Pompano Beach

 

In 1896, a railroad employee named Frank Sheen was surveying the land when he happened to note what he ate for dinner: a local fish called the pompano. When the city incorporated in 1947, it took on the fish’s name. Today, Pompano’s Public Art Committee has embraced the association, installing 12 public works of art around the city—each a five-foot sculpture of its namesake—with names like “Splash of Splendor” and “Big Fish Small Pond.”

In the heart of Florida’s Gold Coast, the city of Pompano Beach is a peaceful respite from its nearby neighbor to the south, Fort Lauderdale. With major revitalization projects completed and ongoing, Pompano Beach offers pristine beaches with an increasingly vibrant sense of community and the arts.

What to Expect

 

In May 2017, the city unveiled its brand new cultural center, complete with a 400-seat theater. Just in front of the theater on the Great Lawn, families and residents of all ages gather on picnic blankets for evening movies and concerts. For more spontaneous adventurers, quiet parks and beaches are always open to explore.

 

When the sands of Fort Lauderdale are crowded, Pompano Beach residents appreciate their peaceful, quiet beaches. The city hosts an annual Seafood Festival, but also has plenty of local cuisine like the Sunset Catch and the Rusty Hook, where the menu changes daily depending on the local catch. All year long, the city of Pompano Beach organizes fun, community-building events.

Unique finds at antique markets.

For those seeking big-city shopping centers, the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale is probably your best bet. But for unique local charm, the Hillsboro Antique Mall at Festival Market Place is a true gem worth a visit in Pompano Beach.

 

Whether you’re looking to dock your boat or park your beach cruiser, Pompano Beach has a wide variety of single-family homes and condos. Many highrises offer a gorgeous backdrop with views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Reflecting the Spanish Colonial style of ceramic roofs and pastel colors, Pompano Beach homes are charming and affordable.

 

For anyone waiting for the right time to get scuba certified, the Pompano Beach Dive Center has 60 sites for diving and snorkeling within 20 minutes of the inlet. The waters of Pompano Beach offer many shipwreck dives like the Lady Luck, where it’s not uncommon to swim past a Atlantic goliath grouper or sea turtle.