Melrose Park - Fort Lauderdale, FL

The Melrose Park neighborhood dates back to the 1940s, when a post-WWII economic boom in the Fort Lauderdale area spurred a population increase and created demand for residential housing west of the city's center.

For many decades, Melrose Park was classified as a census-designated place, a concentration of population that is grouped together for census purposes, physically resembling an incorporated city or town but lacking its own municipal government. In 2002, the city of Fort Lauderdale officially annexed Melrose Park, and it became reclassified as a neighborhood.

Melrose Park lacks structured annual events or festivals, but as part of Fort Lauderdale, it sits in close proximity to many of the city's activities, such as its annual wine and food festival and its riverfront burger battle.

While Melrose Park contains no centralized dining or nightlife district, a diverse gamut of eating establishments line the secondary thoroughfares that serve as the neighborhood's borders. Broward Boulevard, Route 7 and Davie Boulevard each feature a wide selection of culinary options, from Latin to Guatemalan, to Haitian.

Zouk Restaurant on Route 7 personifies the palpable Haitian culture that permeates the area. Locally owned and operated, this restaurant looks like a hole in the wall from the highway, but a friendly and festive ambiance awaits diners inside, and the cuisine ranks as second to none. For a treat straight from Port-au-Prince, try the griot with dri kole: fried pork and a side of white rice with red beans. The fried plantains also rank as a local favorite. Competitive prices characterize Zouk: Dinner entrées start at $10, and the restaurant offers daily lunch specials for $5.

Only a few hundred yards up the road from Zouk sits Latin Flavor Salvadorian Restaurant, the place to go for an authentic Central American dining experience. Catch a soccer match on one of the many flat-screen televisions, and chow down on a crowd favorite such as the Salvadorian steak. Latin Flavor also serves native tropical drinks, banana shakes and a wide array of domestic and imported beers.

At the corner of Route 7 and Davie Boulevard, just outside of the Melrose Park boundaries, sits the Georgia Pig Barbeque and Restaurant, a local favorite that must be experienced. This Southern dive cooks up country favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and its 6 a.m. opening time ensures the ability to tear into a plate of bacon, eggs and fluffy pancakes before the crack of dawn. For lunch or dinner, order the pork platter and make sure to smother it with plenty of mustard barbecue sauce. The Georgia Pig serves scrumptious meals for as little as $5, but that five-spot must be tendered in cash, as the restaurant does not accept credit cards.

Melrose Park features scattered nightlife in the form of local dive bars and hotel clubs. On Route 7 sits Goa Ultra Lounge, a poolside lounge at the Plantation Inn featuring nightly disc jockeys and big screen televisions. For a true night on the town, the bars and clubs of Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale rest only a short drive from Melrose Park.

Melrose Park features flat terrain and a street layout friendly for jogging, bicycling or walking pets throughout the neighborhood. However, getting to many of the nearby restaurants and entertainment destinations requires crossing busy and less pedestrian-friendly highways; therefore, caution should be exercised.

The car remains the primary method of transportation for commuting from Melrose Park to other points of interest in Fort Lauderdale. The neighborhood itself provides free parking, and its close proximity to interstates and major secondary routes makes getting to downtown Fort Lauderdale by car an easy task.

For those who wish not to drive, numerous taxi companies operate in the area, and Uber maintains a strong presence. Hailing a cab in Melrose Park is fraught with difficulty, so call in advance for a ride. Broward County Transit provides bus service to the neighborhood.

Riverland Park serves as the closest park to the neighborhood and provides areas for barbecuing, picnicking and outdoor recreation. It also features a lap pool staffed by lifeguards. The pool requires a small fee for admission, while the remainder of the park provides free parking and admission.

The closest park with exercise facilities sits a mile north of Melrose Park on Northwest 8th Street. Spanning six acres, St. George Park provides a wide assortment of sports fields, such as cricket and soccer, as well as a walking/jogging path and indoor fitness facilities. Use of the fitness center costs $4 per day or $200 per year; otherwise, parking and admission at St. George Park remains free.

Melrose Park's convenient location within Fort Lauderdale's core contributes to its cost of living being slightly higher than the city average. Expect to pay, on average, $1,307 monthly to rent a one bedroom apartment in the neighborhood. A beer at a local bar averages $3.50, and a bus ticket to downtown runs $1.75. Gas prices in the area hover at 4 percent higher than the national average.

Melrose Park doesn't feature high-end retail establishments or a centralized shopping district. Public buses provide service to more expansive shopping areas nearby such as the colossal Sawgrass Mills Mall, located a few miles west of Melrose Park in the city of Sunrise.

Ladies can shop at Rainbow Apparel for all their fashion needs. With a large selection of swanky dresses, stylish tops, killer shoes, fitted denim, and trendy accessories, you'll be in paradise.

The Publix on Davie Boulevard and the Stop and Shop on Southwest 2nd Court serve Melrose Park residents for large grocery shopping trips. On Southwest 1st Avenue in Fort Lauderdale sits the closest farmers market, Marando Farms.