Miramar Park - Miramar, FL

Miramar was founded in the 1950s with the purpose of serving as a “bedroom community” for Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. Today, the Miramar Park area serves as an ideal suburban location, with a prime combination of attractive homes, green space and commercial areas in the right places. With a plan for development established before such plans were mandated for all cities, Miramar has grown in a controlled way, using its land effectively and efficiently. While many of its neighbors suffer from the effects of overcrowding, Miramar, one of the largest cities in Florida in terms of land, has developed less than half of its acreage. The land that has been developed provides families with the opportunity to thrive, with locations like the Miramar Cultural Center hosting art galleries, banquet facilities, a theater for dance recitals and more.

Miramar Park's range of dining options has something for everyone's taste buds, and low-key lounges and bars keep a fun night going strong without interrupting the suburban peace.

Do you think of Italian restaurants as dark and stuffy with heavy food? Take delight in a fresh experience at Sosta Caffe, where light-colored wooden walls and bar stools made from bicycle wheels create a unique, yet casual and cozy, dining spot. Its menu showcases not one but three different types of lasagna. Fuel up after the gym with a Centurion smoothie, complete with vanilla protein, peanut butter, apple and cantaloupe, to give your body a boost after a workout. But what if you want to indulge? Try the homemade tiramisu, which the restaurant makes using a traditional Italian recipe.

Speaking of tiramisu, have you ever tried a tiramisu donut? Visit Mojo Donuts for an ever-changing, creative selection of the tasty treats that sometimes includes flavors like maple bacon, guava cheese, fruity pebbles, deconstructed peanut butter and jelly, and Snickers with shoestring potatoes on top. The atmosphere feels modern and hip, making it a fun hangout spot, or bring a box to work to impress co-workers. Don't be intimidated by long lines (kept moving by friendly staff), but do arrive early in the day, as Mojo closes shop once it runs out of donuts.

Just like you've probably never seen donuts covered in fries, cheese on fire may come as an awesome new surprise at Mezes Greek Taverna. Sweet with a hint of pleasurable tartness and flavored with brandy that the waiter sets ablaze before setting it on your table, the cheese saganaki is as enjoyable in taste as in show. Eat early in the evening so your body has time to digest Mezes' generous portion sizes of menu items like the popular lamb chops or lemon chicken.

Everyone raves about the fish at Tropix Lounge, but its laid-back, late-night lounge outfitted with a DJ that keeps the reggae jams flowing also makes Tropix Lounge a popular choice for dancing and socializing with friends old and new.

You can also grab drinks with your friends and watch all the games and fights on the huge outdoor patio at the Miramar Bokampers Sports Bar & Grill. With a lake in between this restaurant and I-75, the big fish that swim nearby hoping for a dropped fry and the cars whirring by in the distance add to the energetic atmosphere.

If you're looking for a more intense nightlife experience, head to downtown Hollywood for clubs like Spice Resto-Lounge, where hired male and female dancers periodically interrupt the live Spanish music to break it down on the bars.

Miramar Park's central location between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami benefits from being fairly close to I-75 and even closer to the Turnpike, which makes driving to either major city a cinch. Shopping centers in Miramar are equipped with ample free parking spaces.

The Miramar Community Bus is a free method of transportation with four routes that help residents get where they need to go within the city. It also connects to the larger Broward County Transit bus system for more extensive commutes.

To travel by taxi, just call a cab company like A Miramar Taxi to make sure you have a ride when and where you need it. Uber also services the area, with a ride from Miramar to Miami, for example, costing approximately $30 and up.

While some bike lanes currently help cyclists ride safely along the side of the road, Miramar has plans to continuously increase them in the near future. Sidewalks provide pedestrian access along many (but not all) streets, though most locals opt to drive.

Miramar features a number of parks to help maintain a high quality of life and health for its residents. The Miramar Ansin Sports Complex houses an abundance of resources for athletes, including a nine-lane straightaway for pole vaulting and other track-and-field events, a huge community center with locker rooms and a game room, a football/soccer stadium, multiple basketball courts, a netball court, cricket batting cages and more. The complex offers rental facilities and also runs several sports programs, like track and field, cricket and outdoor basketball.

At Vizcaya Park, on the other hand, you can take jazzercise and karate classes or sign the kids up for the basketball league, a basketball clinic, or soccer, as well as take advantage of the pavilions, playground, and computer lab. C. B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines should also be mentioned, as its water parks, batting cages, and nature trails make for some memorable, fun days with the family.

The average rental rate for a one-bedroom apartment in Miramar Park is $1,066.39, a fair price for its selection of attractive and safe homes. Many rental properties in Miramar can be up to 15 percent higher in price than rental options in most neighboring cities. Although gas prices are approximately 3.8 percent more costly than the national average and some food items up to 15 percent higher in price than elsewhere in America, residents find the 12 percent higher cost of living in Miramar as compared to Florida as a whole (as well as the rest of America) well worth it. And it's a little cheaper than the city. Not to mention, $3 for a 16-ounce beer isn't so bad.

In addition to a handful of Publix Super Markets in the area for pantry essentials, you can find most of your favorites within close reach of Miramar, including a nearby Kohl's.

The neighboring city of Pembroke Pines is home to Pembroke Lakes Mall and the Shops at Pembroke Gardens, a trendy outdoor shopping mall with a mix of upscale and more affordable options.

While there, take a peek inside a boutique called Francesca's Collections. Whether you're hoping for a cute new sundress or novelty gifts like comedic shot glasses, you are likely to find something that catches your eye. If the kids have been patient during your shopping trip, reward them with a 3-foot long gummy worm (or other sweet options) at IT'SUGAR, a brightly colored candy store also located within the Shops at Pembroke Gardens.