A single low-budget Hollywood movie changed
FORT LAUDERDALE
from a mild-mannered little town that happened to adjoin seven miles of palm-shaded white sands into a byword for uninhibited beach life. Following the 1960 teen-exploitation movie Where the Boys Are , Fort Lauderdale instantly became the number-one Spring Break venue in the US, drawing hundreds of thousands of frenzied students each year. Having fueled its economic boom on underage drinking and lascivious excess, however, the city promptly turned its back on the revelers. By the end of the 1980s, it had imposed enough restrictions on boozing and wild behavior to put an end to the bacchanal, and Fort Lauderdale has transformed itself into a thriving pleasure port, catering to individual yacht-owners and major cruise liners alike, that's also one of the fastest-growing residential areas in the country.
Arrival And Information :
Both of Fort Lauderdale's public transit terminals are close to downtown. Greyhound
buses
pull in at 515 NE 3rd St, while the Amtrak and Tri-Rail
train
station (tel 1-800/TRI-RAIL, ) is two miles west at 200 SW 21st Terrace - take bus #22 into town. The main local
visitor center
is in Port Everglades at 1850 Eller Drive (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm; tel 954/765-4466 or 1-800/227-8669, multilingual
entertainments/attractions hotline
at 954/527-5600, ).
Local bus
#11 runs twice hourly along Las Olas Boulevard between downtown and the beach, and you can also call for a
water taxi
(daily 10am until late; one way $7.50, round-trip $14, all-day pass $16; tel 954/467-6677) to take you almost anywhere along Fort Lauderdale's many miles of waterfront.
OCEANFRONT / FT LAUDERDALE The Atlantic is an oceanfront, boutique hotel located 3 miles from Fort Lauderdale, amidst 23 miles of pristine sun-splashed golden beaches in the heart of Florida's Gold Coast.
PLANTATION / PLANTATION The Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale-Plantation Hotel offers savvy service and gracious accommodations in an elegant European style with a touch of South Florida.
Call toll free..
US and Canada: 1-800-780-5733
Europe: 00-800-11-20-11-40
Use discount code: 89865
