“So what’s new?” I asked a friend in Ft. Lauderdale. It’s a good thing I wasn’t in a hurry.
The city, it turns out, has virtually re-created itself in the half-dozen years since it said bye-bye to the madness of spring break. “What’s new” in Greater Ft. Lauderdale includes, for starters, a remodeled beachfront, a river walk, an arts-and-science area, a mammoth mall and a water-taxi service. These, combined with the best of what’s old-a tasteful shopping district, alligator-sighting rides in the Everglades, restaurants, shows and plenty of golf and water sports-result in a sunny spot that is now drawing visitors from many parts of the world. Thanks to my friend, I would get to see a lot of those attractions during my visit to this south Florida city of 150,000.
We began, appropriately, at the beach that made Ft. Lauderdale famous. It still draws a few spring breakers-about 15,000 during the six-week season, compared with 350,000 in 1985-the wild days of too much beer and too too many in a room are gone, largely because of rigid enforcement of the rules regarding outdoor consumption of alcohol. The beach is now a peaceful place with a new $26 million promenade and 1 1/2 miles of wide, wave-patterned red brick walkways, white, swirling gateways and newly planted palm trees.
Nowadays, though, the beach is only the beginning. There are several directions to go in-by land or sea-and we began with the city’s Arts and Science District, whose keystones are the $52 million Broward Center for the Performing Arts and $32 million Museum of Discovery and Science, with IMAX theater.
The museum, which opened last November, is bright and airy, and designed so youngsters might actually learn something. In any event, they’ll certainly have fun, as did this not-so-youngster. There are seven hands-on areas, ranging from “Florida EcoScapes,” showing the region’s plant and animal life (and the animals are alive), to “Space Base,” where you can ride high in a crane to repair a disabled satellite (if you’re more dexterous than I am, that is) or blast off on a simulated voyage in a spacecraft.
A short walk away is the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, new since 1991. The center contains two theaters-one with 2,700 seats and one with 595-and the entertainment ranges from Broadway musicals (“Miss Saigon” begins a run at the former there on March 28) to a wide variety of concerts.
The Arts and Science District leads to the 1 1/4-mile Riverwalk, a still-growing stretch of shops, stores, restaurants, shaded promenades, al fresco entertainment and a restored historic district. With the Intracoastal Waterway weaving its way along Riverwalk, it’s easy to see why Lauderdalians like to call their city “The Venice of America.” Ft. Lauderdale’s “gondolas,” however, are called water taxis, and they can take you to almost anywhere in the city except the airport.
The Water Taxi of Ft. Lauderdale was started about five years ago by Bob Bekoff, a Massachusetts native who just couldn’t stay retired, and who got the idea from watching boats ferry people to Goat Island in Newport, R.I. In addition to reaching specific destinations, you can also take a tour by boat, as I did.
One good spot to get off the taxi is near Las Olas Boulevard, which some Lauderdale residents compare with Rodeo Drive. That’s stretching things, thank goodness, but the boulevard is a fine reminder of old-time Ft. Lauderdale-horse-and-carriage rides are now part of the scene-and a fine place to shop or dine.
Greater Ft. Lauderdale includes communities such as Dania, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Coconut Creek, Miramar and Lazy Lakes. In all, there are 23 miles of beach and 300 miles of navigable waterways in Greater Ft. Lauderdale. There, too, is an outlet-shopper’s fantasy-come-true called Sawgrass Mills.
Sawgrass Mills, in Sunrise, proclaims itself the world’s biggest outlet mall, with more than 200 specialty stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue Clearinghouse, Macy’s Close-Out, the Spiegel Outlet Store and Specials by Levi. Serious shoppers had better plan on spending several hours, if not a lifetime, there.
But, whoa: Shopping is hardly all that Greater Ft. Lauderdale is about. In this semitropical area, nature is well-represented, and I had a chance to see alligators in their natural habitat-the Everglades. Broward County, in fact, is bounded on the west by 505,600 acres of Everglades, a word that means “river of grass.” At the Sawgrass Recreational Park in Ft. Lauderdale, we rode that river of grass on an airboat, spotting three or four gators as well as a variety of fish and birds and several soft-shelled turtles. In addition to a knowledge of the Everglades and its inhabitants, most of the park’s employees also displayed a deliciously dry sense of humor. At the adjoining reptile display area, an employee was asked if the alligator he was showing off had a personality. “Yeah,” he replied. “Pooooor.” An Indian village is part of the park, and there we heard a young Seminole note that his tribe was the only one never to sign a treaty with the United States.
Leaving some of nature’s bigger creatures, we found some of its daintier ones: butterflies. There was certainly no trouble finding them at Butterfly World. The 5-year-old nature area in Coconut Creek lays claim to being the largest butterfly park of its kind in the country, and its three acres contain all kinds and colors (they are most active in the morning and early afternoon) as well as a variety of lush vegetation (“Welcome to Jurassic Park,” I found myself saying upon entry) and even a gazebo where couples may marry with perhaps a couple of butterflies as witnesses. There are educational exhibits as well.
An education is what I got on my trip, all right-an enjoyable lesson about how much Ft. Lauderdale has changed and about its many attractions, including some I never got to, such as the area’s nearly two dozen golf courses, its water parks and its fishing. I thanked my friend for showing me around, and as I headed across the airport terminal, I found myself softly singing the words to another song: “Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.”
Where to stay and events
Getting there: All major airlines fly to the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport or Miami International Airport, about 25 miles south of Ft. Lauderdale.
Staying there: Ft. Lauderdale has the major “brand-name” hotels and a lot of others. Wherever you stay, chances are you won’t be far from the water. The Guest Quarters Suite Hotel, for instance, is right on the Intracoastal Waterway and a five-minute walk to the beach. (There is a pool as well.) Marriott’s Harbor Beach Resort is considered one of the most elaborate in the area.
Playing there: In addition to those mentioned, other popular attractions include OceanWorld in Ft. Lauderdale, with its seal and dolphin shows; Atlantis the Water Kingdom in Hollywood, with slides, saunas and other aquatic activities; the Voyager Sightseeing Train; the International Swimming Hall of Fame; and the Jungle Queen and Paddlewheel Queen riverboats. Cruisegoers well may find themselves leaving from Port Everglades, the world’s second-busiest cruise port, behind Miami. During baseball season many hotel packages combine a stay with a Florida Marlins game at Joe Robbie Stadium, about a half-hour from downtown Lauderdale.
Dining there: There are hundreds of options in all price ranges, with cuisines of many nations. The wildly ornate Mai Kai restaurant also features a Polynesian dance show; at the Riverwalk Brewery, your cold one is brewed on the premises. Among the indoor/outdoor dining spots along the Intracoastal Waterway are the Bimini Boat Yard, the Bahia Cabana and the Down Under. Dante’s, meanwhile, is known for its prime rib and steaks.
Coming events: Ft. Lauderdale will be a key stopover in the grueling Whitbread Round the World Race. Yachts will start arriving in Port Everglades on or about April 23 and restart off Ft. Lauderdale Beach on May 21. The monthlong gathering will be marked by celebratory events. And this summer, at a date to be set, the 4th International Submarine Races will take place off South Beach Park. The two-person subs essentially are constructed from scratch, with young inventors, ocean technologists and marine engineers competing.
More information: Write the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dept. MS, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 1500, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33301; 800-22-SUNNY.
