227 SE 3RD ST
DANIA BEACH, FL 33004

As location is the key word in real estate, lifestyle and beat of this quaint City of Dania Beach is perfectly suited to every age group and taste and budget.  Whether you're a local, new in town, or just passing through, you'll be sure to find something that will draw you to this place. A small town atmosphere with access to major cities such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami, many families call Dania Beach their home. A well-known fishing pier calls this area home along with several kayak trails. The local marine industry offers residents and tourists a chance to enjoy nautical life and recreational boating. With outstanding sunny weather, Dania Beach is a wonderful home for those who love warm weather and being at one with nature.

Don't let the small-town appearance fool you; Dania Beach is a happening place. With close proximity to the airport, Dania Beach is a fun place to visit and stay. Antique shopping is one of its main highlights, as well as quaint restaurants, sports venues, the famous Dania Beach Pier, a great spot for fishing,  sightseeing or even spending a pleasant afternoon. 

Dania Beach is great for sports enthusiasts of every kind. The main attraction is, of course, the Dania Beach Pier. For Poker, ponies, dogs and Jai-Alai head to the very popular and impressive Dania Jai-Alai. And not to be left out, outdoor sportsmen head to the nationally popular Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at 200 Gulfstream Way off I-95.

Large parks and recreation centers along with neighborhood parks are located throughout the city. Dania Beach Ocean Park, Frost Park Recreational Complex, Frost Park Gym and the Patrick J. Meli Park and Community and Aquatic Center all serve residents who want to participate in recreational activities such as baseball, softball, basketball, swimming and community opportunities. Health clubs also exist at many of these centers. C.W. Thomas Park offers free basic computer skills classes for adults throughout the year. The I.T. Parker Community Center hosts the MLK Peace Banquet and Dance every January. Those looking for a neighborhood park discover several options in the area. Chester Byrd, Griffin Marine, Mullikin, and Northside/Melaleuca all offer awesome free amenities to locals. Chester Byrd Park houses a playground for children to enjoy. Griffin Marine Park includes a free boat ramp and floating dock. Tennis lovers head to Mullikin Park for its superb tennis courts. Northside/Melaleuca Park provides a fantastic place to have a picnic with the family and pooch.

NATURE

Further inland are stands of subtropical coastal hammock (seaside hardwood forest). A self-guided trail offers a leisurely 45-minute walk through the hammock. Non-native plants are regularly removed from this area. Removing these "exotics," such as Brazilian pepper and Australian pine, is a long-term process throughout the park.

On the west side of the park, along the Intracoastal Waterway, a man made wetland is bringing back red mangroves to the shore. The mangroves not only screen the view but provide a rich nursery ground for fish and other sea life. The wetland is a mitigation site to replace wetlands destroyed by Port expansion in 1989.

John U. Lloyd Beach, now renamed- Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, is 251 acres of barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, from Port Everglades on the north to Dania on the south. Its natural setting contrasts sharply with the urban development of Ft. Lauderdale.

Lloyd Beach, one of Broward County's most important sea turtle nesting beaches, produces some 10,000 hatchlings a year. When necessary to prevent them from washing away, turtle eggs are sometimes moved to a protected hatchery.

The park's broad, flat beach is popular for swimming and sunning. When driving on the beach was banned, sand dunes, anchored by sea oats and other rare beach plants, began to reform.

Shaded picnic areas are located along the beach. Limited picnic supplies, as well as bait and rental canoes, are available at Coco's Cafe, the park's refreshment stand. A tidal waterway, called New River Sound or Whiskey Creek, divides the park along its length. It is a protected zone for the endangered manatee and a great variety of other marine life. The mangrove-lined waterway is a scenic place to canoe, observe bird life and take photographs.

Secret Woods Nature Center is a must see, Urban wilderness area including butterfly garden, reptile habitat & nature trails on 57 acres.

Secret Woods Nature Center is a lovely, quiet, serene gem in the middle of a busy beach city. Once you've pulled in, you wouldn't know you were surrounded by highways beyond the thick trees and boardwalks. The walking trails are not very long, the whole place can be seen in an hour, but it's a great place to stop. If you're afraid of spiders, however, this may not be the place for you. They aren't stringing webs across where you are meant to walk, but they are everywhere! A pretty cool sight to see, really.

Anne Kolb Nature Center- Nature reserve with walking & paddling trails through mangroves, an aquarium & an observation tower.

Nature trails, biking trails, butterfly garden, observation tower, suitable for hiking and kayaking. Easy water and road access, visitor's center, educational exhibits, movie theater. Abundant display of native plant and animal species. Visitors can interconnect several Parks for a full day of hiking or kayaking

Whiskey Creek is a narrow, lush tidal waterway lined with mangroves. It parallels the beach and the Intracoastal for about a mile and a half and the only visible signs of man are a few footbridges that provide beach access. Whiskey Creek (named for alleged Prohibition-era booze runs) might not warrant a trip from hours away, but it’s the sort of place the soul needs to have in the neighborhood. At many points along the creek, you can park you kayak, cross the dunes and head over to the beach for a different kind of walk or swim. If you reach the beach this way, chances are you’ll have the sand and surf all to yourself, as the crowds stay near by picnic area.

Dania Beach dining stretches from the fabulous to fun. Locals know that it's Giorgio's Grill for an elegant evening with a delectable menu. For a great meal anytime head to Grandpa's Bakery and Restaurant. Grandpa's gained national attention by appearing on Food Network's Diner's Drive-ins and Dives. For family fun stop at Jaxon's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, known for delicious ice cream and housing one of the nation's largest collections of rural American memorabilia.

The City of Dania Beach

Established in History, Preparing for Tomorrow

The City of Dania Beach was incorporated in 1904 as Broward’s first city. The City is located immediately south of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, and the Broward County Convention Center. Dania Beach operates under a Commission-City Manager form of government and provides services to an estimated 30,000 residents. 

Dania Beach is a major player in South Florida’s academic, marine, and tourism industries. The American Maritime Officer’s Training and the Simulation Training Assessment & Research Center for maritime ship City of Dania Beach Florida licensing is located within the City’s boundary, with state of the art bridge and engine room simulators which offer advanced merchant marine training. Bass Pro Shops, Diver’s Direct, and the City’s newly renovated Dania Beach Marina are major attractions to the City for people interested in outdoor sports, boating, and fishing. 

The City provides a full range of municipal services. The public safety program includes contracting of fire and rescue services and police services from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The City’s extensive recreation program includes a beach and fishing pier, pools, tennis courts, neighborhood parks, community centers and also provides a wide variety of programs for youth, adult and senior citizens. The Public Services Department provides essential street maintenance, roadway beautification, and general service operations, oversees Community Development Block grants improvement projects. Public Services oversees operation of the City’s water, sewer and stormwater services and also provides internal support for grounds maintenance, fleet management and citywide building maintenance. The Community Development Department provides planning, zoning, building inspection, and code compliance to the public.

Internal support services includes the Department of Human Resources which is responsible for recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, workers compensation, property, casualty and liability insurance. The Finance Department handles all of the City’s debt management, billing and collections as well as annual budget planning and preparation, computer network and support, management financial reporting, property lien research, cash management, capital assets recording, payroll and water and sewer utility billings and collections, annual budget and annual audit reporting, the City’s business tax licensing, and water meter reading and basic residential water meter services.

A City Rich in History

Dania Beach is Broward County's First City. The historic roots of the first city in Broward County date back to the 1880’s, when much of what is now the FEC railroad line was laid through the area. In recognition of this transportation advantage, a pioneer and developer named W. C. Valentine planned a settlement called Modello and 12 Danish families moved from Chicago to settle there in 1898-1899. Three years later, 30 Danes were recruited from Oconto, Wisconsin to colonize the settlement, and the first home was built by A.C. Frost, for whom a park is now named. Frost built the first general store in 1902 and became Modello’s first postmaster. He also built and donated the Towns first two schools. The following year, Dania Methodist Church was erected, becoming the City’s first place of worship.

The Town was incorporated in November 1904 and its 35 residents, most of whom were Danes, changed the name to Dania. By 1912, Dania was a thriving community of almost 1200 people and continued to grow through the 1920’s when the City suffered tremendous setbacks. In 1925, the Dania Hotel caught on fire, and the Bank of Dania failed due to embezzlers in the Bank’s Atlanta home office. The ‘26 hurricane with its 200 mile-per-hour winds devastated the Town, destroying the first church building completely, and subsequent damage prompted residents to vote for annexation to the neighboring City of Hollywood. De-annexation came in 1927.