Will Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Real Estate Boom Take Away From the City’s Old-Florida Charm?

By Alexandra Tarallo

Fort Lauderdale was still a small fishing and agricultural village even when Miami was put on the spotlight as celebrities chose the city as a favorite winter retreat.

Throughout the years however, Fort Lauderdale has transformed itself from a small settlement to a vibrant and cosmopolitan city booming with major corporations, an array of museums, hotels and restaurants, and many other attractions. Amazingly through it all, the city managed to undergo transformation without losing its Old-Florida charm.

The historic Las Olas Boulevard for example, was the first road to the beach. Before the thoroughfare was completed the only way to reach the Atlantic Ocean was by boat via the New River.

One of Fort Lauderdale’s earliest landmarks was the New River Inn which opened in 1908 as one of the city’s oldest hotels. It now houses the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. The Riverside Hotel founded by Preston and John Wells in 1936 is another of the city’s first hotels and is still open. Some of its guests along the years have included poet Edgar A. Guest, members of the Du Pont family, and President Ronald Reagan.

How will the modern state-of the art buildings coexist with the older structures?
It’s hard to tell just yet.

For years Fort Lauderdale has managed to preserve the charming village atmosphere it has always been known for. With the upcoming developments which will add 5,000 new residential units to Fort Lauderdale’s real estate, some are asking if the city’s village-like qualities will be coming to an end.

Perhaps the new construction will add yet another face to the ever-changing city. Will Fort Lauderdale become America’s new iconic metropolis? It certainly has the potential to do so. One thing is for sure, it will take a long time to see the results giving us plenty of time to enjoy the “old Fort Lauderdale.”