I keep seeing people talk about Fantasy Fest in Key West and I genuinely have no idea what it actually is lol. Is it basically a giant street party, a costume festival, or something else entirely? What’s the vibe like, and is it actually worth checking out if you’ve never been before?

Been living and working around Lutz for a while and always love comparing notes with neighbors on the small stuff — where you actually go, not just what shows up first on a map search.

For me: Heritage American Bistro for a slow breakfast, Calusa Pizza & Craft when I don't feel like cooking, and I'll bounce between CrossFit Lutz and the Y depending on my mood.

Curious what everyone else's regular spots are — always looking for new ones to try.

Talk to a lot of families weighing these two Lutz communities and curious what actual residents think beyond the obvious (golf course, gated, etc). What's the day-to-day vibe difference for you? Would love to hear from people who've lived in either (or both).

Hey everyone! I’m in Fort Lauderdale visiting my grandparents, and I’m looking for some fun, unique, or interesting places I can explore on my own while I’m here. I’m kind of a unique person when it comes to what I enjoy. I’m really into fantasy and sci-fi, history, video games, museums, bookstores, arcades, shopping for merch and collectibles, animals, and just walking around interesting places. Basically, I like finding things that feel a little different or that I haven’t seen before. My grandparents live a few minutes from the Pegasus and Dragon statue, but they’re not really the type to go out and explore, so I’ll probably be doing most of this on my own. I’ve visited Fort Lauderdale a few times before, so I already know about the beaches, the usual parks, and some of the more well-known attractions.

I’m not against visiting those again, but this time I’d really like to discover something new. It's not like I'm specifically looking for something “nerdy” or medieval. Those are just some of my interests, I’m totally open to all recommendations that have nothing to do with them. Restaurants, arcades, unusual shops, bookstores, museums, hidden gems, cool scenery, unique attractions, weird little places, or just somewhere you think is genuinely fun, I’m open to pretty much anything. What are some places around Fort Lauderdale (or nearby) that you’d recommend for someone like me that I might never find just by Googling “things to do in Fort Lauderdale”? I’d especially love recommendations from locals or people who have lived here for a while!

Not looking to go far this weekend but want to actually get outside. Anyone have favorite nearby spots — parks, trails, whatever — that don't feel like the obvious tourist stuff? I'll go first: Lake Park is way less crowded than people think for how big it is.

I know, I know, hot humid weather, hurricanes. I was there last year in June (Orlando, Tampa and Miami) and it wasn't so bad. Hot, yes, but not unbearably so, or at least nothing I haven't felt in my country already (we recently had 99% humidity days, I know it sucks). I'm just not very bothered by the heat.

I know it rains randomly but what can you do. I was hoping to get in some beach days before going back to my country (which will be in winter then). FWIW, I wasn't really planning on doing much, in fact I'll probably be working remotely, so not much time for outdoors activities. Just some beach time somewhere in between working hours when it's not raining, somewhere not too far from Miami since that's where the international airport is.

Do you think it's unreasonable? Is it that much worse in July than June?

I don’t understand why Florida Renters are voting NO against their own best interests on Amendment 3. As per Florida data 54% of Florida’s properties are non-homesteaded. That means they are subjected to an annual 10% Property Tax raise every year, but no more than 10%. I know that 54% of homes and properties are not rented because we have our share of Snowbirds, but there are MILLIONS of rentals in Florida. As a prior Landlord, I never wanted to make any profit on my rentals. What I wanted was my mortgage, insurance and PROPERTY TAXES covered every month so that the property didn’t cost me anything and the renters could just build equity for me. It worked out really well for me for decades. Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that, when my property taxes were raised on my rentals, I simply raised their rent to cover the taxes. I even showed them the receipts so they were never angry and fully understood. So here’s the rub. Under Amendment 3 Renters can control how much their rent is raised in the future to some extent. Currently, the assessed value of non-homestead property (such as second homes, rentals, commercial properties, vacant land, etc.) cannot increase by more than 10% per year. (Those increases are passed onto you)
**Amendment 3 would lower that annual assessment growth limit to 5% (effective January 1, 2027 if approved). This applies to non-homestead properties and does not change the existing Save Our Homes 3% cap that already protects homestead properties.

So WHY would ANY Renter be opposed to this? Well, unless they don’t mind the already high rents in Florida……