LauderBlog
Sept 8: On the Broadwalk, Part Two
Posted On: September 8, 2006 12:01 PM
Posted By: LauderBLOGGER
Related Subjects: Greater Fort Lauderdale
We left off our visit to the Hollywood Broadwalk after my long southward stroll along the renovated path. I was getting hungry by now, shortly after 9 a.m. You may recall that I’d walked completely beyond the upgraded area, south of Indiana Street, so that I stood near the point where Hollywood’s past and future meet. I wanted to go back to the future, thank you.
So I wandered north again until I came to a nice section of outdoor cafes serving breakfast, lined up one after another. I picked a place on a pleasant corner, where I could look out easily at the new Broadwalk and the sea. And then I just relaxed over coffee with eggs, toast and home fries. About $3, including tax. The Broadwalk may be going upscale but there are still plenty of places to eat inexpensively. I had a lovely time, taking in all the action around me. On the sand, some young women were playing volleyball. Inline skaters, runners, bicyclists were scooting along on this sunny Saturday, enjoying the beautiful pathway. I also overheard some woman chatting on her cell phone nearby, making the cardinal tourist mistake in Hollywood, the mispronunciation that tells every local you’re not familiar with these parts. “Oh, we’re just sitting having something to eat on the Boardwalk,” she said. No, ma’am, we’re not in Atlantic City. Around here, it’s the Broadwalk.
After breakfast, I continued north, appreciating the new sights all over again. The wavy seawall runs beside the beach, the widened Broadwalk with its brick walking area and attractive bike path. And all those new palm trees. I couldn’t get over how many tall palms Hollywood had planted. I noticed Superior Small Lodging signs on many of the small hotels which have been spruced up too on the Broadwalk. And an increasing number of upscale restaurants including Sugar Reef, my favorite café for a taste of the Caribbean.
Yes, it’s definitely changing. Right before I returned to my car, I noticed an attractive woman crooning a jazzy number at an outdoor restaurant. I remembered her from a Fort Lauderdale nightclub I used to frequent. She’s a good singer, with a repertoire of sophisticated music. Now here she was on a Saturday morning, on the Hollywood Broadwalk, belting it out. That told me something. It told me that even now, before all the renovations are done, this isn’t the same funky Broadwalk of the past. And it told me, hey, maybe I should start hanging out here more often.
So I wandered north again until I came to a nice section of outdoor cafes serving breakfast, lined up one after another. I picked a place on a pleasant corner, where I could look out easily at the new Broadwalk and the sea. And then I just relaxed over coffee with eggs, toast and home fries. About $3, including tax. The Broadwalk may be going upscale but there are still plenty of places to eat inexpensively. I had a lovely time, taking in all the action around me. On the sand, some young women were playing volleyball. Inline skaters, runners, bicyclists were scooting along on this sunny Saturday, enjoying the beautiful pathway. I also overheard some woman chatting on her cell phone nearby, making the cardinal tourist mistake in Hollywood, the mispronunciation that tells every local you’re not familiar with these parts. “Oh, we’re just sitting having something to eat on the Boardwalk,” she said. No, ma’am, we’re not in Atlantic City. Around here, it’s the Broadwalk.
After breakfast, I continued north, appreciating the new sights all over again. The wavy seawall runs beside the beach, the widened Broadwalk with its brick walking area and attractive bike path. And all those new palm trees. I couldn’t get over how many tall palms Hollywood had planted. I noticed Superior Small Lodging signs on many of the small hotels which have been spruced up too on the Broadwalk. And an increasing number of upscale restaurants including Sugar Reef, my favorite café for a taste of the Caribbean.
Yes, it’s definitely changing. Right before I returned to my car, I noticed an attractive woman crooning a jazzy number at an outdoor restaurant. I remembered her from a Fort Lauderdale nightclub I used to frequent. She’s a good singer, with a repertoire of sophisticated music. Now here she was on a Saturday morning, on the Hollywood Broadwalk, belting it out. That told me something. It told me that even now, before all the renovations are done, this isn’t the same funky Broadwalk of the past. And it told me, hey, maybe I should start hanging out here more often.
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