Fort Lauderdale and Broward County

Collegiates of the 1960s now returning to Fort Lauderdale would be hard pressed to recognize the onetime "Sun and Suds Spring Break Capital of the Universe." Back then, Fort Lauderdale's beachfront was lined with T-shirt shops, and downtown consisted of a lone office tower and dilapidated buildings waiting to be razed.

The beach and downtown have since exploded with upscale shops, restaurants, and luxury resort hotels equipped with enough high-octane amenities to light up skies all the way to western Broward's Alligator Alley. At risk of losing small-town 45-rpm magic in iPod times—when hotel parking fees alone eclipse room rates of old—Greater Fort Lauderdale somehow seems to meld disparate eras into nouveau nirvana, seasoned with a little Gold Coast sand.

The city was named for Major William Lauderdale, who built a fort at the river's mouth in 1838 during the Seminole Indian wars. It wasn't until 1911 that the city was incorporated. At the time, it had just 175 residents, but Fort Lauderdale grew rapidly during the Florida boom of the 1920s. Today's population numbers around 150,000, and the suburbs keep growing—1.6 million live in the county's 31 municipalities and unincorporated areas. As elsewhere, many speculators busily flipping property here got caught when the sun-drenched real estate bubble burst, leaving Broward's foreclosure rate to skyrocket.

Despite economic downturns, gaming has further rouged the area's complexion. Although South Florida's Indian tribes have long offered bingo, poker, and machines resembling slots—Hollywood's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino ranks as the most glittering example. In 2005, Broward gave a thumbs-up to becoming Florida's first county to offer Las Vegas-style gambling with true slot machines at four wagering facilities: Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, the Mardi Gras Racetrack & Gaming, Dania Jai Alai Casino, and the Isle Casino & Racing of Pompano Park. In 2008, the Seminole Hard Rock cut a deal with the state to replace bingo-style machines with genuine Vegas-style slots.

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