HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 12

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

IF YOU GO (all numbers within 954 area code):

WHAT TO DO: 

Hollywood Beach, east of A1A the length of the city of Hollywood, 921-3423. www.hollywoodfl.org

Dania Jai Alai Fronton, 301 E. Dania Beach Boulevard, 927-2841; www.dania-jai-alai.com

Hollywood Greyhound Track, 831 N. Federal Highway, 454-9400; www.mardigrascasinofl.com

Gulfstream Park, 901 S. Federal Highway, 456-1515; http://www.gulfstreampark.com

Hollywood Seminole Gaming, 4150 N. State Road 7, 961-3220; www.seminolehollywoodcasino.com

Anne Kolb Nature Center, 1200 Sheridan St., 926-2410. www.broward.org/parks/westlakepark/pages/annekolbnaturecenter.aspx

CONTACT: Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, 330 N. Federal Highway, 923-4000, or 1-800-231-5562. www.hollywoodchamber.org

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 11

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

IF YOU GO (all numbers within 954 area code):

WHERE TO EAT: 

Jack’s Hollywood Diner is the king of all breakfast houses in a town that cherishes its eggs, bacon and hash brown potatoes. 

The institution, which also serves lunch and dinner, is at 1031 N. Federal Highway, phone: 929-2888. http://www.jacksdiner.com

Tarks is a clam stand that has been delighting locals since 1966.

 Look for the quirky seafood joint at 1317 S. Federal Highway, phone: 925-8275. www.tarks.com

Downtown Hollywood features the best array of dining, including: Mama Mia Restaurant, 1818 S. Young Circle, 923-0555.  www.miagrill.com

FEATURE CONTINUES WITH "IF YOU GO" 

RESOURCES  TOMORROW -- MAY 11

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 10

 THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

IF YOU GO (all numbers within 954 area code):

WHERE TO STAY: The most famous of old Hollywood’s beachfront hotels was reborn a decade ago.

The Westin Diplomat Resort & Country Club, once famed as the home of the stars such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., was rebuilt into a 998-room convention center-caliber hotel. 

To book a room at the 39-story luxury property at 3555 S. Ocean Dr., phone 602-6000, or 1-888-627-9057. www.diplomatresort.com

The best of the independent hotels with fewer than 50 rooms gain the endorsement of being a Superior Small Lodging, as judged by a Broward County program that inspects independent hotel properties. 

Members that have passed muster in Hollywood include:

Hollywood Sands Resort, 2404 N. Surf Rd., 925-2285; www.hollywoodsandsresort.com

Tide Vacation Apartments, 2800 N. Surf Rd., 923-3864; www.tideapartments.com

FEATURE CONTINUES WITH "IF YOU GO" 

RESOURCES  TOMORROW -- MAY 12

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 9

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

Getting around Hollywood is easy.

The city contains four major north-south routes, including:

·       A-1-A, which hugs the Atlantic Coast.

·       U.S. 1, the Federal Highway that passes by independent hotels and old time diners.

·       I-95, the state’s major freeway.

·       The Florida Turnpike, the Sunshine State’s toll road.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades, an increasingly active cruise hub, are minutes from the beach or downtown Hollywood.

Famed South Florida attractions such as Butterfly Word, Flamingo Groves, Sawgrass Mills and the Everglades are but a short drive.

With year round warm weather, the blue waters of the Atlantic and the warm sands of its beaches, it’s no wonder why millions are flocking to South Florida.

With a perfect mixture of international attractions and unpretentious restaurants and lodgings it’s easy to see why Hollywood is the region’s perfect place.

FEATURE CONTINUES WITH "IF YOU GO" 

RESOURCES  TOMORROW -- MAY 11

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 8

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

The Hollywood Seminole Gaming features a round the clock casino on the west side of town,

For activity that doesn’t involve wagering, Anne Kolb Nature Center features more than 1,500 acres of coastal mangrove wetland.

The Broward County facility is home to an abundance of plants and animals, including some threatened and endangered species.

Five boat trails offer access to this wilderness area for fishing and sightseeing near the Intracoastal Waterway.

The park also includes a five-level observation tower, a fishing pier, and two nature trails – all accessible to wheelchair users.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 10

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 7

  

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

For the sporting life, Hollywood and its neighboring cities offer a cornucopia of events that combine action with wagering.

For decades, people have flocked to Florida to watch Jai Alai – the curious game in which players use wicker baskets to hurl goatskin-covered balls.

At the Dania Jai Alai Fronton to the north, fans bet on the ancient Basque game in which balls reach speeds of 185 m.p.h. while bouncing off the walls and floor.

Just south of town, the Hollywood Greyhound Track features pari-mutuel betting on the pups.

The thoroughbreds race almost next door at the famous Gulfstream Park.

 FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 9

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 6

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

As fabulous as Hollywood’s beach and broadwalk are another whole world of activity lies less than two miles inland.

Some go by car, but others walk Hollywood Boulevard due west – over the Intracoastal Waterway along a Royal palm-lined grand thoroughfare dotted with historic homes – to reach the revitalized downtown Hollywood.

Like many cities, Hollywood’s downtown had suffered greatly while stores and restaurants moved to new buildings along freeways and other routes.

Thankfully, picturesque art deco structures were spared from the wrecking ball even during downtown Hollywood’s darkest days.

With a great deal of effort from city and business leaders, those magnificent structures from the ’20s and ’30s are now filled with restaurants, shops and clubs of every kind.

Downtown Hollywood’s Harrison Street, Young Circle, Hollywood Boulevard and dozens of streets in between feature more activity on a weeknight than most city’s downtowns can boast on a summer Saturday night.

Music can be heard inside jazz, blues and rock clubs – or outside on street corners most any night of the week.

Dining runs the gamut from homestyle diners with dirt cheap breakfast specials to fine dinner houses serving Italian, Thai – even Romanian fare.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 8

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 5

 THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

Very few hotels along the broadwalk have more than 100 rooms.

Some feature classic art deco or Mediterranean architecture, while others have more pedestrian 50s and 60s design.

Most of these mom and pop operations are low-rises, no taller than three stories, with on site swimming pools and poolside bars.

Some properties cater to families, others to seniors.

Some have benefited from expensive renovations, while others offer low rates to make up for their aging facilities.

The tapestry of lodging makes for a diverse stretch of resorts from Hallandale on Hollywood’s southern border to Dania on the city’s northern edge.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 7

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 4

 

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

The wide broadwalk promenade features a very busy portion set aside for those on bicycles, scooters and in-line skates.

All those modes of beach transit can be rented at shops along the bustling broadwalk.

On many evenings, locals and visitors alike gather at the band shell to watch free concerts as the moon rises above the Atlantic.

Beyond the thin strip of sand, clear water gently lands against the sand as the tide comes in.

People watching is another prime activity from the hundreds of park benches set up along the broadwalk.

At night, brightly-lit cruise ships can be viewed as the towering vessels leave from Port Everglades, which is only a few miles north of Hollywood’s broadwalk.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 6

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 3

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

Hollywood's traditional visitors have been replaced with an even more international mix of vacationers from several western European countries seeking the South Florida mystique.

Whether the visitors are from South Jersey or Scandinavia, they come to Hollywood for the sun and the sea.

Hundreds of coastal Florida cities hug the sea, but perhaps none has done a better job of blending natural beauty with man-made attractions than Hollywood.

The famed Hollywood Broadwalk is a stretch of smooth pavement that spans 2.5 miles of sandy beaches and swaying palm trees.

The Atlantic Ocean is so close, you feel like you can touch it.

The other edge of the broadwalk is lined with open air cafes.

Dozens of places serve pizza by the slice, chicken wings and cold brews.

Upscale evening destinations include seafood houses, creperies and bistros serving ethnic cuisine from Istanbul to Argentina.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 5

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 2

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY

For the record, Hollywood is named for the more famous movie town in Southern California.

When Joseph Wesley Young founded Hollywood in 1926, he named his coastal Florida development for the Southern California city that he admired while living in that state.

Young’s palm-lined boulevards and grand circles of parkland have grown up to be a thriving Broward County city of 140,000.

Hollywood is Florida’s ninth largest city – and a place that values the vast diversity of its residents.

For a long time, a significant number of Hollywood’s peak winter season visitors were from Canada.

Several small hotels along the Atlantic still advertise that their workers speak French, that rooms have television “en Francais” and cafes appeal to the French Canadian palate.

However, with tough economy, fewer north of the border sun seekers are coming to Hollywood lately.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 4

HOLLYWOOD, FLA -- PART 1

THE PERFECT SOUTH FLORIDA SEASIDE CITY 

HOLLYWOOD, FLA. – The best beach town in South Florida isn’t as heralded as its bigger neighbors to the north and south. Its name even conjures up images of Tinseltown by the Pacific, not the perfect town on the Atlantic.

Miami Beach gets more buzz, Fort Lauderdale is more famous and Palm Beach is more posh -- but Hollywood is hands down the best place to be on Florida’s booming southeastern side.

Hollywood is small enough to embrace dozens of mom and pop hotels, restaurants and shops.

It’s also large enough to have miles of pristine beaches, an international airport and a thriving downtown.

Hollywood has just the right blend of East Coast density blended with Midwestern charm – all in the subtropical climate of South Florida.

FEATURE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 3