Lauderdale Lakes West Gate - Lauderdale Lakes, FL

Prior to inhabitation by immigrant settlers, numerous tribes lived here. Hunting and gathering, these people enjoyed a peaceful coexistence for thousands of years until the late 19th century when soldiers fought them to take the land, which was eventually used for planting and grazing.

Broward County's city of Lauderdale Lakes sprang from a past rooted in agriculture. As farmland gave way to residential subdivisions, the area's numerous lakes made it an attractive location to call home. Once a retirement mecca, the West Gate section now hosts a vibrant Caribbean-oriented community.

Two museums can be found nearby: The Creation Discovery Museum, which offers hands-on discovery workshops, and has a gift shop with souvenirs relating to dinosaurs and butterflies; and the Purvis Young Museum, which showcases works of the artist, Purvis Young, providing lessons in area history as well.

Residents enjoy annual festivals and events at the beaches and parks.

The usual fast-food restaurants try to compete in a generally centralized location along Oakland Park Boulevard and State Road 7, but they don’t have fresh, wholesome ribs imported from Denmark like you’ll find at Rob’s Family BBQ restaurant. Stop in for slow-smoked meats and homey goodness from the sweet potato fries to Oreo cookie cake and everything a family-style dinner can deliver.

Sushi lovers flock to the Asahi Chinese & Japanese Restaurant, where this delicate flower of an eatery impresses even the most critical diner. Homemade chicken stock forms the basis of many of the dishes here, which include traditional stir-fry and chow mein as well as such choices as baby octopus salad or egg foo young.

When you’re in the mood for Thai food in a relaxing atmosphere, the Thai Curry restaurant has the best satay and pad woonsen around. Everything on the menu may be ordered in-house or as part of a catering package.

Nightlife here sizzles at the nearby BB&T Center, Pompano Park Casino and the Seminole Hard Rock. Sporting events, concerts, gambling, and Passion night club at the Hard Rock provides two floors of dancing pleasure with no fewer than three DJs on duty all night long every weekend. Locals who like to take a walk on the wild side visit the Vegas Cabaret and a swinger’s club – Trapeze – for more risqué entertainment.

Broward County Transit has numerous routes along Oakland Park Boulevard and US 441 going through the West Gate neighborhood in Lauderdale Lakes, and buses run every half hour. Hailing a cab here may be possible at the mall or grocery store, but otherwise using the telephone or computer to contact them will yield better results. Uber does not pick up many riders in this area, but if more people use it the service will expand.

Anywhere you might need to park, you can find plenty of free public parking, and getting into and out of this neighborhood may be accomplished from all directions. Interstate 95 lies a few miles to the east and may be accessed via Oakland Park Boulevard, or enter Florida’s turnpike from Commercial Boulevard to the northwest. Sunpass devices may be purchased to allow unrestricted travel on the turnpike and other toll roads.

Walking in this part of town, more utilitarian than pleasurable, presents challenges, due to the lack of sidewalks on some streets. Without bike lanes, residents stick to the residential side streets or use the parks for their various exercise plans.

The Vincent Torres Memorial Park provides a covered playground for the children, two racketball courts, a tennis court and basketball courts. The site also contains a fitness Center and other amenities.

Three dog parks, the Woodville dog park, Gary B Jones Park for People and Pups, and the Happy Tails dog park allow off-leash socializing. An agility course at Happy Tails draws visitors from all over Broward County.

Parks charge no fees on most weekdays, but on weekends and holidays a small fee may apply.

The annual ONE Caribbean Music Festival in Broward Regional Park and Unite-a-Fest infuse the region with cheerful tones of Caribbean Jazz in a big party for everyone.

The money you save by living here can go a long way toward putting gas in the car or having a more exciting leisure life. Significantly lower than the city average, less than $2 takes you to downtown Fort Lauderdale by bus, and another $5 train fare brings Miami or the Palm Beaches within reach.

Considering the meager $770 cost of rent for a no-frills one-bedroom apartment, it can actually cost half as much to live here as it does only a few miles away in some of the fancy gated complexes. In a place where $2 draft beers can be found at numerous local haunts, that’s not too shabby.

Gas prices trend about 3% higher than the national average here, but that’s an expense clearly offset by the otherwise lower cost of living in this neighborhood.

Lakes Mall, although small, contains a Burlington Coat Factory and other similar large chain stores, primarily devoted to high-value bargain shopping.

Elektrik Boutique, an upscale and classy boutique shop, provides trendy designers and fashion-show quality merchandise for your approval.

Ordinary grocery shopping can be accomplished at the Publix store in Sunshine Plaza but for more ethnic-oriented dishes, residents shop at the Caribbean-style Broward Meat and Fish Grocery as well as the Asian Hong Kong Market. Locals visit the Lucky farmers market and Stiles farmers market for fresh, organic, locally-grown produce.