Clematis Street Is Actually Having a Moment

Downtown West Palm Beach's main street survived decades of neglect and has emerged into a genuine revival. I'm not being charitable — Clematis Street in the early evening, fountain going at Centennial Square, jasmine in the air, old buildings catching the light, actually works now.

Hullabaloo on Clematis has craft cocktails and a charcuterie board that arrives with the ambition of a place that takes cured meats seriously. Patio overlooks the street, people-watching is unpretentious. The waterfront at the east end opens onto the Intracoastal — mega-yachts from Palm Beach sitting across the water like floating evidence of a different tax bracket. Grandview Public Market on Dixie Highway has food stalls and a coffee roaster and the energy of a place that's the neighborhood's future.

Clematis by Night runs every Thursday — live music, food vendors, street-festival energy. Come early, grab a spot near the waterfront stage. It's not trying too hard, which is the whole trick.