Don’t Overlook Queer Palm Beach

I always enjoy discovering lesser-known LGBTQ gems—and so often, these are areas that get lost in the bright lights of bigger neighbors.

That’s just the case in Palm Beach County, Florida, a gorgeous string of communities along the Atlantic Ocean that are too often overlooked in favor of their queer-friendly southern neighbors, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

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Palm Beach County is immense and is actually larger than the state of Delaware. From north to south, its cities include Jupiter, Juno Beach, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Manalapan, Boynton Beach, and Boca Raton. Palm Beach Airport (PBI) is conveniently located for arriving travelers, but those with a mind for budget travel can also watch fares at Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA), which are about 50 and 70 minutes away by car, respectively.

There’s also the new Brightline train service, which is a fantastic and inexpensive option for heading north from Miami or Fort Lauderdale to the Palm Beaches area.

I chose The Ben, a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, as my home base for exploring the area. The Ben is located in West Palm Beach, overlooking the intercoastal waterway. Historically, Palm Beach, located on the barrier island, has been the more tony and exclusive area, with resorts like The Breakers—but The Ben has brought some additional panache and trendiness to West Palm Beach.

The boutique property opened just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic, so it still feels fresh and brand new. The rooms are delightful with a few surprises, including a hidden door (it only took me a day and a half to figure out it was there).

The hotel’s 8th-floor rooftop lounge, Spruzzo, always seemed packed, and on weekend evenings, it’s the place to be—and be seen. The adjoining rooftop pool area is a delight on sunny days (read: almost every day), and I also enjoyed the dynamic cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant, Proper Grit. Proper Grit features an expansive assortment of salads, burgers, and sandwiches, along with larger plates like salmon, short ribs, pasta, steaks, and gourmet mac & cheese entrees.

There’s so much incredible food to be had in the area, and it’s very easy to patronize restaurants that are LGBTQ-owned or -friendly. Have lunch at the super-fun Kapow! Noodle Bar right on vibrant Clematis Street and make sure to try the Lobster Rangoon. Take in a drag show at the Hullabaloo right down the street; shows are at 9 p.m. on Fridays. Wandering up and down Clematis Street is also recommended, for the food, the bars, the shopping and the people watching. This is the social hub of West Palm Beach.

For dinner, you can’t go wrong by jumping over onto the barrier island and dining at queer-owned Almond Palm Beach. Here, everything was scrape-your-plate delicious, from the appetizers to the Yellowfin Tuna entrée to the mind-blowing Date Cake dessert. And an after-dinner drink at Camelot Yacht Club, a cozy bar that’s designed as an homage to the Kennedy clan’s magical summer days of boating and relaxing, will serve as the perfect nightcap.

The annual Palm Beach Pride, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, is run by the Compass Community Center in Lake Worth Beach, and generally held in late March. The 2023 dates will be March 26-27, and the event includes live performances, a parade, and a variety of entertainment.

Compass is housed in a fantastic facility and provides a wide array amount of community support services, including mental health counseling, group and individual therapy, a youth program, HIV support programs, social programming, and much more. Two upcoming events are the Third Annual Pride on the Block in West Palm Beach on June 4 and the Stonewall Ball at the Cox Science Center on June 25.

Determined to see a bit more of the area, I took a morning waterway cruise on the fun Hakuna Matata boat. You can purchase a bottomless mimosa package or pay ala carte for your drinks. The boat has both open and shaded areas and a restroom, and the 2+ hour tour up and down the intercoastal waterway is a relaxing way to spend the morning—and also see the incredible houses along the way (including Sylvester Stallone’s huge mansion). The friendly staff kept the drinks flowing and the tunes playing the whole time.

Bigger each year is the annual International Gay Polo Tournament, which is held at the county’s famed International Polo Club in Wellington, about a 30-minute drive inland. This year’s event, which was held in early April, featured 16 LGBTQ polo players from seven countries and was a joy to take in.

The festivities kick off the night before the games with a gala fundraising event called Polotini/Wigstock, where all attendees are encouraged to wear their best, most colorful wigs. In addition to food, drinks, and networking, we were treated to a performance by brilliant drag queen and performer Varla Jean Merman.

The polo games themselves are a somewhat relaxed and subdued time, where field-side hospitality tents provide shade for attendees, who eat, drink, visit with old and new friends, and occasionally watch the matches. You can also purchase tickets to sit in the club’s large shaded outdoor dining area and have a more formal meal.