Holiday Springs - Margate, FL

Jack Marqusee founded Margate in 1950, the name of the city taken in part from his name, and the “gate” part used because Margate was considered the gateway to western Broward County. While in 1967 Margate had little more than 5,600 residents, today it houses more than 56,000 and provides its residents with all primary public services, including its own fire department, police department, recreation department, parks, senior center and storm water utility department (one of the few cities in Broward County to do so). Margate even hosts annual events such as a Winter Festival with fake snow and a 24-foot tubing slide.

There is no shortage of restaurants in Margate. Many options can be found at and around the intersections of busy streets as you get closer to the highway, such as the intersection of Commercial and 441.

Wake up and head to the Gem Eatery for breakfast for fresh, homemade, indulgent dishes. It's not just the size of the cinnamon roll that amazes locals; how fresh the dough tastes keeps them coming back for more. Order the cream-cheese-stuffed French toast topped with a vibrant array of fruits and dusted in powdered sugar just to see the artistic concoction. The simple yet elegant decorations do wonders to whisk you away from its shopping plaza locale — just as much as the food does.

If you're a fan of good wings, eating at Rooster's Restaurant makes you re-evaluate any wing you've ever called "good" or "the best." In particular, order them extra wet and add garlic for an experience you won't regret. Chicken and buffalo thumbs are also on the menu and worth trying, as they can best be described as chicken fingers — but better. Despite the restaurant's name, it does serve much more than just chicken, and the rest of the food tastes just as good as the wings.

Nightlife comes easy in Holiday Springs. If you're looking for a bar, try Inkwell Pub for craft beers, board games, and karaoke. O'Malley's Sports Bar on N. State Road offers beer pong tournaments on Wednesdays and some of the best live bands and DJs in the area on the weekends. Up the ante, and head to Paladium Nightclub, where you can dance until 4 a.m. to Latin music under flashing lights that make you feel like you can go all night. Catch plays and musicals at Broward Stage Door, a cozy two-stage venue located near the Stranahan River.

The most common form of transportation around Holiday Springs is driving by car. Holiday Springs sits close to both the Sawgrass Expressway and the Florida Turnpik. However, these roads are far enough from each so as not to suffer from the congestion right around those highways. Although you can take the Sawgrass Expressway toward I-95, which is a bit farther, the expressway ends and gives way to a regular street for a while before getting to I-95.

Several bus stops for both the Margate Inner-City Transit and larger-scale Broward County Transit are very close to Holiday Springs, making the neighborhood convenient if you plan on taking public transportation. Margate Inner-City Transit costs $0.50 per leg. Although one leg via Broward County Transit can cost up to $1.75. A variety of passes, like day passes or annual passes, help residents get better rates while riding public transporation. You can take Broward County Transit routes to the Tri Rail, which has stops not only in Broward County but in Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade County as well.

Don’t expect to walk out of your Holiday Springs and hail a cab. If you’re going to need a ride, it’s definitely worth calling a taxi company beforehand. If you opt to use Uber’s UberX service, a ride to Pompano Beach costs only between $12 and $17.

Holiday Springs is walkable, and many of the streets in Margate have sidewalks. Many but not all of the streets also have bike lanes, but bikers should exercise caution particularly when approaching highways due to the resulting congestion.

Parks in the area, such as the Margate Sports Complex, provide fun opportunities for the family, including movie nights under the stars. A bit farther, but worth the extra minutes of driving, you have the Fern Forest Nature Center or Butterfly World. Butterfly World costs about $27 for adult admission, but it is the largest butterfly facility in the world, with numerous butterfly enclosures you can walk through, as well as bird enclosures where small birds sometimes even land on your head. Fern Forest Nature Center serves as a true retreat into nature where you can forget about streets and buildings for a while. Pretty red berries stand out against bright, green-moss-coated trees, and you can watch birds in a wading pool at the end of the boardwalk. Some of the paths can get rather muddy, so be attentive to which shoes you wear. Enroll your little ones in one of the nature programs offered there such as one called “Exploring Florida’s Wetlands.” Or participate in the yoga, guided nature walks or family night hikes. Please be aware that pets are not allowed in the park.

With the largest subtropical wilderness in the nation as your backyard, be sure to explore Everglades National Park. This vast park is a World Heritage Site a Wetland of International Importance, and an International Biosphere Reserve. It is home to many endangered species, including the stealthy Florida panther, the gentle and sweet manatee, and the powerful American crocodile. The Everglades covers about 1.5 million acres of South Florida. The park offers campgrounds, visitor's centers, hiking and biking trails, canoe and kayak trails, boating and fishing locations, and bird-watching spots.

The average rental rate for a one-bedroom apartment in Holiday Springs is $1,168 a month. Take delight in knowing that the cost of living in Margate is about one percent lower than Florida’s average cost, while Ft. Lauderdale’s cost of living soars 13 percent higher. While true that gas costs 3.8 percent higher in Margate than the national average, this is probably a small price to pay to live in the highly desirable South Florida. And at approximately $4 for beer at a local pub, many find life in Margate affordable enough.

Residing in Holiday Springs comes with a number of local shopping options, including Coral Square, an indoor mall with department stores and more than 100 total shops. Festival Flea Market is also not terribly far.

If you’re looking for cute and trendy, score a hip dress or even a cell phone case at Francesca’s Collections, where the color-coordinated arrangement of displays throughout the boutique makes for a peaceful aesthetic experience.

You can do your grocery shopping at a nearby Publix, a favorite in South Florida, or buy in bulk at the local Sam’s Club. For a farmer’s market, go past the flea market to the Urban Farmer Weekend Patio Market (open Fridays and Saturdays) for everything from the freshest veggies to grass-fed beef to locally made personal products.