Where is the main strip in Fort Lauderdale?

Q: Can you walk down Las Olas Blvd?

Las Olas Blvd is one of Fort Lauderdales most popular thoroughfares – Stretching from Andrews Ave in the heart of downtown, through the business, shopping and dining districts all the way to Fort Lauderdale Beach. Its pedestrian friendly, runs east to west and is just under 2.5 miles.

This summer we are visiting some of South Florida’s most popular beaches, including Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Boca Raton and Delray Beach.

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Where is Main street in Fort Lauderdale?
Does Fort Lauderdale have a strip?
Can you walk down Las Olas Blvd?
What is the best area of Fort Lauderdale?

Think of Fort Lauderdale beach as Broward County’s front porch.

This is where we sit and watch the world go by, waving at some and staring at others — people watching at its very best. From almost any perch along the expansive shoreline you can see a wild and heady mix of people, every demographic you can think of and a few you didn’t have a clue about.

But there are some things you really need to know for your visit. Think of these as hacks for having a heck of a time on the sands.

[ PHOTOS: South Florida's beaches ]

Several beaches in one

What most people consider Fort Lauderdale beach stretches from Fort Lauderdale South Beach Park (bordered by the B Ocean Resort to and Bo’s Beach restaurant) all the way up to NE 18th Street to the north.

But there are parts of the beach that take on certain personality traits.

The Strip — which runs roughly from the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach north to Casablanca Café — is a a loud, bustling stretch of hotels, bars, restaurants and T-shirt/flip-flop stores. On the actual beach, it can be a youthquake where young people clown around during Spring Break and hard bodies/curvy figures strut their stuff. To get the latest information, including shopping deals and dining discounts, go to ItsBetteronTheBeach.com/offers/florida-resident-card and/or MyFortlauderdalebeach.com/my-ftlb-blog/budget-friendly/destination-lauderdeals-beach.

In addition to a children's playground, Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (a.k.a South Beach Park) also has a basketball court, work out resistance bars, volleyball nets and picnic tables with outdoor grills. (Rod Stafford Hagwood / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (a.k.a. South Beach Park) is popular because of its many picnic tables and outdoor grills that draw lots of families, but there’s also a basketball court, playground, work out resistance bars and volleyball nets.

[ SOUTH FLORIDA BEACH GUIDE 2020: Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach ]

The beach at Sebastian Street and A1A (across from the Ritz-Carlton) is unofficially known as the “gay beach.” That status goes all the way back the 1970s when the Marlin Beach Hotel, a popular resort for gay men, was near where the shopping and dining center Beach Place now resides. Over the following decades gay guesthouses popped up on the west side of A1A near Sebastian Street, drawing an international LGBTQ client to boutique hotels such as Cheston House, the Grand Resort and Spa and the Worthington Resort.

Though off of the beaten path, there are some hidden public access beaches buried deep inside a residential area that starts at the Auberge Beach Residences and Spa and goes up to Oakland Park Boulevard.

Amenities

Just a block off the beach on Breakers Avenue, three blocks between Belmar Street and Windamar Street — in what even locals might be surprised to learn is called the North Beach Village neighborhood — there are some boho-chic boutiques, tiny tapas eateries and food trucks. There’s even a wine bar, yoga classes and electric bicycle rentals. For more information, go to BreakersAvenue.com.

Marinas on the west side of A1A (just south of Las Olas Boulevard and north of Fire Station 49) offer charter fishing boats, paddleboard rentals, snorkeling, parasailing and even Jungle Queen tours of the Intracoastal. (Rod Stafford Hagwood / Courtesy)

There are marinas on the west side of A1A, just south of Las Olas Boulevard and north of Fire Station 49, that offer fishing boats, paddleboard rentals, snorkeling, parasailing and even Jungle Queen tours of the Intracoastal. For more information as well as deals and discounts, go to MyFortLauderdaleBeach.com.

You can rent a bicycle at self-service stations dotting Fort Lauderdale beach. The first 30 minutes are free and then after that, you pay $5 for every half hour. There are also seven day and annual passes. Go to Broward.Bcycle.com for locations and more information.

[ SOUTH FLORIDA BEACH GUIDE 2020: Boca Raton's Red Reef and Spanish River parks ]

The only place to get a SEABOB — a mix between a snorkel, jet ski and scuba combined in one machine — is to visit Beach Ventures at the Pelican Grand Beach Resort, 2000 N. Ocean Blvd. Call 954-530-9844 or go to FLbeachventures.com. They also have jet skis you can rent as well as fishing and yacht charters.

The crew of Atlantic Beach Clubs II, a jet ski rental on the sands of Fort Lauderdale beach across Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard (A1A) from the Casablanca Cafe at Alhambra Street. (Rod Stafford Hagwood / Courtesy)

Speaking of jet skis, there are plenty of places to rent jet skis along the Intracoastal, but there’s also one on the actual sands of Fort Lauderdale beach. That is at Atlantic Beach Clubs II, where you can rent jet skis for $140 an hour or $85 for half an hour. The outdoor location is on the beach across Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard from the Casablanca Cafe at Alhambra Street. 954-543-2938. Boat-Rentals-Fort-Lauderdale.com.

At Sunrise Boulevard and A1A, there is a little enclave tucked behind the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach. Curving from Sunrise Lane to NE Ninth Street are a few convenience stores, T-shirt shops, tattoo parlors and anchored by old school touristy eateries and bars such as McSorley’s Beach Pub, Parrot Lounge, Yo Mama’s Ice Cream and Pops Corn, Primanti Brothers Pizza Grill and El Taquito Playa.

If you need a respite from the sand, then check out the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens (900 N. Birch Road, 954-563-5393, bonnethouse.org).

Also, the Water Taxi, which makes stops along the Intracoastal and deep into some of the canals surrounding downtown Fort Lauderdale, is popular with travelers. All-day tickets range from $14 for children to $28 for adults. Call 954-467-6677 or go to WaterTaxi.com.

Lifeguards

The lifeguard schedule adapts to match daylight saving time.

During the summer (March-October) lifeguards are on duty from 9:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In the winter (November-February), they are on duty from 9:15 a.m. to dusk.

Coronavirus changes

As of now, Fort Lauderdale beach’s new hours are from sunrise to sunset. There are signs asking you to follow CDC guidelines, including maintaining six feet of social distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands thoroughly. You can take your mask off when in the water or when engaging in “active recreation or exercise.”

Other signs go into detail, such as asking you to visit the beach alone or with members of your household, keep moving and don’t congregate (or risk being asked to leave).

The public restroom at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, 700 Seabreeze Boulevard. (Rod Stafford Hagwood / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Restrooms

The two public restrooms in Las Olas Oceanside Park (3000 E. Las Olas Blvd) and in Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (700 Seabreeze Blvd.) are open every day from sunrise to sunset.

There is also a temporary restroom trailer at DC Alexander Park that is open solely on weekends from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. This will eventually be replaced with a permanent restroom once the renovation of DC Alexander Park is finished sometime in late 2021.

Even better, the public restrooms must now be sanitized at least every three hours with new COVID-19 mandates. By the way, when the coronavirus rules are lifted, the restroom at Las Olas Oceanside Park should return to normal hours of operation from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. and the restroom at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park from 7 a.m.-11 p.m.

There are also restrooms at shopping and dining center Beach Place, 17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.

However, for the price of a cocktail at the bar, you can use the remarkably well-kept restrooms in luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton, the W, the Atlantic, the Hilton and the Westin. Just be sure that women throw some sort of resortwear coverup in their beach tote and that men have a shirt and some drawstring pants or shorts handy. Everyone will need at least a pair of sandals to enjoy the bar and, more to the point, the restrooms.

Parking

The city-operated lots fill up fast on weekends during season, but if you can find a spot, the metered spaces range from $1 to $1.75 an hour. That’s the same price for most of the on-the-street metered parking you’ll find on the streets just west of A1A up and down Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The two-year-old $22.6 million, 650-space Las Olas Parking Garage at 200 Las Olas Circle has parking for $2 an hour.

But look for a new pricing structure with the city’s garage, lots and street parking starting on July 1. That’s when non-residents will pay $4 an hour for beach parking while residents will pay $1.50. That will be for all city-operated parking east of the Intracoastal and south of Oakland Park Boulevard (the start of Galt Ocean Mile).

Residents can register for the special rate beginning Monday, June 15 and get the latest in city parking at FortLauderdale.gov/parking.

Where is Main street in Fort Lauderdale?

Las Olas Boulevard is the main shopping and restaurant street in Fort Lauderdale, where you can stay until late in the night.

Does Fort Lauderdale have a strip?

The strip in Fort Lauderdale is the section of A1A that runs along the ocean from Sunrise Blvd south to Las Olas Blvd.

Can you walk down Las Olas Blvd?

Las Olas Blvd is one of Fort Lauderdale's most popular thoroughfares – Stretching from Andrews Ave in the heart of downtown, through the business, shopping and dining districts all the way to Fort Lauderdale Beach. It's pedestrian friendly, runs east to west and is just under 2.5 miles.