Hollywood (Florida)

Hollywood is a city in Florida, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. With a population of 153,000 people (2022), Hollywood is a relatively small city that retains an old, laid-back, Florida feel to it compared to the larger cities in the area.

Understand

Hollywood can be divided into four different areas. The first would be Hollywood Beach along the Atlantic Ocean, where you will find most of the action. A short ways inland is Art Deco downtown Hollywood, filled with restaurants, shops, a park, and California essence housing. From here on out there is not much to see as residual housing and small business occupies the area. When you finally get to the edge of town by the Florida Turnpike, you will find a few hotels, casinos and other attractions here along an Indian reservation owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida who have lived in the area since the 18th century.

History

Hollywood was founded in 1925.

Climate

Hollwood has a tropical climate, with very hot and humid summers and temperatures in the 80s and 90s (26-38 C). The city has warm winters, with temperatures in the mid-70s (about 23C). The summer is a rainy season with occasional tropical storms and hurricanes. The winter is drier and mostly sunny by comparison. Hollywood gets about 60 inches of rain annually.

Get in

Generally anything that will get you into Ft. Lauderdale or Miami will get you here as well, with just a tad bit more travel involved.

By plane

By car
  • Interstate 95 that goes south from the Atlantic Coast of the eastern USA and through cities into West Palm Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami runs through here.

By train
  • AMTRAK offers daily train service on the Silver Star and Silver Meteor routes.
  • Tri-Rail,1-800-TRI-RAIL. Tri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, with Hollywood. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The 72-mile system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast. The rail connects to the Metrorail in Miami at the Tri-Rail/Metrorail Transfer Station.

Get around

By car

The easiest way to get around Hollywood and South Florida is by car. If renting, it is substantially less money to rent a car from a location outside of the airport. The city is set up on grid system, and is fairly easy to navigate.

Broward County is served by three major Interstates (I-75, I-95, I-595) and some U.S. Highways including U.S. Highway 1, US 27 and US 441. It is also served by Florida's Turnpike and State Highway 869, also known as the Sawgrass Expressway.

Fort Lauderdale Airport is served by all national and regional rental car franchises.

By taxi

Taxis are generally expensive, but available at almost any time and place.

  • Yellow Cab, fort lauderdale airport (201 van buren street), ☏ +1 954 777-7777. The largest company in the city. 

Larrys Limo +1-800-611-6631 www.larryslimo.com

By bus
  • Broward County Transit (BCT), ☏ +1 954-357-8400. The county bus system. BCT provides for connections with the bus systems in other parts of the metropolitan area: Metrobus in Miami-Dade County and Palm Tran in Palm Beach County. Buses are available, but often slow and inconvenient. There is a push to increase bus service. 

By boat

Hollywood shares the Intracoastal Waterway with Fort Lauderdale; America's yachting capital. As such has numerous boat charter companies. It is a great way to see the area. There are many restaurants and bars along the intracoastal that cater to this clientèle.

See

Do

Hollywood offers a clean, excellent beach complete with its "Broadwalk" pedestrian path, which offers oceanfront shopping, dining, entertainment, strolling, a running path and a biking path. Bike rentals are available. There is also a Beach Theater on the Broadwalk at Johnson Street, with cultural arts performances normally 5 nights per week (weather permitting).

Although it might be hard to get hold of the proper equipment, kitesurfing is great in the area.

  • 🌍 Downtown Hollywood. Centralized location with restaurants, shops, galleries, entertainment, and a newly renovated park. Downtown Hollywood is renowned as a center of art deco, second locally only to South Beach, and filled with art galleries and beautifully restored historic 1930s feel. 
  • 🌍 Dania Beach Pier. Offers a wonderful fishing pier complete with a restaurant. 
  • 🌍 Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (formerly John U. Lloyd Beach State Park), 6503 N Ocean Dr, Dania Beach (FL-A1A across the waterway, then north on Ocean Dr into the park), ☏ +1 954-923-2833. 8AM-sundown. Has gorgeous beaches, boating, kayak and hobiecat rentals, a small outdoor restaurant, and public grills. $6/vehicle. (updated Aug 2020)
  • 🌍 Topeekeegee Yugnee Park, 3300 N Park Rd (north Hollywood; junction with Sheridan St), ☏ +1 954-357-8811, . Offers walking trails surrounding a lake, recreational facilities, a public pool, water park, and campground hookups. 
  • 🌍 Seminole Classic Casino, 4150 N State Rd 7, ☏ +1 954-961-3220. (updated Aug 2020)
  • 🌍 Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, 1650 Harrison St (one block east of US-1 and one block south of Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of South 17th Avenue and Harrison Street), ☏ +1 954-921-3274. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-4PM. A small art museum located Downtown, in a renovated 1920s Mission-style mansion. Adults $7, seniors, student, children $4. 
  • 🌍 West Lake Park (Anne Kolb Nature Center), 1200 Sheridan St, ☏ +1 954-357-5161. A sprawling nature preserve with miles of kayaking trails along native mangrove forests. (updated Feb 2024)
  • 🌍 Hollywood North Beach Park, 3601 N Ocean Dr, ☏ +1 954-357-5161. A natural beach, well-known for its sea turtle habitat. (updated Feb 2024)
  • 🌍 The Big Easy Casino (Formerly Hollywood Dog Track, Mardi Gras Casino), 831 N Federal Hwy. Casino located just over the city limits in Hallandale Beach. (updated Feb 2024)
  • 🌍 Gulfstream Park, 901 S Federal Hwy. Horse Racing with restaurants, shopping, and a giant Pegasus statue. Located just over the city limit in Hallandale Beach. (updated Feb 2024)

Buy

Eat

All along the Boardwalk you can find restaurants where you can get a very big, very tasty, and usually inexpensive pizza with a large beer to go with it. There are many restaurants and bars along the intracoastal waterway that are very good.

Downtown Hollywood in particular can offer a good and reasonably priced meal. Hollywood has particularly large populations of Italians, Peruvians, Romanians, Greeks, and Turks compared to the rest of South Florida...all of whom bring their great cuisine with them. There are a lot of live performances from traditional bands, singers, and exotic dancers either inside restaurants or on the street. The coffee, ice cream, and middle eastern cuisine tends to be of insurpassable quality.

Sleep

Stay safe

Hollywood is a relatively safe city, especially near tourist areas along the ocean. Still use common sense. Don't walk at night alone, be wary of strangers, and do not draw too much attention to yourself. Also the beach in the area is prone to rip currents and man-o-war (jellyfish). Usually you will see a flag hanging at a nearby lifeguard stand telling how safe the water is. If the flag is colored green or yellow it should be safe to go in. if the flag is purple, red, or any other color you should stay out of the water. Only swim in sight of a lifeguard stand.

Remember if you are caught in a rip current don't try to fight it. Instead swim out diagonally with the current until you are safely out of the current's grasp.

As with the rest of the USA the emergency telephone number for fire, police and rescue emergencies is 911.

Go next
Routes through Hollywood
Orlando ← Fort Lauderdale ←  N  S  → Miami → END
Tampa ← Fort Lauderdale ←  N  S  → Miami → END
West Palm Beach ← Fort Lauderdale ←  N  S  → Hallandale Beach → Miami
West Palm Beach ← Davie ←  N  S  → Miramar → Miami
West Palm Beach ← Fort Lauderdale ←  N  S  → Hallandale Beach → Miami
West Palm Beach ← Fort Lauderdale ←  N  S  → Hallandale Beach → Miami
END ← Pembroke Pines ←  W  E  → END
West Palm Beach ← Pompano Beach ←  N  S  → Miami → Miami International Airport


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