Walking Around World Famous Worth Ave and Downtown Palm Beach, Florida - 4K

Walking around Palm Beach, Florida downtown and world famous Worth avenue area in the early evening hours. Starting from the lake end of Worth avenue to town center and then toward the east end of the Worth avenue where the beach is. There are many luxury famous brand stores here... Just checking out some of what is in the very nicely done shop windows.

According to Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worth_A...

Retailers
The avenue's oldest store, Kassatly's, has been in business since 1923. Reflecting the lifestyle of Palm Beach market, the street has approximately 250 high-end shops, boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries, that include Giorgio Armani, Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Tourneau, Hermès, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Chanel, Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers, Salvatore Ferragamo, Island Company, St. John, Valentino, and many more. An open-air mall, 150 Worth (formerly The Esplanade, and built by Murray H. Goodman), lies at the eastern end of Worth Avenue, and offers a variety of upscale shops anchored by department stores Saks Fifth Avenue.

History
In 1913 the street was named after General William Jenkins Worth. The first steps to become fashionable started with the construction in 1918 of the Everglades Club at the west end of a dirt road. Rising rents at the then-fashionable Beaux Arts Building on Lake Trail, north of the Biltmore Hotel, caused merchants to move south to what became Worth Avenue.The first stores were built near the Everglades Club on Via Mizner and Via Parigi, named for Worth Avenue's original developers, architect Addison Mizner and Paris Singer. The area became known for its high-quality merchandise in the 1920s. Recognizing the value of the undeveloped street, the merchants formed the Worth Avenue Association in 1938. This organization maintains guidelines for the appearance, parking, etc. of the stores and the street.

In 1942, Mary Duggett Benson opened the Worth Avenue Gallery, eventually located at 347 Worth Avenue. Benson's gallery was an integral part of the visual arts in Palm Beach until Benson retired and closed the gallery in 1965. Contrary to a few assumptions, Benson owned the gallery, not her friend Alice De Lamar. According to documents filed with the state of Florida, Benson owned it at first with a relative and then 100% on her own. De Lamar's other friend, Emily Rayner, sister of the New York artist/art dealer Betty Parsons, co-directed the gallery with Mary Benson. While it was Benson's gallery, De Lamar's artist friends often exhibited there.


Worth Avenue sidewalk
Worth Avenue was lined with coconut palms that succumbed to lethal yellowing blight in the 1970s. Adonidia or "Christmas palms" replaced them, but they were not in proportion to the buildings on the street. The street was renovated in 1983, but major makeover was completed in 2010. The $15.8 million Worth Avenue Improvement Project was conducted during the off-season and lasted two years, with the Town of Palm Beach and City of West Palm Beach responsible for $1.25 million of the cost and $14.77 million from the issuance of public improvement revenue bonds.This major streetscape redesign included planting of 200 mature coconut palms, each from 32 to 40 feet (10 to 12 m) tall, installing tabby concrete sidewalks that are typically used for expensive residences, and building a 25-foot (8 m) clock tower on the beach side.