Experience Bal Harbour at CityPlace

Bal Harbour preview party

By GERRY BARKER
Photos by Gerry Barker

There are words that are synonymous with luxury, and that applies to Bal Harbour.

This small enclave on the northern tip of Miami Beach has long been a magnet for celebrities and shoppers seeking the finer things in life, and now you can experience it without navigating the traffic on I-95.

The Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop-Up Tour arrived in the Palm Beaches this week, popping up at CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach, where it will remain until Jan. 15, 2025. This is its fifth stop on a tour that has included Raleigh, Sarasota, Walton County, Florida and Greenville, South Carolina.

Utilizing modular shipping containers for retailers, shoppers will enter a lush, tropical, open-air garden, complete with koi ponds and palm trees, replicating the Bal Harbour experience created by Stanley Whitman in 1965. Covering 17,000 square feet, it also includes "covered walkways with cooling fans, a retractable canopy, and 'The Whitman,' an exquisite dining venue that seats 150 guests, offering a full bar and lounge."

Among the brands represented are Dolce & Gabbana, Tiffany, Balmain, Golden Goose, Gianvito Rossi, Wolford, Santa Maria Novella, Assouline, Elisabetta Franchi, Etro, Lanvin, Scanlan Theodore, Monnalisa, and Addict.

In the press release, Matthew Whitman Lazenby, President and Chief Executive Officer of Whitman Family Development, said “We’re thrilled to bring the tropical, luxury shopping and dining experience of Bal Harbour to West Palm for the first time."

Regardless of when you visit, be sure and schedule a night-time call -- there's something especially magical about strolling the gardens and shops after dark, especially when there's a full moon overhead.

While making a stop at Balmain, Pam and I sampled their collection of fragrances, and we both came away knowing what we wanted for Christmas. Santa, are you reading this?

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Preview Party Photos