Wilton Manors is pitful

I dont live in Wilton Manors, but was told about this website from someone who does. All I have to say is I am so glad I dont live there. Its a nice small community and all..but apparently alot of people that work and live there are very small minded people. Please is your own lives so bad that you have to trash other people to make yourself feel better? The worse part is you can say whatever you want with outwith anyone knowing who you are....very small minded people for sure. Grow some balls if you have an opinion. Seems like the people most imvolved in the community are the ones that get trashed the most...so sad.
I dont feel sorry for the people whos personal lives you continue to trash but for the people who write this crap...You really are a sad excuse for a human being. Anyone who reads this stuff should realize that most of it isnt true and its the opinion only of a poor excuse of a human being. Grow up Wilton Manor employees.....this isnt second grade.

I dont live in Wilton Manors, but was told about this website from someone who does. All I have to say is I am so glad I dont live there. Its a nice small community and all..but apparently alot of people that work and live there are very small minded people. Please is your own lives so bad that you have to trash other people to make yourself feel better? The worse part is you can say whatever you want with outwith anyone knowing who you are....very small minded people for sure. Grow some balls if you have an opinion. Seems like the people most imvolved in the community are the ones that get trashed the most...so sad.
I dont feel sorry for the people whos personal lives you continue to trash but for the people who write this crap...You really are a sad excuse for a human being. Anyone who reads this stuff should realize that most of it isnt true and its the opinion only of a poor excuse of a human being. Grow up Wilton Manor employees.....this isnt second grade.
If you don't live or work in WILTON MANORS then mind your own business in the city wherever you live. This is a chance for the employee to vent, the same way the mayor and council people trash us and each other in city meetings, town crier and the island city news. The CITY ADMINISTRATION on the POLICE and CITY EMPLOYEE SIDE are total control freaks who have no problems stepping on or crushing a employee who voices a different opinion. So are we to go out in the open and get stepped on. GET REAL. And get this, most of the stuff is true to the letter blue. Most of the people who are truly involved do not get trashed, it the ones who USED the community to get elected and then turned their backs on it who truly get burned. Right SCOTTY. :oops:
:oops:

I dont live in Wilton Manors, but was told about this website from someone who does. All I have to say is I am so glad I dont live there. Its a nice small community and all..but apparently alot of people that work and live there are very small minded people. Please is your own lives so bad that you have to trash other people to make yourself feel better? The worse part is you can say whatever you want with outwith anyone knowing who you are....very small minded people for sure. Grow some balls if you have an opinion. Seems like the people most imvolved in the community are the ones that get trashed the most...so sad.
I dont feel sorry for the people whos personal lives you continue to trash but for the people who write this crap...You really are a sad excuse for a human being. Anyone who reads this stuff should realize that most of it isnt true and its the opinion only of a poor excuse of a human being. Grow up Wilton Manor employees.....this isnt second grade.

From your atrocious spelling and grammar, apparently 2ND GRADE is something you can only hope to achieve one day. Butt out, loser! Stick to your Highlights For Children magazine.

so sorry to hear you are such a miserable person...poor thing, start your meds...Do you think most of the people that write on here actually live in Wilton Manors?? hardly none of the police or general employees do...so please.
Just because I think you are a poor excuse of a person, u wanta have a tissy fit. Grow up

Maybe you should come visit Wilton Manors. Maybe you might get some special treatment for your driving problems. Oops...it appears your headlight is broke. Oops...it appears your taillight is broke. Sign a couple dozen citations.
Then maybe you walk up to the first WMPD cop you see and tell him your disgust. Just tell him all about it. Then maybe you get placed in a snug headlock. Then maybe you start fading to black. Then maybe you spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair eating your meals through a straw.

wake up people. it's time to get rid of the old that have allowed over building. RE-ELECT and start over. Stop the secret meetings. Oh, anyone ever hear of the Sunshine Law? The bickering and picking on each other between comish board members is really getting old and childish. Dump them all!!!!!!

New flights mean
bargains to Fort Lauderdale NEWS
Published 12/31/2009
by Ed Walsh
edwalsh94105@yahoo.com



Beach-goers relax at Sebastian Beach, the unofficial gay beach of Fort Lauderdale. Photo: Ed Walsh

It has never been cheaper, faster, or easier to get to the gay resort capital of the east, Fort Lauderdale.

Thanks to competition from the upstart airlines, JetBlue and Virgin America, roundtrip nonstop flights between San Francisco International and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International start at $198. That's about what you would pay to fly between the Bay Area and Palm Springs. The only nonstop flights from the Bay Area are out of SFO, but if you prefer to fly out of Oakland or San Jose and don't mind a stop, expect to pay about the same or a little less.

Once upon a time, the gay scene in South Florida was concentrated in South Beach, the southern end of the city of Miami Beach. But in the 1990s as some of the gay businesses were priced out of South Beach, the gay scene began to shift about 45 minutes north to Fort Lauderdale.

In a common pattern, gays saw the potential in a neglected part of town and made it their own. Gay businessman Richard Gray helped get things going in 1991 when he took over an old apartment building a couple of blocks from Fort Lauderdale Beach and transformed it into the very upscale Royal Palms resort. His success encouraged others to do the same. Now, there are 30 gay resorts in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Most of the resorts are in the city of Fort Lauderdale and most are clustered in an area just a couple of blocks from the beach. But most of the gay bars, nightclubs, and restaurants are in the neighboring city of Wilton Manors. Fort Lauderdale Beach is just a 10-minute drive from the heart of gay Wilton Manors.

Wilton Manors is one of the gayest cities in the country. Anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent of its population of nearly 13,000 is estimated to be gay. Both Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors are part of Broward County, which currently has a gay mayor, Ken Keechl.

The gay scene in Wilton Manors is growing. Just this month, the sprawling two-level compound, the Manor, opened. It is a restaurant, lounge, coffee shop, and nightclub in one – in the heart of the city's gay business district on Wilton Drive. It is one of the most attractive businesses on Wilton Drive, with beautiful brick siding and Romanesque statues in front.

Also just this month, what could be the biggest LGBT center in the country, if not the world, opened in Wilton Manors. It is an entire compound called Equality Park. The riverfront property sits on 5.5 acres and includes five buildings, a garage, and large open spaces. The main building hosts the Pride Center. Most of the other spaces are rented to nonprofits. The center hosts a wildly popular flea market during the first Saturday of every month.

Sights

The biggest attraction in Fort Lauderdale is, of course, the beach. With year-round warm weather, most days are beach days. While Miami Beach is dotted with beach front high-rise hotels, the beach in Fort Lauderdale is open and completely accessible. A stylish white wave wall with a continuous lighted colored stripe separates it from the sidewalk and Route A1A or North Atlantic Boulevard.

The unofficial gay section of the beach is the Sebastian Street Beach, where Sebastian Street meets the beach. If you are not staying within walking distance, you can park for $1 per hour in the public lot a block away from the beach. It's a short walk from the gay beach resorts in Fort Lauderdale. The 18th Street Beach is more of a cruising area. It is north of Sunrise Boulevard, opposite the Hugh Taylor Beach State Recreational Area.

Fort Lauderdale is the Venice of America with miles of man-made canals where the super rich live. A dock for yacht parking is standard with most of the homes along the canals. A number of tours will take you up close to see how the other side lives. The Duck Tour is a great way to see the city from the land and water. The famous Jungle Queen Riverboat tour is another great way to see the sights along the canals.

You don't have to go far from the beach to feel like you have gotten away from it all. The aforementioned Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area is 180 acres of open space across from Fort Lauderdale Beach. The Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is just south of the recreation area. The historic estate and gardens are open for tours. It is a good glimpse into old Florida's history.

The everglades are about a 90-minute drive outside of Fort Lauderdale and are one of the area's most visited attractions. The Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation is open for visitors daily.

When you think of visiting a beach resort to
Bill's, owned by three lesbians, including Rose Hepworth, left, and Sharon Pickard, has filled a niche by providing cabaret entertainment. Photo: Ed Walsh
wn, you don't think about visiting a library but you can and should visit the Stonewall Library and Archives. It's just a short drive from the beach on Sunrise Boulevard, the city's main drag. The library contains more than 18,000 books and audio-visual materials and more than 5,000 artifacts and periodicals. Some of the artifacts are displayed in a room next to the library. Currently, one section of the room is dedicated to the 1974-1982 disco era, complete with a disco mirror ball. If you get homesick, you can read a copy of the Bay Area Reporter in the periodical section. Best of all, it is free.


Accommodations

The gay resorts of Fort Lauderdale offer something to fit just about every budget and taste. Most are in Fort Lauderdale proper, near the beach. A few are in Wilton Manors. Continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi are standard. Some of the resorts also offer free ****tail hours and drinks served by the pool. Most are men-only and most are clothing optional. The recession has meant that more hotels and resorts are offering specials, especially in low season, which begins around May until Christmas week.

The Elysium Resort is in the middle of the cluster of gay resorts just a couple of blocks from the beach. It has 36 units, the most of any of the gay resorts. The rooms are spread out between two adjoining buildings with two swimming pools, a sundeck, and large hot tub. The men-only resort is clothing optional. The friendly staff and the couple who own the property make everyone feel like family. Rates in the high season start at $155.

The 20-unit Villa Venice, across the street from the Elysium, is one of the most upscale gay resorts in the city. It consistently ranks high in independent guest surveys. The hotel has a restaurant license, allowing it to serve hot, non-prepackaged foods for breakfast. Rates in the high season start at $155.

The Royal Palms was the creation of the aforementioned Gray. It is just across the street from the Villa Venice and it is another property that ranks at the top or near the top of most gay hotel surveys. Gray sold the property about a year ago to a French couple, who are maintaining the high standards set by Gray. Fresh cut orchids are still left around the room, even the toilet bowl. E-mail the resort through its Web site for room rates.

The Grand Resort and Spa is just a few steps from the Royal Palms and is another high quality resort that deservedly has earned a repeat clientele. The large pool in the front of the complex is not clothing optional, but the Jacuzzi in the back is. The spa is attached to the resort and also has a separate entrance in the back. This place is worth a stop for all gay visitors to Fort Lauderdale. A wide range of services from a standard Swedish massage to a mud treatment in a wet room, are available. High season rates start at $150.

La Casa Del Mar is another gay resort. The 13-unit property is gay and lesbian mixed. The two-story bed and breakfast is centered around a pool and spiral staircase. It recently changed ownership and is running a new-owners special of $109.

The Liberty Suites, with 18 units, is just a five-minute drive south of Fort Lauderdale's airport. All the units are apartments, making it ideal for long-term rentals. There is a three-day minimum rental. It also one of most affordable resorts in the Fort Lauderdale area. Rates for the high season start at $99 or $595 for a week. A gay couple from New York has owned the property for 12 years and has obviously poured a lot of money into it to keep all the units in great shape. It is in the city of Dania Beach, near Dania Beach's gay beach and about 15-20 minutes from the nude gay beach called Haulover Beach, south of Hallandale and north of Miami. It is the closest resort to that nude beach and the closest to Miami. It is about a 10-15 minute drive from the nightlife of Wilton Manors. Almost all the guests are gay men but lesbians are welcome.

If you prefer to stay in a mainstream full service hotel, the spectacular W Hotel opened in April on Fort Lauderdale Beach. It is just a short walk to the gay Sebastian Beach. But that W luxury comes at a cost. Rates start around $300 but check the hotel's Web site for specials.

Nightlife

Ground zero for gay nightlife in the Fort Lauderdale area is the Shoppes at Wilton Manors strip mall on Wilton Drive at NE 22nd Street. Half of the mall is gay-themed with stores such as Humpy's Pizza, Gay Mart, and Bottoms and Tops. The two gay nightclubs in the mall are Georgie's Alibi, a combination video bar, cafe and sports bar and Atomic, formerly Boom, a dance club and bar.

Bill's is just across the street from the mall. It is owned by three lesbians who have filled a niche with the bar providing cabaret entertainment every night.

The aforementioned Manor nightclub, just a short walk away from the gay mall, will undoubtedly become another major focal point for gay life in Wilton Manors.

Nearby on Wilton Drive, is Matty's on the Drive, a video bar that opened nearly a year and a half ago and attracts a loyal neighborhood crowd.

The lesbian-owned Karnaval nightclub is in a kitschy business area filled with souvenir shops and tattoo parlors, across from Fort Lauderdale Beach. It draws a big weekend business and is gay-lesbian mixed.

Another lesbian-owned bar, Sidelines, is a very popular Wilton Manors sports bar. It is gay-lesbian mixed.

Fort Lauderdale has three stripper bars, Boardwalk bar, Johnny's, and Dudes.

If country western is your thing, the big C&W bar in town is Scandals.

The big weekend dance clubs in town are Living Room on Friday nights and Sea Monster on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. (Saturday night is the lesbian night.)

It's a little off the beaten path, but the only gay after-hours bar in Fort Lauderdale is Torpedo. It is open seven days a week until 4 a.m. but as you might expect, weekends are its busy time.

The New Moon is a very popular lesbian bar in the heart of gay Wilton Manors. The two other lesbian bars in town are J's and in the city of Davie, Cloud 9. Beach Betty's in Dania Beach, south of the Fort Lauderdale airport, is a longtime favorite for gay women.

Trixie's in Dania Beach, is the Greater Fort Lauderdale area's transgender bar.

Club Fort Lauderdale is a bathhouse that features a huge gym and big outdoor swimming pool. The other bathhouse in town is Club House II with leather nights on Tuesdays and bear night on Thursdays. Slammer is the city's only gay sex club.

Florida allows smoking in bars but many bars and nightclubs have voluntarily adopted a no smoking policy.

Eats

Most of the gay restaurants are in Wilton Manors. The casual dining eatery Rosie's, and the more formal Thai restaurant, Galanga, have long been gay favorites. Georgie's Alibi also has a restaurant attached and is a great place to people-watch in the gayest part of Wilton Manors. Hi-Life Cafe in Fort Lauderdale is a must-stop for gourmet food at moderate prices.

Getting there and around

It is a good idea to rent a car in Fort Lauderdale. The gay nightlife and restaurants in Wilton Manors are about a 10-15 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale Beach and most of the gay resorts. It's easy to rent a car from the Fort Lauderdale airport. Almost all the car rental companies that service the airport do business out of the consolidated car rental facility, which is attached to the airport. You can walk or take a shuttle bus there.

Virgin America and JetBlue began nonstop service between SFO to Fort Lauderdale in mid-November. As mentioned, fares are as low as $99 each way but vary depending on demand. Virgin America and JetBlue are showing up the legacy airlines and you have your choice of either when flying between SFO and Fort Lauderdale. Both airlines use new planes and offer excellent service.

Virgin offers wireless Internet for a $12.95 charge and it lets you order food and drink whenever you want from your individual video touch screen. It also has power plugs for your laptop. Virgin offers two nonstop flights daily.

JetBlue has free, unlimited snacks and one free bag check. (Virgin charges $20 to check a bag.) Like Virgin, each seat is equipped with a TV screen on the back of the seat in front of you where you can watch live TV for free or pay extra for a movie. JetBlue offers one nonstop flight daily.

For more information, visit the city's tourist board LGBT site: http://www.sunny.org/rainbow. You can order a free LGBT calendar and travel guides from the site or call (954) 765-4466. The calendar covers the 18 months leading up to the city's hosting of the prestigious International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association convention in May 2011.

For information on Fort Lauderdale's changing club scene visit http://www.jumponmarkslist.com or http://www.hotspotsmagazine.com.


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