Florida isn't so much a place where one goes to reinvent oneself, as it is a place where one goes if one no longer wished to be found.
-Douglas Copeland
Most people who’ve heard about Fort Lauderdale probably know about it for the warm Florida weather, beaches, and its old school reputation for Spring Break. While it certainly is a coastal paradise and that shouldn’t be downplayed, it’s important to point out that’s not all it has to offer. Like to hit the links? Great, it has plenty of highly rated courses and chances are the weather will hold. Want to go out for a nice dinner? Lauderdale has some of the best restaurants in the state with a wide variety of options. Want to party? There’s still a jumping nightlife scene. It’s also extremely family friendly, especially when compared to neighboring Miami, with a never ending list of things you can do with the whole family (i.e. museums, amusement parks, etc.) and solid public schools. Fort Lauderdale is also aptly called “The Venice of America” due to all of the canals threading the city, so you’ll never be too far from the water even if you’re not living near the beach!
A note about living in Fort Lauderdale from a local transplant:
I lived in the Midwest my whole life aside from a brief stint living in NYC. It took about a year or so to start really appreciating it. I like it more than the Midwest now. It’s much more expensive, but less than NYC obviously. Lot of walkable things to do and great weather 9 months a year (summer is brutal). If you like pools, beaches, and bars you’re going to love it. If you don’t drink or like water activities it’s probably more boring.
Whether it’s summer break or the middle of February, the beaches, streets, and roads are packed with tourists coming to enjoy the weather here and/or escape the weather up north. This can be overwhelming for those from smaller and more spread out communities and is something to be aware of.
Here's a reflection of a local on Fort Lauderdale:
Personally, I would not rate the Ft. Lauderdale nightlife as anything approaching "world class." Yeah, it exists - nothing too special IMHO. But since you weren't specific about what you want I would guess you would find it sufficient. Public transportation is, I think by all accounts, "pretty sucky." Most people find they need a personal vehicle to avoid wasting a whole lot of commuting time. If you found the right combination of work and home it could maybe be OK.
Ft. Lauderdale is not cheap. Average listing price of a home is over $500k but that money goes a long way relative to bigger cities. The neighborhoods here are a mix of new and old with condos and apartment buildings offering rental options to counter the newer mega-homes and tasteful historical homes for those looking to buy.
Victoria Park is one of the grooviest places to live around downtown. It’s filled with beautifully restored historic homes, many on the Intracoastal Waterway, with a “diverse and tolerant” (from the community’s website) population.
Colee Hammock is a walkscore treasure with a mix of condos, apartments, great new homes, and beautiful old residences all a short walk to restaurants, theater, art galleries, museums and the Atlantic Ocean!
Finally, consider looking at The Isles if living on water is important to you. Fort Lauderdale is the “Venice Of America” because of inland waterways throughout the city and this neighborhood is lined with waterfront properties whose residents enjoy speedboats, kayaks, sailboats and easy waterway access to the ocean.
To see all the happenings in Fort Lauderdale check out the calendar of events: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/visitors/event-calendar
Whether you’re looking for somewhere nice to work remotely, somewhere nice to raise your growing family, or somewhere nice to retire (Ft. Lauderdale consistently ranks in the top 5 best places to retire for a reason), the warm weather, bigger city amenities, and beaches of Fort Lauderdale have something for you.
Downtown rules for the young and ready to be social in Fort Lauderdale. Plenty of apartments, condos and townhomes for rent or purchase are a plenty. Astride the living options sit a rich bounty of great restaurants, nice and cheap bars and pubs, theaters, museums, and also several great parks for stretching those legs on the weekends.
Just north of Downtown is Middle River Terrace. A growing neighborhood with slightly more interesting housing options than Downtown. Bungalows, and Mid-Century Modern homes are available for relatively good prices when you’re ready to step up. It’s also filled with boutique shops, cool restaurants and plenty of bars and clubs for getting out.
Sebastian Street Beach is the famous “gay beach” in Fort Lauderdale Beach. It is part of a stretch of LGBTQ+ friendly hotels, shops and restaurants and the center of day and night time social. North Beach is a neighborhood poised to become the hottest LGBTQ+ area in the city. Tons of community owned and supportive shops, bars and restaurants mean you can live and thrive to your heart’s content. https://www.outcoast.com/lgbtq-friendly-places-to-live-in-florida/
If being near the beach is important to you then check out Coral Ridge. Just a short walk to the beaches on Barrier Island, the community is filled with great single-family homes and some condo/apartments as well if you’re just getting started on the family journey. If you want to crank up the fancy check out Coral Ridge Country Club Estates. One of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city, it is primarily luxury homes although it has some condos and apartment buildings if you crave being in the golf world but aren’t ready for the posh pad.
It wouldn’t be Florida if there weren’t great options for retirees. Victoria Park is a wonderful upscale community, near the beach and popular activities like Holiday Park, Parker Playhouse and Birch State Park (Fort Lauderdale’s Central Park). The neighborhood has great walkability to all of these attractions as well as plenty of restaurants, cafes and shopping. Las Olas Isles is another incredible option for empty nesters and retirees. Estates line the waterfront and you have direct access to white sand beaches, year-round community events and complete privacy for those looking to avoid the tourist crowds.
