Tag Archives: Water Taxi

FTLC’s Best Of 2010 – Places

Posted on January 5, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Fort Lauderdale best of places

Best People Watching Spot

Mig: The wooden bench between Poorhouse and America’s Backyard. Honestly, I could bring a 12 pack and hang out there all night.
Fat Hand: Table outside Elbo Room.
S Jam: Along the New River
J Fine: Just found this little gem Sunday…Pompano Beach Bru’s Room for Sunday football – wear your half shirts and henna tit tats! enjoy!

Best Spot On The Beach

Mig: FTL Beach’s South Beach, by the volleyball courts. More sand, more options, and occasional beach raves.
Fat Hand: Across from Blondies. Party time.
S Jam: The jetty
J Fine: McSorley’s beach. Free parking, convenience stores, bars & food…

Best Piece Of Old Florida

Mig: No brainer. Dania motherf**king Jai Alai. I love that place!
Fat Hand: 11th Avenue swing bridge. Reminds me of glory days of Calvin Coolidge’s presidency.
S Jam: Hollywood Beach
J Fine: My apartment – built in the 1950s (I need to get out more)

Best Place To Lay Low

Mig: Shark Valley on a full moon. Outside of a few fellow bikers, it’s just you and the alligators.
Fat Hand: I would say a Florida Marlins game. Because nobody else will be there.
S Jam: Sailboat Bend Fort Lauderdale icon smile
J Fine: If I told you it wouldn’t be MY hide out… The Hut Lounge (Its the shady place guys take girls that they are cheating on the actual girlfriend with (& no I have never been taken there!)

Best Place To Unwind

Mig: Block parties. I like anytime they close down Himmarshee and let us hang in the street. There’s something therapeutic about standing in the street with a plastic cup of cheap draft beer.
Fat Hand: Downtowner Saloon
S Jam: Brew
J Fine: Japanese Village & the fabulous & fun Takeshi deserve honorable mention.

Best Scenic Location

Mig: Perimeter Road by the airport. Watching low flying planes directly over my head will never get old.
Fat Hand: The Jetty
S Jam: Top of the 17th Street bridge
J Fine: Ramp from 595 to 95 North – beautiful Downtown skyline and only positive thing about driving on 595 (just sayin)

Best Store To Look, Not Buy

Mig: Alex’s Gift Shop. The Swap Shop’s garage sale area is a close second.
Fat Hand: Petsmart on Federal Highway. Because looking at animals is fun, but aren’t we supposed to boycott all stores that sell live animals? Or do I have that wrong?
S Jam: Jezebel, although I usually end up buying something
J Fine: Hahaha, no such thing.

Best Guilty Pleasure

Mig: Off The Hookah or Living Room. I don’t go to either very often, but I think they’re fun places to party if you’re in the right mood.
Fat Hand: Drinking margaritas at an outdoor table at any of the bars/ restaurants along A1A
S Jam: Spending money I don’t have at Radioactive Records
J Fine: Shopping & drinking – Gateway Mall has a lot to offer – Jezebel’s, Heart Rock Sushi, Radio-Active Records. 17th Street area also has great options for an urban hike – Water taxi, 15th Street Fisheries, the Village Well…

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Lists

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dear Visitor, Please Don’t Suggest These:

Posted on August 31, 2010 by | Leave a comment

by Kate

Living in South Florida we are constantly bombarded with out-of-towners wanting to visit our year-round paradise.  I do not mind hosting guests, however, I do mind when they ask me to take them to what I consider the WORST tourist attractions in greater Fort Lauderdale.  I’ve heard them time and time again and always try my hardest to find any excuse to avoid these activities that I have developed a strong hatred for over the years.  I occasionally give in, most often after a few beers when I am at my most vulnerable.  For each activity I have offered an alternative suggestion that needs little explanation – take it from the FTLC bloggers!

Fort Lauderdale sawgrass mills main entrance

Nightmare on Sunrise Blvd.

Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall

“What’s this I hear about that big outlet mall?” I cringe at the thought of hearing this question, yet, every time I have a first time visitor, these words are regretfully muttered from their freshly sunburned lips.  It’s the same scenario every time: we struggle to find a parking spot and then walk for five minutes in the heat trying to figure out how we will remember where we parked the car.  We then rejoice upon entering the over-air-conditioned monstrosity of an outlet mall.  There are few things I will give credit to Sawgrass Mills for and one of those things is the fact that it is indoors.  Immediately you are surrounded by masses of people, most of them from foreign countries, running every which way, trying to make the most out of their bargain hunting.  You see people pushing carts loaded with everything under the sun and then you find yourself extremely disappointed when you leave the mall with nothing because the only clothing sizes left are XXL.  You’ll find yourself digging through piles of junk in stores such as Burlington Coat Factory or paying prices for Nikes that seem inappropriate for an outlet mall.  If people pushing strollers into your heels does not bother you enough, you are quickly worn down and ready to return to the car only to realize the mall does not flow in a circle and you’ll have to turn back around and pass all of the unworthy outlet stores that you’ve already avoided.  One tiny bag in hand and a frustrated look on their face, my guests always make some sort of statement like “Well that was a disappointment.” I hide my look of “I told you so” and then we gracefully walk back out to the parking lot, forgetting where we parked, of course.

Alt suggestion: They probably aren’t going to buy anything at Sawgrass so take them to the Swap Shop instead, where they will experience a South FL flea market at its finest.

Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Quirky

Tagged , , , , , ,