Here's a list of useful
list of questions for first time travellers to the region
of Hollywood Beach and South-East Florida in general! These
questions refer to a particular trip that has been planned,
but we think that this advice will help any travellers to
the region!
Happy Holidays!
Dear Webmaster,
Thanks for helping
to plan my trip to Hollywood Beach. I still have a few questions
about my holiday, and was hoping that you could answer them.
Many thanks!
1/ I am flying from
New Orelans with American Airlines and my friends are coming
from London with British Airways (both flights arrive roughly
about the same time after 4 pm). Where should meet, as we
do not want to get lost at Miami airport?
As you will not have to clear
customs and passport control you will pass through the airport
earlier than your friends. Go to the BA arrivals area in
Section A of the airport building (see the Miami
Airport website for more details.) and wait for them
there.
2/ We have booked a
car with Alamo, how do we get to the Alamo office from the
Airport?
Alamo,
like many other rental companies have a booth at the terminal.
However, this is often unattended, particularly late in
the day. In any case, follow a sign which says "Ground
Transportation" (outside the ground floor of the Terminal)
and you will notice car rental vans cruising by. When you
see an Alamo van, raise your hand and the van will stop
and take you to the Alamo depot.
3/ We do not want to
get lost, the best way of driving to Hollywood Beach?
When you are existing the depot,
they again ask to check your rental documents: ask this
person the way for Fort Lauderdale (I think you have to
turn right immediately after you will see a sign for Fort
Lauderdale, so just follow the signs). For Fort Lauderdale
(and Hollywood Beach) you have to take the I-95 road north:
before you join this road you have to pay a toll (75 cents).
Hollywood Beach is about 20 miles from the airport (30 minutes
drive). When you are approaching Hollywood you will see
the signds "Hallandale Blvd.", "Pembroke
Road" and "Hollywood Blvd". The simplest
thing would be to go to the road after Hollywood Blvd.,
which is Sheridan Road, then turn right and drive straight
on the road (about 3 miles) when you come to the end, turn
right again and the third turning on the left is Coolidge
Road, where your Bougainvillea
apartment is located.
4/ As we are staying
in an apartment we will need some food and drinks straight
away - where should we go for groceries?
Publix Supermarket on Sheridan
Street is less than a mile from the from the beach and your
apartment, and there is a wide choice of food and other
neccesities there. There is also a small store right on
the beach on the left of Coolidge Street.
5/ Next day we would
like some and inexpensive breakfast/dinner - where to?
The nearest restaurant is in
front of the small store on the beach, which has a bar and
live music on most evenings. There are more restaurants
and cafes in other direction on the beach – about
a 10 minute walk. Angelo’s
is very nice!
6/ What about nightlife?
Are there any bars or clubs in the area?
There are at least three bars
with live music on the beach, all within walking distance.
For a better choice, the nearest place is in downtown Hollywood,
Hollywood Blvd. and Harrison Street, which are all west
of Young Circle (which is the centre of Hollywood). You
will have to drive there, as it is about a mile and a half
from the beach, or take the no. 4 bus. By bus (fare: $1),
it might take about 10 minutes. However, the last bus runs
at just after 10pm. On the other hand, taxis are inexpensive,
and it should cost you no more than 10 dollars to go back
to your apartment. There is also a trolley bus, costing
$1, which will take you to Young Circle.The nicest places
in downtown Hollywood are O’Hara's
Jazz and Blues Cafe, with live music every night and
which gets very busy, and The
Sushi Blues Café in Harrison Street where top
musicians often perform. If you would like to explore a
bit further afield, there are numerous clubs on South Beach
(Miami Beach), particularly on Washington Street and Lincoln
Road which is two blocks away from the beach. Downtown Fort
Lauderdale, about 7 miles away, is also good for entertainment.
We definitely recommend that
you pick up a free copy of The New Times or City Link newspapers
– they give listings of entertainment events, nights
out and so on.
7/ Are there any dodgy
areas that are best avoided?
Hollywood Beach is very safe,
as it is an island. Areas like South Beach or Fort Lauderdale
Beach are also safe because there are always a lot of people
there, and it is well-policed. Avoid downtown Miami and
particularly the nearby Liberty City area at night.
8/ What kind of sightseeing
is there?
For Miami, you could take one
of the bus sightseeing tours that cover a good deal of the
sights in a short period of time, such as Duck
Tours Miami which is an amphibious bus that covers both
land and sea! In Fort Lauderdale, the Jungle
Queen Cruise is interesting as it shows you many sights
from its canals.
At your accommodation, there
are numerous leaflets telling you about sights, attractions
and tours that you can pick up. There are also booklets
which describe places of interest and which also provide
coupons for discounts on various things.
9/ And what about a
bit of retail therapy?!
Aventura
Mall, about 5 miles away, is an absolute gem! There
are close to 300 stores, with 5 big department stores. To
get to Aventura Mall, go to the A1A road, drive south past
Hollywood Blvd, Hallandale Blvd, past Golden Beach (notice
the very expensive houses – some costing up to $10
million!). Before you come to Lehman Causeway, there is
then a sign pointing to Aventura Mall. It is about a 15
minute drive by car.
Galleria
Mall in Fort Lauderdale, on W Sunrise Blvd., is a bit
more upmarket and doesn’t have as many shops. For
the mall, and for Fort Lauderdale Beach, turn into Sheridan
Street, take the US1 road north, past Fort Lauderdale Airport
and there is a sign saying “To The Beaches”.
You will arrive in Fort Lauderdale Beach. Park in one of
the side streets.
A complete must is Sawgrass
Mills outlet mall, a huge shopping experience! As it
is an outlet mall, many stores sell discounted clothes,
goods...everthing! Apparently, Sawgrass Mills is the second
most visited tourist attraction in Florida after Disney
World! For Sawgrass Mills, turn into Sheridan Street, drive
to the I-95 road, turn right into a north direction (for
the direction of Palm Beach). Just past the Fort Lauderdale
Airport is 595 Road, which you need to turn into. Follow
the signs for SR 84th and drive to Flamingo Road, and turn
north into it. The second major road on the left is W Sunrise
Blvd. – turn into it and you see Sawgrass Mills.
10/ I’d like
to buy an Ipod while I’m there. Where should I go?
There are many electronic stores
where you can buy and Ipod. The best, however, is the Apple
Store in Aventura Mall. They give you free advice, and there
are many accessories for your Ipod also available!
We hope you find our answers useful! For more travel
advice and info, we would definitely recommend taking a
look at The
New Times' Best of Miami.