Inverrary Lauderhill, FL

An upside-down house including an upside-down car once headed the marketing campaign for Sunrise, Florida. News stories provided free advertising and before long thousands of people flocked to see this curiosity. An area largely focused on golf and leisure living, development has surged since the mid-20th century.

The Sawgrass Mills shopping center and entertainment of the BB&T center keep Sunrise afloat, and allow this city to remain independent.

The Plantation historical museum provides area history, and the nearby Young at Art museum’s hands on activities for children make it a popular destination for families and school groups.

Sunrise’s 300-seat theatre, amphitheatre and civic center share space with an art gallery which hosts traveling art exhibits from around the world. The city also puts on various annual events such as the Cultural festival, Earth Day festival, Fourth of July parade with fireworks, and a harvest Festival.

Although there is no central restaurant location, as an upscale suburban neighborhood, outer Plantation/Sunrise has more than its share of finer restaurants to choose from.

For real, authentic Chinese food, including dim sum with the taste of Chinatown, locals visit the Hong Kong City Barbeque restaurant. Start off with spicy Chinese mustard greens, crispy sesame seed buns, or pot stickers and then try some Peking duck or Lamb Stew with Dried Bean Curd Stick Casserole. Arrive hungry and bring a date, because the ample portions here lend themselves to sharing.

For the past four decades, G.G’s of New York has carried on the traditions the Delgardio family brought to South Florida. Recipes handed down through three generations put this family-run restaurant on the map. Italian favorites from Clams Casino to Baked Ziti with a top-notch wine selection to complement any meal welcome diners to eat, drink, and enjoy life. GG's also has party platters of their finest dishes available for your events and buffets.

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy the Woodlands Indian Cuisine restaurant with its pure vegetarian menu. The warm ambiance of this friendly and inexpensive eatery invites the diner to plunge into a world of exotic eastern flavors. Appetizers such as rasam vada or chilli pakora awaken the senses for the entrees to come. After that you might try pesarat upma: a green lentil crepe filled with cream of wheat, following all of that with rice pudding or apple ice cream for dessert. Woodlands opens from Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner, and they provide catering for events of all sizes.

People in this part of town work hard and play hard, reflected by the active nightlife at neighborhood sports bars like Players. Numerous music venues attract South Florida residents to this area with Revolution Live, Cheers and others presenting live music and drink specials.

Best-suited for travel in private vehicles, the outer Plantation/Sunrise area does have bus routes running through along the main thoroughfares. Uber and cab service may provide better transportation than relying on the limited bus service, though you'll want to plan in advance for both. Plentiful, free public parking also enhances the appeal of having a car. Florida’s nearby turnpike has access from Commercial Boulevard, which runs all the way east to South Florida’s inviting beaches.

Walk, jog, ride a bike, rollerblade – the residential sections of this town invite outdoor activity. Narrow biking lanes have been provided on some of the main roads, and the city has sidewalks everywhere.

The 247-acres of Fern Forest Nature Center's Designated Urban Wilderness Area are home to more than 30 species of ferns in the swamp forest, hammocks, and pinelands of the park. The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail goes through here, an area which once was farmland, growing pineapples, tomatoes, beans, and peppers, as well as dairy farming. No pets allowed here, but the nearby Woodville Dog Park allows off-leash socializing. Entrance to the park, free on most weekdays, incurs a small fee on weekends and holidays. This park does not host movies or festivals, but Plantation, Sunrise and nearby Fort Lauderdale have dozens of events to choose from, including art festivals, wine and seafood festivals, boat shows and more.

You won’t pay quite as much to live here as you might think. Although almost all of the accommodations consist of nice gated complexes, the rents here are actually below what it costs to live only a few miles away. At just under $1100 for a one-bedroom apartment, you still get to enjoy cushy amenities like heated swimming pools and on-site exercise equipment. Draft beer may be had in the Sunrise area for $2-4 depending upon where you go and what specials you hit.

A trip to downtown Fort Lauderdale and back on the bus runs about $10, with an additional $10 for the train if you decide to head to Miami or the Palm Beaches. Gas prices in this neighborhood run slightly higher than the national average, but only by about 2-3% - not too shabby when you factor in all the free parking.

Whether bargain shopping at the massive Sawgrass Mills outlet mall down the road or seeking high-end merchandise from shops on Las Olas, this area delights shoppers of all types.

The family-owned and operated Bear and Bird originated as a traditional comic book store, with the art gallery and boutique coming later. Providing a unique venue for local and traveling artists, shoppers can find jewelry, books, clothing, toys, house wares and handmade items within. Focusing on up-and-coming artists and illustrators, shows at Bear and Bird represent contemporary representational art at its best.

Sunshine Plaza’s Publix supermarket allows shoppers to order subs ahead online and pick them up ready-made in the store’s deli area. For more exotic grocery interests, the Broward Meat and Fish Company stocks traditional Caribbean items, and the Hong Kong market supplies Asian fare. The Lucky Food Farmers Market is open year round in sunny South Florida to provide the freshest local produce.