By: Skye Sherman | SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE | December 22, 2025
True Old Florida beach towns are rare these days, but little Lake Worth Beach has managed to hang in there despite development pressures and the rapidly accelerating pace of South Florida. Just south of West Palm Beach, this quirky, creative community has colorful historic cottages, coastal nature, a quietly spectacular dining scene, and one of the country’s largest street-painting festivals, all set within the relaxed pace of a bygone era—unsung Florida at its finest.
Explore the History
Lake Worth Beach’s story begins with formerly enslaved African-American pioneers Samuel and Fannie James, known as the “Black Diamonds,” who established the first post office and named their settlement “Jewell” in 1889. There’s a granite monument downtown honoring their legacy. Lake Worth Beach is also home to one of Florida’s most unique architectural treasures: more than 1,000 colorful historic cottages dating to the early 1900s. It’s the largest concentration of such cottages in the state, outnumbering even Key West; most are Frame Vernacular, Craftsman, or Bungalow cottages built in the 1920s on narrow 25-foot lots. They’re painted in cheery coastal hues, so they make for a fun self-guided walking tour. Beyond the cottages, architecture lovers will drool over Lake Worth Beach’s concentration of Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, Mission, and Spanish Colonial styles.
Enjoy the Arts
Art is a defining characteristic of the funky little town of Lake Worth Beach. Every February, the city explodes in color for the annual Street Painting Festival, one of the largest of its kind in the world. During this particularly artsy weekend, more than 600 artists turn the streets of downtown Lake Worth Beach into a temporary open-air museum with larger-than-life chalk murals splayed across Lake and Lucerne Avenues. There’s also live music, food vendors, and thousands of spectators converging to admire the temporary spectacle, so it’s always a fun time to be in Lake Worth Beach. But the city’s creative juices flow year-round, not just for the street-painting festival weekend. For a small town, Lake Worth Beach is jam-packed with studios and galleries (including a working glassblowing studio with classes and workshops); the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is even headquartered here in a restored 1940 Streamline Modern theater, a hub of rotating exhibitions, film nights, and even an Art Deco lecture series. While exploring Lake Worth Beach’s quaint downtown, don’t miss The Dancing Elephant, an offbeat indie bookstore with deep roots. It’s one of Florida’s oldest bookstores (formerly the Rainbow Bridge, founded by a Hungarian metaphysicist in 1972), but was revitalized in 2022 by a then-24-year-old and his girlfriend, who took over from the original owner. One of the few remaining metaphysical bookstores in the country, The Dancing Elephant was reborn by Shane and Ava with an expanded selection of esoteric and antiquarian reads; they even launched their own independent publishing company, Gallowglass Books.
Immerse in Nature and Waterfront Views
Just across the Lake Worth Bridge, the 1,000-foot Lake Worth Beach Pier is where you’ll find spectacular sunrise views, lots of local fishermen, and Benny’s on the Beach, surprisingly one of the only true beach restaurants in South Florida. Back across the Intracoastal Waterway, the Snook Islands Natural Area provides a serene contrast. This restored estuary has mangroves, oyster reef habitats, a kayak launch, and a boardwalk to stroll for glimpses of native wildlife, including oystercatchers, manatees, and sea turtles. It’s the perfect place to paddle around and experience Florida’s true timelessness.
Where to Eat
The dining scene in Lake Worth Beach is as richly eclectic as the town itself. Restaurants don’t get much funkier than Jewell Bistro, named for the original settlement. On the menu here, you’ll find seasonal dishes, fresh Florida seafood, and Miss Marsha’s delectably unique desserts, including mango pie, five-spice carrot cake, and Florida Cracker Tarte. Pelican Restaurant is a longtime local staple, a casual diner with an Indian-fusion twist thanks to the original owners. Try the eggs Nissa, a Pakistani dish of scrambled eggs with ginger, garlic, curry, and naan, or the aloo gobi omelet. Oceano Kitchen is another Lake Worth Beach must. At this tiny chef-driven coastal American spot, the menu changes weekly, according to what’s freshest; it’s a James Beard Award Semifinalist and widely considered one of the best restaurants in South Florida, but you’d never know it from the laid-back atmosphere and unpretentious husband-and-wife chef-owners. For an even less fussy, truly local experience, there’s Dave’s Last Resort, one of South Florida’s favorite dive bars, where the seafood’s always fresh and the game’s always on. Whether you come for the art, architecture, nature, food, or street painting festival, Lake Worth Beach is one of Florida’s last old-school beach towns, a true gem of the Sunshine State.