The iconic Hollywood Water Tower stands 160 feet tall and holds one million gallons of water. It…read morewas constructed in 1955 and is maintained by the City of Hollywood Public works Dept. Growing up in Hollywood as a kid, this light blue and white painted tower was visible from a few areas east of Federal Hwy on Sheridan Street and is directly next to West Lake Park. The second Hollywood water tower stands at Sheridan Street and i-95. Both towers not only harness water but are artistic Hollywood landmarks. Today we were driving back from Hollywood Beach and pulled off the roadway to take a few minutes to gaze at the structure. Over the years, the painted decor at the sphere-like top has changed, but the Hollywood name is still prominently displayed as a sense of pride for the historic tower. There are no tours offered for either water tower - it would be cool though. FYI..I always wanted to climb the tower by its winding staircase.

One of only two water towers in Hollywood. Today I went to the West Lake Park to relax and saw this…read moretall water tower that was begging for a photo. Pulled off the side of Sheridan Street and captured a perfect shot of the light blue tower.

The Central Arcade building is located in Hollywood's historic business district which was…read moredesigned by Hollywood founder Joseph Young in 1921. Many of it's original design features remain. Architectural features of the buildings include those used the 1920's Florida land boom time and after it went bust during the Depression and New Deal eras. The Central Arcade Building is part of the city of Hollywood's Historical Landmark Plaque Tour sponsored by the Hollywood Historical Society and the Community Redevelopment Agency. This is stop number 12. The arcade was a popular building design in the 1920's and 1930's. It was one to two stories in height and had space in the building for individual retailers. The arcade was a precursor to the mall. In the 1930's Hollywood's mayor had a dental office in the building. In the late 1990's the building was the Hollywood Boulevard Theater. Today the building houses Cabo Blanco and Uncle Buck's, a discount store. The upstairs is available for lease.

Self- guided historic tour #2. The Central Arcade was built in 1923 for professional office spaces…read morespecifically for a dentist (Hlwd mayor) thru the 1930's and a photographer sixty years later. The Hollywood Blvd Theater was a tenant here in the right side space and closed forever in 2001. Today, the two storefront locations of 1936 and 1938 Hollywood Blvd are the Cabo Blanco Restaurant & Bar. The words Central Arcade in the mid 1900s meant retail shopping area not as the meaning today which an arcade refers to pinball entertainment. The bronze marker plaque on the outer wall legitimizes the landmark by the Hollywood Historical Society.

The Bank of Dania is a historic Neoclassical building built in 1923. The building has a gold brick…read moreexterior and white fluted columns along the front of the building. The building was designed by architects John Peterson and J. L. Hardgrove. Cost of construction was $35,000. After the bank moved to s new location the building sat empty until 1966 when the city purchased it. Along with several other Dania Beach pioneers, A.C. Frost founded the Bank of Dania on May 1, 1912. The first location for the bank used to be where the Pirates Inn was. It moved to 2 South Federal in 1926 where it remained until 1956. Most recently the building was an antique store. There is a sign in the window that says it will become a window treatment business. It's a shame that the city doesn't turn into a historical museum like some of the other cities have done with their historic but small town halls and courthouses. It would be the perfect place to put in a display about the history of Dania Beach.

Above & Beyond Service - Thank You, Captain Patrick!…read more We're staying at the beautiful Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel and decided to head over to Las Olas Boulevard for dinner. On the way back, we chose to try the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi--and it ended up being one of the best decisions of our trip. It was an easy walk to the stop, followed by a gorgeous boat ride through the canals, and we were dropped off right in front of our hotel. Everything about the experience was seamless... until I realized I had left my purse on the boat. Panic set in immediately. I scrambled to find the Water Taxi phone number, fully expecting to leave a message and hope for the best. Instead, after a quick recording, I was given the option to speak to a supervisor--and to my surprise, a real person picked up. That person was Captain Patrick--and he was absolutely incredible. Calm, reassuring, and immediately proactive, he asked which boat I had been on and then called the captain directly while I was still on the phone. Within seconds, he confirmed they had found my purse. Without hesitation, he coordinated a handoff to the next water taxi heading back toward my stop. Not even 10 minutes later, the boat arrived--and my purse was safely back in my hands. I truly could not have asked for a better outcome to a situation I completely created myself. The level of care, urgency, and professionalism Captain Patrick showed was beyond anything I expected. He turned a stressful moment into a story I'll actually be grateful for. The Water Taxi is already a fun and unique way to experience Fort Lauderdale--but it's the people like Captain Patrick who make it exceptional. Highly, highly recommend!

Got a day to waste? Take the water taxi!…read more Took the taxi to get to one restaurant. Just one. Left at 11am. Didn't get back to my point of origination until 5pm. It was an OUTRAGEOUS waste of time waiting for this taxi, then that taxi, not knowing when the next taxi would appear. One taxi was pulling up to the restaurant where I had been waiting for an hour. Finally! I thought. Nope, suddenly the 'captain' changed his mind and left me standing there dumbfounded. Had to wait another hour for another boat. That's TWO hours of waiting outside after completing my meal. Gross lack of coordination between boats. Passengers were confused on which boat to jump on; it's three different routes. Boats are not marked as to which is going where. The boats move as slow as molasses, too. The good? The staff were nice and gave tour information as you crept along. Other than that, save your TIME and money and take a taxi on wheels, instead. You just want to get where you're going. Who has time to waste like that?!?

The Hollywood Historical Society is a non profit organization, founded in 1974 for the purpose of…read morecollecting, preserving, and educating the public about the history of Hollywood, Florida. They are located in the historic Hammerstein House on Polk Street where they operate a research center that has over 20,000 pieces in it's collection. There is a small store at the research center that sells photos, postcards, and books. They also give free tours of the Hammerstein House on first Sunday of the month, October through May, from 1:00-4:00 PM. On the events page of their website you can see the dates for their lecture series as well as an upcoming lunch on January 19th at the Tropical Acres Steak House. Also on their website is a great printable tour map that gives you a self guided walking tour of historic places along the beach and in the downtown. I love what the historical society is doing to preserve the history in Hollywood. It is always fun to discover on of the plaques they have installed on a building and read about the history of the place. You can support the historical society by becoming a member, making a donation, or serving as a docent at the Hammerstein House.

My 1400th year I saved this milestone review for this organization that I have been a Lifetime…read moremember of since moving to Hollywood 19 years ago. This is a wonderful organization that's mission is preserving and protecting Hollywood's history. The headquarters is located a short walk from my home on the Southside of the golf course, on Polk street in the historic district of Hollywood Lakes. The Hammerstein House was donated to the City by the Hammerstein's who have a great love for this city as well as no children to pass the property down to. The Historic Society rents the property on a 99 year lease for $1. per year. There is free tours given of the home first Sunday of the month from October through May. The historic details are magnificent such as the Cuban tile that is original to the home as well as the grand archways. The kitchen has cabinets that reach up to the top of the ceiling and it really lent itself as a place for entertaining. The grounds have beautiful greenery and lush trees. As a past President I had my own home featured on the Annual Historic Home Tour. That year we featured the homes of Northlake which also included the Hollywood Women's Club that is located around the corner from my home across from the Hollywood Beach Resort and Country Club. I highly recommend you stopping by the home for a tour as well as learn more about the City of Hollywood's fascinating history as well as former residents that called Hollywood their home.

What a breathtaking 338 mile route from Key West to the Georgia border. The most significant areas…read morefor dramatic ocean views are near St Johns and Flagler but the tri-coast area of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Miami are close seconds. Most vacationers know the A1A route better as US1 which connects inland northwest and runs all the way to the Canadian border. I remember my grandparents taking this route from New Jersey south to Fort Lauderdale in the 70's. In Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale you can grab a peek of the ocean from some spots and lots of mom and pop eateries. Aside from vehicular traffic, there are many people riding bicycles and on foot enjoying the breeze and sights.

Scenic and an amazing view from the beach and the road. I love being here and will definitely…read morecontinue to visit.

The 1913 Shippey House was the home of Broward County's second judge, Frederick Beeker Shippey. Fed…read moreShippey served as county judge from 1920 to 1933 when an illness forced him to resign. As a member of the Elks Lodge, he was recognized for his work with disabled children. Also of note was that he married the celebrities of the time including presiding over the wedding of Tarzan actor and swimming champion, Johnny Weissmuller. The home was slated for demolition in 2008 but was saved and moved at a cost of $200,000 from its original location in Sailboat Bend on Southwest Seventh Avenue to the Riverwalk, home of Ft. Lauderdale's historic buildings. After 5 years of renovation a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in 2016. The building now houses Cycle party Tours, a recreational equipment and tour business. They finished restoring the landscaping and interior of the house. The rent kayaks,bikes, and segways as well as offer tours of Ft. Lauderdale. Next to the Shippey House is a public parking lot that allows people to park and access the river front.

On this beautiful day, I rode my bike along Himmarshee Street and veered off one road to the south…read morealong the historic district of Riverwalk with scenic views of the New River just in time to watch the railroad draw bridge open its rusty steel jaws to allow yachts to pass. In this area of the Linear Park, which was densely fortified with plants, trees, winding bike and walk paths, there were restaurants, historic landmarks, cultural exhibits and monuments.

The Riverwalk pathway runs from the Esplanade Park through the historic district to the New River…read morebridge and train tracks. Nice area shaded by trees with incredible views of the New River. Great pathways to ride your bike or walk your puppy and have a matcha at Pure Vida.

The Dania Beach Women's Club was organized July 18, 1923. Women's Clubs were a place for social and…read moreliterary gatherings. Over time it became a way women could push social reform and exert social and political influence when women were expected to be home makers. Early projects in the club's history included sponsoring a girl scout troop, maintaining a cemetery and Federal Highway, and supervising activities in the town's community club. In 1928 the club began fundraising for a library. Dania Builder John Anderson was hired to build the wood frame vernacular library in the corner of a city park in 1935 at a cost of $1,000. In 1950 an adjoining meeting hall was added to the building. In the 1970's the Broward County Library began operating on a county wide system and the Women's Club Library was closed in 1978. Since then the building has been used for storage and meetings.

At first glance, we thought this was a dog park then saw the kiddies playing and the jungle gym…read more The play park is fenced although the child latch is missing from the gate door. The sand volleyball court and tiki huts were a nice addition. In the Dania Beach parking lot, there is a small bronze plaque honoring Frank Adler for the park constructed in 2023. PARK #83