Fort
Lauderdale, the "Venice of America", originally attracted
international attention as a college mecca for beachfront thrills
and wild parties. By 1953, about 15,000 students were leaving
college towns across America and coming to the area during Spring
Break!
Word spread fast and in 1960 when Fort Lauderdale was immortalized
in the film Where the Boys Are (starring George Hamilton,
Connie Francis and the sister of Mayor Jim Naugle as an extra).
By 1985, it seemed as if Fort Lauderdale was one big multi-colored
lycra bikini bursting at the seams when that year's Fort Lauderdale
Spring Break attracted a record 350,000 students. At that point,
city officials decided that Fort Lauderdale needed a change
and they targeted more of an upscale and improved image that
blended economic strength with cultural vitality. Fort Lauderdale
is Broward County’s largest city and the seat of county government.
In the late 1980's and early 90's many ambitious projects were
launched that added more than 1,900 units to Fort Lauderdale
hotels and more than 190,000 square feet of shops, offices and
restaurants to Fort Lauderdale's beachfront and Intracoastal
Waterway areas. Trendy Las Olas Boulevard now boasts of being
one of the top dining and shopping districts in the U.S. The
spectacular Riverwalk Park offers a lovely stroll through lush
landscaping past shopping, dining, waterfront parks and major
cultural attractions. The Riverwalk Park’s promenade showcases
the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Discovery
and Science, the Historic Second Street, Florida Grand Opera,
the Old Fort Lauderdale Museum of History, Las Olas Riverfront,
the Museum of Art, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival,
and Stranahan House. A key element of the Riverwalk is the presence
of 20,000 plus engraved Signature Bricks that line the walkway.
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