Dania Beach Tri-Rail Station / Flickr user Phillip Pessar
Vacationers flock to Broward County’s first city, Dania Beach, to bask in warm sunshine, world-class dining, unique shopping and entertainment. While popular among visitors, embracing the seaside lifestyle in Dania Beach full or part-time is not an exclusive opportunity for the wealthy.
According to real estate data firm Altos Research, the median sale price in Dania Beach is currently $323,840, with an average low list-to-close time of just 12 days. Right now, buyers can choose from around 20 homes on the market.
Situated directly on the Atlantic Coast, just south of Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach offers many of the same luxuries of the big city at a significantly lower price point.
According to 2015 U.S. Census data, Dania Beach is home to slightly over 31,000 residents.
The old Hurricane roller coaster, a 100-foot tall local attraction and formerly the tallest ride in Florida, closed in 2011 and was demolished earlier this year. In its place, a 102-acre development called Dania Pointe is expected for first-phase delivery in the fall of 2017.
Dania Pointe
Aside from retail, restaurant and hotels, mixed-use development project Dania Pointe plans to open 1,000 residential units and 500,000 square feet of office space after completion. The redevelopment is said to create 17,000 construction jobs and 13,000 permanent employment opportunities after opening.
What makes Dania Beach unique?
Aside from being the county’s first incorporated city in 1904, Dania Beach is known as the, “Tomato Capital of the World,” due to the main trade back when the city first took shape.
Tomato farming started around 1910, when over 200 farmers shipped thousands of fruit cars via train line to northern cities. The first Tomato Day Celebration was held in 1927 and attracted around 5,000 nearby locals who participated in tomato fights and the Miss Tomato Festival Pageant.
Once the tomato industry went into a slump from failing crops, the antiquing business emerged. Dania Beach became famous as the Antique Capital of the South in the 50s. Today, there are over 100 antique shops and malls along Federal Highway in Downtown Dania Beach, also known as Antique Row.
Dania Beach is home to three main public schools: Dania Elementary, Collins Elementary and Olsen Middle School. Collins Elementary is one of the highest rated in the city, with an eight out of 10 GreatSchools score.
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park between the Stranahan River and Atlantic Ocean offers a clean, open space for enjoying the South Florida coastline. Aside from the sandy beach itself, the park holds pavilions, bathroom facilities, ample parking, concessions and water sport rentals.
Smaller but suitable Dania Beach Ocean Park is just two miles south, where the popular pier is open for fishing seven days a week.
