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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented | What’s Where | Planning

Updated by Paul Rubio

Collegians of the 1960s returning to Fort Lauderdale would be hard-pressed to recognize the onetime “Sun and Suds Spring Break Capital of the Universe.” Back then, Fort Lauderdale’s beachfront was lined with T-shirt shops, and downtown consisted of a lone office tower and dilapidated buildings waiting to be razed. Not anymore!

The beach and downtown have since exploded with upscale shops, restaurants, and luxury resort hotels equipped with enough high-octane amenities to light up skies all the way to western Broward’s Alligator Alley. At risk of losing small-town 45-rpm magic in iPod times—when hotel parking fees alone eclipse room rates of old—Greater Fort Lauderdale somehow seems to meld disparate eras into nouveau nirvana, seasoned with a lot of Gold Coast sand.

The city was named for Major William Lauderdale, who built a fort at the river’s mouth in 1838 during the Seminole Indian wars. It wasn’t until 1911 that the city was incorporated, with only 175 residents, but it grew quickly during the Florida boom of the 1920s. Today’s population hovers around 165,000, and suburbs keep growing—1.75 million live in Broward County’s 31 municipalities and unincorporated areas.

As elsewhere, many speculators busily flipping property here got caught when the sun-drenched real-estate bubble burst, leaving Broward’s foreclosure rate to skyrocket. But the worst is far behind us. By the time the city began celebrating its centennial in 2011, it had resumed the renaissance that began before the economic crisis. The 20-mile shoreline—with wide ribbons of golden sand for beachcombing and sunbathing—remains the anchor draw for Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, but amazing beaches are now complemented by show-stopping hotels, an exploding foodie scene, and burgeoning cultural scene.

Top Reasons to Go

Blue waves: Sparkling Lauderdale beaches spanning Broward County’s entire coast were Florida’s first to capture Blue Wave Beach status from the Clean Beaches Council.

Inland waterways: More than 300 miles of inland waterways, including downtown Fort Lauderdale’s historic New River, create what’s known as the Venice of America.

Everglades access: Just minutes from luxury hotels and golf courses, the rugged Everglades tantalize with alligators, colorful birds, and other wildlife.

Vegas-style gaming: Since slots and blackjack tables hit Hollywood’s glittering Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in 2008, smaller competitors have followed this lucrative trend on every square inch of Indian Territory.

Cruise gateway: Port Everglades—home port for Allure and Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise vessels—hosts ships from major cruise lines.

Getting Oriented

Along the southeast’s Gold Coast, Fort Lauderdale and Broward County anchor a delightfully chic middle ground between the posh and elite Palm Beaches and the international hubbub of Miami. From downtown Fort Lauderdale, it’s about a four-hour drive to either Orlando or Key West, but there’s plenty to keep you in Broward. All told, Broward boasts 31 communities from Deerfield Beach to Hallandale Beach along the coast, and from Coral Springs to Southwest Ranches closer to the Everglades. Big—in fact, huge—shopping options await in the western suburbs, home of Sawgrass Mills, the upscale Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass, and IKEA Sunrise.

What’s Where

Fort Lauderdale. Anchored by the fast-flowing New River and its attractive Riverwalk, Fort Lauderdale embraces high-rise condos along with single-family homes, museums, parks, and attractions. Las Olas Boulevard, lined with boutiques, sidewalk cafés, and restaurants, links downtown with 20 miles of sparkling beaches.

North on Scenic A1A. Stretching north on Route A1A, old-school seaside charm abounds, from high-rise Galt Ocean Mile to quiet, low-rise resort communities farther north.

Hollywood. From its beachside Boardwalk to historic Young Circle (the latter transformed into an Arts Park), South Broward’s main destination provides grit, glitter, and diversity in attractions.

Planning

When to Go

Peak season runs Thanksgiving through April, when concert, art, and entertainment seasons go full-throttle. Expect heat and humidity and some rain in summer. Hurricane winds come most notably in August and September. Golfing tee-time waits are longer on weekends year-round. Regardless of season, remember that Fort Lauderdale sunshine can burn even in cloudy weather.

Annual Festivals and Events

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
In late October, Fort Lauderdale hosts the world’s largest boat show, the end-all, be-all of marine envy since 1960, with more than $2 billion worth of boats, yachts, superyachts, electronics, engines, and thousands of accessories from every major marine manufacturer and builder worldwide. The city buzzes with parties and cocktail hours to celebrate the bling bling water toy mania, with the official show events taking place across seven locations along the Intracoastal and A1A. Tickets required for entry. | 954/764–7642, 800/940–7642 | www.showmanagement.com.

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.
Each fall, this annual event showcases more than 100 feature, documentary, and short films from around the world at Cinema Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale and a second outpost, Cinema Paradiso Hollywood, which opened in 2013 at 2008 Hollywood Blvd. In addition to more than two weeks of screenings, you can expect seminars and parties; but don’t expect the glitterati of a big-city film festival. | 954/760–9898 | www.fliff.com.

Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade.
Weeks of pre-events culminate in the largest one-day spectator event in Florida each December, drawing a crowd of 1 million onlookers as a stampede of 1,500 jaw-dropping yachts cruise 10 miles of Fort Lauderdale’s waterways, complete with original themes and decorations. Over the years, celebrity grand marshals have included Joan Rivers, Brooke Burke, Kim Kardashian, and Ryan Hunter-Reay. | 954/767–0686 | www.winterfestparade.com.

Wicked Manors.
Every Halloween, the main artery of Wilton Manors, Wilton Drive, transforms into a grand GLBT street party hosted by the Pride Center Florida. Gay or straight, everyone loves to check out the outrageous costumes, drink in the streets, and enjoy drag performances. The fun usually begins after sundown, around 7 pm, and lasts until midnight. | 954/463–9005 Pride Center Florida | www.wickedmanors.org.

Getting Here and Around

Air Travel

Serving more than 23 million travelers a year, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport is 3 miles south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, just off U.S. 1 between Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, and near Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale Beach. Other options include Miami International Airport, about 32 miles to the southwest, and the far less chaotic Palm Beach International Airport, about 50 miles to the north. All three airports link to Tri-Rail, a commuter train operating seven days through Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties.

Bus Travel

Broward County Transit operates bus route No. 1 between the airport and its main terminal at Broward Boulevard and Northwest 1st Avenue, near downtown Fort Lauderdale. Service from the airport is every 20 minutes and begins at 5:22 am on weekdays, 5:37 am Saturday, and 8:41 am Sunday; the last bus leaves the airport at 11:38 pm Monday–Saturday and 9:41 pm Sunday. The fare is $1.75 (coins only). WARNING: The Northwest 1st Avenue stop is in a crime-prone part of town. Exercise special caution there, day or night. Better yet, take a taxi to and from the airport. Broward County Transit (BCT) also covers the county on 303 fixed routes. The fare is $1.75 (cash only). Service starts around 5 am and continues to 11:30 pm, except on Sunday.

Bus Contact
Broward County Transit. | 954/357–8400 | www.broward.org/BCT.

Car Travel

Renting a car to get around Broward County is highly recommended. Taxis are scarce and costly. Public transportation is rarely used.

By car, access to Broward County from north or south is via Florida’s Turnpike, Interstate 95, U.S. 1, or U.S. 441. Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley, requiring a toll despite being part of the nation’s interstate-highway system) connects Broward with Florida’s west coast and runs parallel to State Road 84 within the county. East–west Interstate 595 runs from westernmost Broward County and links Interstate 75 with Interstate 95 and U.S. 1, providing handy access to the airport and seaport. Route A1A, designated a Florida Scenic Highway by the state’s Department of Transportation, parallels the beach.

Cruise Travel

Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale’s cruise port (nowhere near the Everglades, but happily near the beach and less than 2 miles from the airport), is among the world’s largest, busiest ports. It’s also the straightest, deepest port in the southeastern United States, meaning you’ll be out to sea in no time flat once your ship sets sail. At a cost of $75 million, Cruise Terminal 18 has been tripled in size to accommodate Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships, the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas and sister Allure of the Seas. The terminal’s mega-size (240,000 square feet) accommodates both arriving and departing passengers and their luggage, simultaneously going through processing procedures. The port is south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, spread out over a huge area extending into Dania Beach, Hollywood, and a patch of unincorporated Broward County. A few words of caution: schedule plenty of time to navigate the short distance from the airport, your hotel, or wherever else you might be staying, especially if you like to be among the first to embark for your sailing. Increased security (sometimes you’ll be asked for a driver’s license and/or other identification, and on occasion for boarding documentation upon entering the port, other times not) combined with increased traffic, larger parking facilities, construction projects, roadway improvements, and other obstacles mean the old days of popping over to Port Everglades and running up a gangplank in the blink of an eye are history.

If you are driving, there are two entrances to the port. One is from 17th Street, west of the 17th Street Causeway Bridge, turning south at the traffic light onto Eisenhower Boulevard. Or to get to the main entrance, take either State Road 84, running east–west, to the intersection of Federal Highway and cross into the port, or take Interstate 595 east straight into the Port (Interstate 595 becomes Eller Drive once inside the Port). Interstate 595 runs east–west with connections to the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, U.S. 1 (Federal Highway), Interstate 95, State Road 7 (U.S. 441), Florida’s Turnpike, Sawgrass Expressway, and Interstate 75.

Train Travel

Amtrak provides daily service to Fort Lauderdale and stops at Deerfield Beach and Hollywood.

Hotels

Back-to-back openings of luxury beachfront hotels have created Fort Lauderdale’s upscale “hotel row”—with the Atlantic Resort & Spa, the Hilton Beach Resort, the Ritz-Carlton, the W, and the Westin all less than a decade old. More upscale places to hang your hat are on the horizon, whereas smaller family-run lodging spots are disappearing. You can also find chain hotels along the Intracoastal Waterway. If you want to be on the beach, be sure to ask specifically when booking your room, since many hotels advertise “waterfront” accommodations that are along inland waterways or overlooking the beach from across Route A1A.

Restaurants

References to “Fort Liquordale” from spring-break days of old have given way to au courant allusions for the decidedly cuisine-oriented “Fork Lauderdale.” Greater Fort Lauderdale offers some of the finest, most varied dining of any U.S. city its size, spawned in part by the advent of new luxury hotels and upgrades all around. From among more than 4,000 wining-and-dining establishments in Broward, choose from basic Americana or cuisines of Asia, Europe, or Central and South America, and enjoy more than just food in an atmosphere with subtropical twists.

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