I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones enjoying the New Year!
I am excited about so many things happening in 2025, especially the 100th anniversary of our City’s founding! Hollywood’s calendar is jam packed with centennial activities throughout the year to honor our past as well as to celebrate our bright future!
To see a list of events and learn more about Hollywood’s unique history, CLICK HERE.
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Also in 2025, it looks like Broward County Public Schools may finally move forward to convert Hollywood Central Elementary School (HCE) to a kindergarten-eighth (K-8) grade school. This is something we have been hoping for and working towards for years. For too long, despite being a terrific elementary school, HCE has been under enrolled. Converting it into a K-8 school will be wonderful for families in the community.
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The tentative plan is to add a grade each year for the next three years. This school year, HCE welcomed a new principal, Christine Centrone. She and Assistant Principal Marc Horowitz are both so kind, smart and dynamic and I cannot think of a better team to lead HCE during such an exciting transformation. The plan is scheduled to come before the school board for a final vote on January 22nd. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for HCE!
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Something else I am looking forward to in 2025 is a big milestone for the Solid Waste Authority of Broward County (SWA). I serve on the SWA executive committee, and we have worked hard to bring forward a coordinated, regional solid waste management and recycling master plan.
Currently, each of the 31 cities within Broward County independently contracts for solid waste management services. This patchwork system is inefficient and excessively expensive.
With limited remaining landfill space in Broward, we cannot continue this way. We expect the initial draft of the master plan to come out in February. Until then, the SWA is collecting input from residents to assist with how best to move forward.
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What attracted Hollywood’s founder, Joseph Young back when he first arrived in the 1920’s most certainly was the area’s breathtaking beaches. Much has changed since Young arrived, but our magnificent beach is still Hollywood’s greatest attraction.
Below is my list of what’s happening at and about the beach for visitors and especially for City residents – as well as the easiest ways to get here.
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Beach Parking: • Where to Park: Parking at the beach can be challenging, especially on a holiday or busy weekend. The City has metered street parking throughout the barrier island and there are several private lots and garages not controlled by the City. But your best bets are the two City owned garages: Garfield Garage at 300 Connecticut Street and the Nebraska Garage at 327 Nebraska Street. For more parking information, CLICK HERE.
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Cost Savings: To keep beach parking affordable for Hollywood residents, the City offers a “resident meter rate” that is 50% less than the non-resident rate. Residents must register their vehicle annually with the Parking Division to enjoy this hourly parking rate of $1.50 per hour Monday through Thursday and $2.00 per hour Friday through Sunday and on holidays. Simply CLICK HERE to get this discounted meter rate or stop by the City’s parking department in person.
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Transportation to the Beach Even better than the discounted beach meter rate, is not to pay for parking at all and avoid the hassle of trying to park at the beach all together! In addition to commercial services like Lyft and Uber, the City provides two easy ways to visit the beach without a car (plus you can always bike!)
• The Sun Shuttle: For some time, Hollywood has offered its Sun Shuttle Service which is a point-to-point electric vehicle service through the “Ride Circuit” app, picking up throughout much of the City. The Sun Shuttle is a flat $2 fee (tipping the driver is appreciated as well).
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HollyGo Shuttle: HollyGo is a new free shuttle service with fixed routes within the City with relevant connections to other transportation options like Broward County Transit (BCT), the Sun Shuttle (see above), and more. To learn more about the Sun Shuttle and HollyGo, how they work and where they run, CLICK HERE.
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The Broadwalk: Hollywood is an amazing and unique beach because for much of it, there is no roadway between the sand and the adjacent commercial businesses and residences. Instead, in between is the historic Hollywood Broadwalk, a scenic, 2.5-mile oceanfront promenade dating back over 100 years! As you walk, jog, rollerblade or bike along the Broadwalk, you’ll find a variety of shops, restaurants, breweries, coffee shops and cafes. Many restaurants have outdoor seating with ocean views. Importantly, you will find public restrooms near the Broadwalk at Tyler, Fillmore, Johnson, Garfield, Taft, and Missouri Streets.
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Hollywood Beach Theater: Come hear some great music at our beach outdoor bandshell located at Johnson Street. Typically, there is excellent live music coordinated by Margaritaville on Wednesday through Sunday nights from 7 pm-9 pm.
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A New Publix: A brand new 30,000 square-foot Publix dockside grocery store recently opened on the Intracoastal Waterway at 3100 S. Ocean Drive. It’s a convenient walk for nearby residents and has ample garage parking for shoppers too. Uniquely, boaters can now dock their boats and walk inside to shop in the 3-story building with a pharmacy, deli, bakery, seating area and full grocery. In compliance with our barrier island ordinances, no plastic grocery bags are used – you’ll find paper grocery bags (better yet – bring your own reusable bags!)
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The MEEC Center at the Carpenter House: 4414 Surf Rd. The Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) represents a partnership between Broward County Parks and Recreation and Nova Southeastern University (NSU). The facility is located on the historic grounds of the Carpenter House, built in 1941 by Hank Carpenter, at Hollywood North Beach Park in Hollywood. Broward County acquired the property from the Carpenter family and has honored the condition that it not be developed. The MEEC operates out of this historic property and is home to two green turtles living in the pool, and an interactive Interpretive Center with displays on sea turtle conservation and environmental stewardship.
For additional information on hours and programming CLICK HERE.
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The Hollywood Dog Beach: Though most of Hollywood beach has a prohibition against bringing pets (to the sand and Broadwalk), there is one special place you and Fido can ride the waves together! Located at Pershing and Custer Streets, our Dog Beach is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
Dog beach rules and details CLICK HERE.
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Hollywood/Dania North Beach Trail: Recently, Dania’s Mayor Joyce Davis and I worked together with our respective City’s parks departments to create a 5k run/walk loop that goes from North Beach Park in Hollywood to the Dania pier. The loop spans 1.55 miles one-way and 3.1 miles roundtrip. Along the way there are a number of fun stops including the historic Carpenter House, and Hollywood’s Dog Beach, each discussed above.
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Swimming and Water Sports: There are so many great water activities and our incredible lifeguards are there to help keep you safe. Hollywood’s Beach Safety Division protects 4.5 miles of our beach 365 days a year, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We are very fortunate to have them, so stop by to say hello and thanks when you visit.
For more details on beach safety, beach activities and even renting a paddleboard from a kiosk on the beach, CLICK HERE.
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Snorkeling and Scuba Diving: Hollywood has a natural reef system with several great locations to snorkel and scuba. Divers can also find 20 ocean-friendly artificial reefs about 1 mile offshore. The structures were originally deployed in 2022 and feature artistic sculptures such as mermaids, a swim-up selfie mermaid tail, and an industrial diver suit. These reefs are accessible to certified, skilled divers by boat and were made possible via a partnership with the Ocean Rescue Alliance, 1000 Mermaids Artificial Reef Project and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). In early 2025, an additional 48 artificial reef units are set to be deployed in near shore locations from North Beach to Keating Park. These structures will include 12 artistic custom reef modules and 36 habitat modules with a “Guardians of the Reef” theme to bring awareness to our Florida coral reefs. An underwater camera is also in the works!
For reef locations and additional details and updates, CLICK HERE.
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Parks: In addition to the nearly 7 miles of Hollywood beach overseen by Hollywood’s Parks Department, there are several additional parks along the Broadwalk and beach that are terrific places to play, including Charnow Park, Fillmore Street Playground, Harry Berry Park and Keating Park.
For more details about each, CLICK HERE.
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Dunes: When visiting the beach, you will see beautiful dunes in many locations. Dunes provide natural coastal protection against storm surge as well as providing important ecological habitat. They also act as sand storage areas, supplying sand to eroded beaches. The City is working to expand dunes along the entire length of Hollywood Beach. If you are interested in adopting one of our dunes or helping to plant one, we often have projects in the pipeline that need volunteers.
Reach out to me or Adopt-a-Dune for more information.
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Surf Conditions and Webcams: If all of this sounds great to you, but you’re unsure about the beach weather or crowds on a given day, you can check our webcams before heading out! Both the beach/Broadwalk cam and the bandshell cam (plus the newest webcam at the Hollywood Marina) can be found on YouTube. CLICK HERE. You can also check surf conditions ahead of your visit HERE or once you’re at the beach, simply scan the QR code on any lifeguard stand to take you to the same site.
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A Safe, Clean, Plastic-free Beach: There are important restrictions to note when visiting the beach, like no pets on the Broadwalk or beach (except the Dog Beach), only human power for bicycles, limitations on coolers, tents and more.
For a full listing of beach and Broadwalk rules CLICK HERE.
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Also, the City’s plastic ordinance prohibits the use of polystyrene (“Styrofoam”) and single-use plastic on all City property including our beaches and Broadwalk. Please keep plastic bottles, utensils, lids, plates, bowls, cups, straws, bags or other packaging and all similar articles used for transporting or consuming prepared food or drinks off of the beach. When you’re ready to head home, leave nothing behind but your footsteps.
Here are some other ways to help keep our beach clean: The Hollywood Beach Sweep Clean-Up Event is held on the second Saturday of every month from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers meet at Charnow Park to collect litter and cigarette butts from Hollywood Beach. For more details, CLICK HERE.
Also, you can grab one of the litter buckets from Hollywood’s Bucket Stations on Hollywood’s central beach any time the mood hits. After properly disposing of the collected debris, simply return the bucket to the station for others to use.
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Security: Our Hollywood Police Department does an excellent job monitoring the Broadwalk and beach. HPD recently added several sworn officers to the beach unit and set up a small satellite office adjacent to Charnow Park. In addition, you will see security guards along the Broadwalk in brightly colored shirts to assist and help visitors.
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I hope all of this information makes your next visit to Hollywood beach easier and more enjoyable!
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025!
Please reach out if you need assistance with City matters or have any questions / comments please contact me at cshuham@hollywoodfl.org or (954) 921-3321.
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