Beachfront Ft. Lauderdale vs Miami/SOBE
 

Planning a 3-4 day visit in early November and looking for the best beaches but still a little bit of action. Will probably be doing more happy hour than clubs but would also enjoy some good restaurants.
If we're not that interested in the clubs will Ft Lauderdale do the trick or is Miami/SOBE the only way to go?? Thanks!

I'm in Ft. Lauderdale and love the beach area. It's not too crowded and laid back. You can take the Water Taxi to Las Olas Blvd and enjoy happy hour, or stay on the beach. Check out Priceline for reservations at Marriott Harbor Beach Resort, you can get a very good rate, as opposed to booking any other way. The Marriott is very close to the main office for the Water Taxi, too (just a couple blocks away).

Others can post about SoBe, I'm not familiar with that area. I was there once on a Saturday afternoon and hated the traffic and crowds. Maybe it was a busier weekend than usual, I don't know. The only time I've ever seen Ft. Laud. beach that busy was during Spring Break before Ft. Laud. cracked down on Spring Break activities.

Flying into Ft. Lauderdale is usually cheaper than MIA and you might not need a rental car unless you want to sightsee.

I'm sure you'll enjoy either location.

I personally LOVE Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas area-- It is an area chock full of great restuarants, good shopping and also nitelife-- It is ALL there- no need to go to South Beach unless you particularly want to see it...

South Beach is very nice,very hip,and very young.....

Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas is their answer to South Beach, and it is TERRIFIC...On a Sat.nite, you see tons of people -young -middleaged-all ages- milling and walking around...

I think the beaches of the greater Ft. Lauderdale areas are nicer than Miami beaches however, both are very nice.

I prefer Hollywood Beach or Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.

My husband and I go to both. We are not the "club" type. More like the parents of the "club" type. :-)

We still love South Beach for the show and the strutting of the beautiful and shallow. Great people watching.

We love Fort Lauderdale for its beaches and enjoy the water taxis. You get more of a sense of place in Fort Lauderdale as the city is more of a whole than Miami which is more like several cities.

Great restaurants in both. I will also recommend the Marriott Harbor Beach. Nice spa, great pool, super restaurant in 3030. LLMF