20 apartments for rent in Renaissance, West Palm Beach, FL

West Palm Beach Apartments For Rent

White sand beaches stretch along the teal water frosted with white peaks.  Palm trees line the roads and luxury yachts fill riverside marinas. A Rolls Royce with a driver and tinted windows cruises along a quiet street followed by a one-of-a-kind Roadster and a Jeep with a surfboard strapped to the roof. This is West Palm Beach, and it isn’t like any other city in Florida. This slice of paradise is located on the East Coast, about an hour north of Miami. But where Miami is the wild, exciting, party city, West Palm Beach is its serene, ritzy, sophisticated neighbor.

If you want to live in a tropical getaway, a West Palm Beach apartment is perfect. While there are tourists here, West Palm Beach is more known for its sun-warmed beaches, its art, its shopping, and its gorgeous downtown. West Palm Beach is the oldest city in South Florida, incorporated in 1894. The city features several historic districts and beautiful architecture. When searching for your apartment, be sure to cruise through Grandview Heights (one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods) and Mango Promenade (a historic district just south of Palm Beach Atlantic University) to marvel at the luxury hotels, craftsman-style bungalows, and Mediterranean revival-style homes.

Things to Do in West Palm Beach:

Of course, many of the things to do in West Palm Beach involve sand and surf – swimming, beachcombing, surfing, sailing, paddle-boarding, catamaran sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, fishing, boating, and sunbathing. But West Palm Beach isn’t just about fun in the sun – it has a vibrant downtown, great shopping, and exciting nightlife.

Downtown West Palm Beach has several retail and entertainment districts. City Place is a terrific destination. The open-air plaza includes a lighted show fountain and there are several shops, restaurants, a theater, and sidewalk cafes to enjoy. Clematis Street is filled with bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues – picture palm trees and flashing neon.  Antique Row delivers exactly that – a terrific area filled with antique stores, home design shops, and vintage boutiques. The Arts and Entertainment District houses museums, theaters, art galleries, the Palm Beach County Convention Center, and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Northwood Village is a self-contained area just north of downtown. The village features funky boutiques, ethnic restaurants, and vintage shops. Northwood Village hosts an Art and Wine Promenade, held on the last Friday of every month. The award-winning event includes wine tastings, street artists, and live entertainment.

While looking for your apartment for rent in West Palm Beach, stop by the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens and admire the beauty of the botanical gardens and unique sculptures. Or visit the Flagler Museum – the building, Whitehall, is a National Historic Landmark completed in 1902. And be sure to attend a special event at Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds such as Throwback Thursdays, Bluegrass and Bar-B-Que, or a ghost tour. Yesteryear Village is a history park located on 10 acres that features buildings and artifacts dating from 1895.

Don’t forget to add the Lion Country Safari to your “places to visit” list – this park contains 900 wild animals, including lions, zebras, rhinos, ostrich, and giraffes. After completing the four-mile driving safari, stop in and have some fun at the Safari World Amusement Park – it includes animal shows, rides, a water sprayground, and waterslides.

Speaking of animals, the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society has 1,400 animals on a 23-acre tropical habitat. If you prefer to see animals in their natural habitat, hop on an airboat and tour the Florida Everglades.

Once you’ve rented a West Palm Beach apartment, do your shopping at the dog-friendly, open-air Green Market, visit Flamingo Park Historic District, attend the Palm Beach Polo Show, the National Horse Show, and attend SunFest – Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. Go window-shopping on Worth Avenue – a world-famous strip of old-world, upscale, and legendary international boutiques and specialty stores.

What to Consider When Moving to West Palm Beach:

West Palm Beach is a pedestrian-friendly community. Get around by bike taxi, the free downtown trolley, water taxi, and Tri-Rail. The Tri-Rail is a commuter rail system that takes commuters from Tamarind Avenue’s historic station north to Mangonia Park or south to Miami.

The overall look of West Palm Beach is Mediterranean. You’ll find other styles, but this topical style dominates. West Palm Beach has very distinctive neighborhoods. Grandview Heights dates to about 1910 and is considered one of the area’s oldest neighborhoods. Half of the homes in Grandview Heights were destroyed in 1989 for the building of City Place. The section that was left contains beautiful craftsman-style bungalows. Grandview Heights is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Mango Promenade is another historic district situated on the south end of Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Flamingo Park and El Cid are both neighborhoods built on former pineapple fields. Both are historic districts. El Cid features 281 historic buildings, while Flamingo Park has 458 historic buildings. Flamingo Park is close to Clematis and City Place, and it is home to the Howard Park Community Center.

Why West Palm Beach Apartments Are Hot:

The “grande dame” of South Florida, West Palm Beach is a prestigious, cultured, elegant city. But this city isn’t just a pretty face – West Palm Beach offers world-class shopping, 47 miles of gorgeous beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, amazing restaurants, and one-of-a-kind parks such as Peanut Island.

West Palm Beach has a strong economy based heavily on tourism, but there are also several area businesses, including ION Media Networks, General Dynamics, and Sikorsky Aircraft. West Palm Beach has a low unemployment rate at 5 percent. The city encourages sustainability through programs such as PACE, a program to help businesses improve their property for energy efficiency. The city also encourages residents to shop local, practice sustainable gardening, and use alternate modes of transportation.

Of course, it’s the beaches and the weather that draws most residents to West Palm Beach. Palm trees in the sand, wearing board shorts and flip-flops year-round, and the sound of crashing waves as you sit on the shore at sunset. Why look for apartments in West Palm Beach? Because tropical breezes and sandy beaches shouldn’t just be for vacation … they should be your backyard!