Here in Fort Lauderdale, we love our pets! After all, how can you not love living in our pleasant city, with sunshine nearly every day and close proximity to Miami? Our city offers seven miles of beaches and borders Sea Ranch Lakes, Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and Hollywood. Our tropical rainforest climate may bring a wet, humid climate, but the weather is perfect for a visit to the beach all year long.
In Fort Lauderdale, we spend the day doing many activities. Our city is known for tourism with hundreds of hotels, dozens of cruise ships, and plenty of museums and shopping centers. Local sites of interest include Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Henry E. Kinney Tunnel, and the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop. Boating and yachting are also fun ways to spend an afternoon.
Fort Lauderdale is slightly urban and offers tons of fun for festival-seekers. Spend any time at all here and you will find that there is always something going on here. From food and wine events to the arts, annual events keep things interesting. Local musicals, heritage festivals, and art exhibits offer the opportunity to truly indulge in the local culture.
Fort Lauderdale’s economy is incredibly diverse. While the city has been a significant tourist destination over the years, the city now boasts manufacturing and maintenance industries. The companies based in the city include AutoNation, Commerce Pharmacy, Spirit Airlines, Citrix Systems, and DHL Express. Additionally, the city has been rated as one of the best cities in which to start a career.
The history of our city dates back to inhabitance by the Tequesta Indians. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers came to the area. Unfortunately, they also brought diseases, like smallpox, that caused damage to the population. Until the 1900s, Fort Lauderdale was not necessarily developed. A land boom occurred in the 1920s, but the Miami Hurricane in 1926 caused some economic damage to the area. During World War II, the city became significant because it housed a Naval Air Station. Since then, the city has grown tremendously.
Additionally, our city has been home to a variety of notable figures over the years. Those figures include actor and comedian Leslie Nielsen, actor David Winters, singer and actor David Cassidy, musician Marilyn Manson, Subway founder Fred DeLuca, and chess champion Arnold Denker.
Today, Fort Lauderdale is home to about 182,600 people according to the most recent figures. Of course, this figure is much higher in certain parts of the year when it draws millions of visitors. The population has grown over the years, creating a diverse city with a lot to offer.