Top 5 Things You May Not Know About North Lauderdale

"The City of Tomorrow" 

While some may find it hard to believe, North Lauderdale wasn't always at the center of things.

At its creation in 1963, it was a new frontier – literally and figuratively. 

At that time, the area was largely farmland on the western edge of development in Broward County. 

North Lauderdale was originally a grazing pasture for cows and horses of the Anderson Dairy Farm and also an agricultural area for the Lena Lyons Stringbean Farm.  

Recognizing a rare opportunity to work with a blank slate, famed architect Morris Lapidus turned his attention to planning a city that would become North Lauderdale. 

He was fresh from gaining international notoriety for launching the 1950s "Miami Beach" style resort hotel. 

His design of the Fontainebleau Resort, the Eden Roc, and Americana helped create the style of Miami Beach.

After hotels, Lapidus turned to designing cities. 

North Lauderdale, "The City of Tomorrow," was the first city he would lay out, and over fifty years later, residents still benefit from his influence and vision, which can be seen in the whimsical "beacons" lending the city prominence and the distinct, amoebic shape of Boulevard of Champions.

A Small Community With A Huge Heart For Nature

While predominantly residential, North Lauderdale also offers several perks for tourists and visitors, including the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors-- on land and water, explore nature, and proximity to other cities that highlight the best of South Florida!

In fact, North Lauderdale features an extensive list of parks and recreational facilities for a town its size-- eighteen in total, to be exact!

Yes, I'm not making things up! 

At just less than five miles, North Lauderdale has 18 recreational spaces! 

Here's the list of parks and facilities you can visit while you're here:

• Bicentennial Park 
• Braeburn Park
• Broadview Community Park
• Carl Fusco Park
• Champions Hall Park
• Hampton Pines Park
• Highland Park
• Jaycee Park
• Landings Park
• North Lauderdale Field
• North Lauderdale Sports Complex
• Pompano Park
• Silver Lakes Park
• TOT Park
• Veterans Memorial
• 9/11 Memorial
• Woodville Park
• Wyland Wall

Almost all the parks boast sports courts and areas for family-friendly activities.

The Famous North Lauderdale Community Garden

Did you know that North Lauderdale has its own community garden? 

The project opened in mid-2011 and was immediately popular with residents. 

It has been over ten years since, and despite being moved to a new location, the North Lauderdale Community Garden is going strong!

At the community garden, residents get a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, and you don't even need gardening experience to apply! 

Expert gardeners are part of the community effort and are willing to teach those happy to learn the skill. 

The community garden also only uses flower pots and other eco-friendly and biodegradable materials. 

The maintenance is also done with the fewest chemicals possible, leaving the tiniest chemical footprint in the town's environment!

The Fun Events of North Lauderdale

But that's not all! Aside from the well-loved community garden, North Lauderdale is also a town with a busy social calendar, as it hosts an array of events and activities for residents and tourists!

We're talking about the Haunted Hamptons during Halloween, a Christmas event at the town's City Hall, and North Lauderdale Days, an annual celebration where the town opens the pool to the public, invites vendors, and provides live music-- with a fireworks display towards the end!

'School Is Cool' In North Lauderdale

If North Lauderdale wasn't family-friendly enough, did you know that it offers several schools within its perimeters too?

Broward County Public Schools operates public schools in North Lauderdale, and district schools in the city limits include:

• North Lauderdale PK-8 – Zoned for elementary only, serves the center-north of the city
• Silver Lakes Middle School – Serves much of the city
• Broadview Elementary School – Serves the south/southeast of the city
• Morrow Elementary School – Serves the north of the city
• Pinewood Elementary School – Serves the south and west of the city

Some sections are served by Cypress, Liberty, and Park Lakes elementary schools, while some are by Lauderdale Lakes, Margate, and Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy middle schools.

Coconut Creek High School zones a large part of North Lauderdale. Meanwhile, other sections are to Boyd Anderson, Northeast, and Piper high schools. 

Somerset Preparatory Academy Charter High, a charter school, is also in North Lauderdale.