City Series: Greater Fort Lauderdale a Vibrant Place for Young PR Pros
Greater Fort Lauderdale is hot!
Move over, snowbirds. Greater Fort Lauderdale (in Broward County, Miami’s neighbor to the north) has earned its spot as vibrant place for young professionals
A bit more relaxed than Miami, Greater Fort Lauderdale is a bustling city with a spirit all its own. Not surprisingly, the city adopted “Sunny” as a theme to its marketing efforts.
It’s got it all – great beaches, a bustling port, urban attractions, an optimistic city leadership, a growing high-tech base, low unemployment rate and millions of tourists who flock to the area and provide a great economic boost.
Here are some of the many reasons why this area has become a great place for public relations and new professionals in SoFla:
- Location is key — Once a party hotspot for spring break, the area attracts retirees, families and, of course, young professionals. Check out thriving downtown Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and such popular suburbs as Davie, Plantation and Weston. Not far from swanky Aventura, too.
- Foodies, watch out — The restaurants here are rocking. For the first time, the ever-popular Food & Wine Fest (SoBeWFF) will expand to the area in February 2016.
- A fab system of waterways — Once dubbed the “Venice of America” with more than 160 bridges that cross the waterways, FLL is like a popular seaside resort. Check out the parks, amazing nature trails, cycling paths and miles of beautiful golden-sand beaches. You can hop on a water taxi to work, partake in the annual WinterFest Boat Parade on the Intracoastal or explore the Everglades. From airboat rides to gondolas, the water is breathtaking.
- Business friendly — Home to a number of corporate headquarters (AutoNation, Citrix, DHL, etc.) plus incredibly fast-growing companies (Magic Leap) are emerging all around us. Tons of start-ups and (ahem) great communications firms abound.
- We’ve got the “REAL” Hollywood — Hugging the outskirts of FLL, the city of Hollywood boasts a one-of-a kind expansive ocean Broadwalk (one of the country’s best). Hop on the trolley, grab the best burger in town and stroll down the whimsical Hollywood Blvd.
- Love is love — The area continues to draw in more LGBTQ visitors. Earlier this year, the area held its “Love is Love” campaign, which wed 100 couples at once. The Southern Comfort Conference — a major transgender event — also moved from Atlanta for the first time in its 25-year history to FLL.
- Awesome retail therapy — Just a quick jaunt from the amazing Aventura Mall (second largest mall in the country), the area is also home to The Galleria and Sawgrass Mills for outlets galore, plus an array of trendy boutiques along the way.
Public relations pros can look to PRSA Fort Lauderdale for job opportunities, or check out an array of great agencies located in the Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale areas.
Close to Miami and close to Palm Beach, the Greater Fort Lauderdale area is simply close to perfect – and an ideal place for public relations pros to call home.
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Barbara W. Goldberg is the CEO of O’Connell & Goldberg Public Relations, a full service agency she co-founded in 1993, headquartered in Hollywood, Fla. for the past 22 years. Contact her on Twitter @Barbarapr or at bgoldberg@oandgpr.com.
Fort Lauderdale is on the rise and I’m looking forward to my visit.So glad to know there is so much to do and it’s not like another retirement community Florida has to offer!