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. |
