Flagler Village, a neighborhood just north of downtown Fort Lauderdale, is preparing for its day in the sun. Since Flagler Arts & Technology (FAT) Village was developed in 2000, its planners have worked to make it a more desirable place to work, live, and play. An eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, work spaces, and state-of-the-art apartment communities have attracted millennials and creatives to the neighborhood in droves, and more promising projects are underway. Here’s a closer look at the forces giving Flagler Village its growing star power.
Arts and culture
Over the past half-decade, Flagler Village has transformed into Fort Lauderdale’s cultural core. It’s the place to go for good music, refined food, tasteful fashion, and contemporary art. The FAT Village Art Association’s efforts, its monthly art walk, and support from local business owners and community developers have made the neighborhood exceptionally artist-friendly. Eye-catching murals line some of neighborhood’s streets, and amenable artist workspaces are cropping up. The Flagler Artwalk, held on the last Saturday of each month, now routinely draws 2,000 to 3,000 people. Studios and galleries like MAC Fine Art, Henning Haupt’s studio, and The Guild 5 Forty Five showcase work by painters, photographers, filmmakers, and dancers.
Bars and restaurants
Flagler Village’s nightlife scene is small but vibrant. Undiscovered Indie musicians command the stage at Jump the Shark. An extensive beer selection, featuring several obscure brews, caters to beer snobs at Laser Wolf. Media company C&I Studios hosts a mish-mash of community events in its beautiful space, replete with a full bar. Yoga hours, movie nights, art exhibitions, and New Year’s Eve parties are a few events C&I is known for.
Ease of transportation
Flagler Village apartment residents fortunate to work in the area have it easy. There’s no work commute, and little reason to leave the well-served, fairly self-contained neighborhood on a regular basis. Great dining, shopping, and nightlife options are within walking distance. In the future, getting out of Fort Lauderdale should be easy from Flagler Village, where the Tri-Rail is expected to expand.
Luxury apartments
In March 2016, the city identified 16 developments in some stage of review or construction in Flagler Village. Three others had recently been completed, and those follow on the heels of several other apartment buildings and hotels constructed in recent years. Apartments like AMLI Flagler Village offer state-of-the-art amenities and convenient access to services and entertainment venues. AMLI’s Fort Lauderdale apartments are equipped with a resort-style swimming pool, yoga and spinning studios, executive “work space offices” and a private dog park and paw wash.
Specialty retail shops
Radio Active Records’ excellent vinyl selection attracts collectors from hours away. Oddballs Nifty Thrift is equally as exciting for fans of vintage and consignment shopping. Elektrik Boutique carries smart fashion designs from Cotton Citizen, DL 1961, For Love and Lemons, Mumu, and Scotch and Soda. LF Stores specializes in women’s swimwear. And the quarterly Indie Craft Bazaar features a behemoth selection of crafting materials, jewelry, bath products, and home décor.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst