Sept 20: Center Shift

As I begin this blog, I'm just back from a drive by the Fort Lauderdale beach this morning. It was ... well, really, what single word can do it justice? Was it "gorgeous?" Yes, sure. Was it "inspiring?" I always find it so. Was the view of the sand and the sky and the sea "awesome?" I suppose, though that particular adjective wouldn't be my first choice. You get the idea, though. Greater Fort Lauderdale's coastline draws me toward it at every opportunity. So I sometimes lose sight of the fact that Broward County has changed in many ways since I first moved here from New England more than two decades ago. It has spread out. (No jokes, please, about the same thing happening to me during this period.) This area's center has decidedly shifted westward.

I was reminded of this during a drive last week to a South Florida TV studio located in west Broward. As I headed toward the interview along Interstate 75, I looked out at all the development on land that was mostly Everglades when I arrived in Florida.

It still amazes me. And of course there's even more development to the west of that road these days. The western sections of Greater Fort Lauderdale have been turned into the suburbs for thousands of residents. This includes Weston, high-priced home to some of South Florida's sports stars. And it includes the upscale Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa, which attracts scores of tourists from all over the world. I guess my point is just this: that "gorgeous, inspiring and awesome" as our beaches are, there's much more to Greater Fort Lauderdale now than only the seafront. Inland attractions, inland hotels, inland restaurants offer a wide variety for locals and tourists alike. Just go to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino any night of the week if you want to see what I mean. It gets packed with hotel guests and gamblers, clubgoers and restaurant customers. Situated several miles from the coast, Hard Rock draws some of the biggest acts in show biz to its stage. When I moved to South Florida, "west Broward" was anywhere west of I-95. That's not even the center of the county now. Like I said, amazing. And west Broward also is beautiful in its own way, with vast expanses of flat open country among the buildings and roads. I may love our beaches best of all, but there is life far to the west of I-95. My recent drive out there helped me to recall that it's worth paying a visit from time to time.