king tides, evacuation zones, kits, and the full before/during/after storm plan — with official resources to confirm the details.

  • Look up your evacuation & flood zone at ReadyPBC.com
  • By June 1: know your zone, get alerts, build your kit
  • Generator & carbon-monoxide safety rules

Safety & Emergency

The four critical phone numbers, local police and fire contacts, beach and rip-current safety, summer heat, wildlife, storm alerts, and everyday urban safety.

  • Four numbers to save: 911, 211, 988, 1-800-222-1222
  • Read the beach warning flags; escape a rip current
  • Coexist with heat, alligators & snakes

West Palm Beach at a glance

A few evergreen facts to orient newcomers. For anything that changes year to year, every topic page links you to the official source.

About this guide

Independent & community-built

WPB Living is an independent community guide — not affiliated with the City of West Palm Beach or Palm Beach County. We aim to be clear, friendly and accurate, but rules, hours, prices and phone numbers change. Every topic page includes direct links to the official sources so you can confirm the latest details before you act.