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Welcome to Coral Springs, a gracious, inviting, upscale city where the sun shines most of the year and the average daily temperature is a balmy 77 degrees. Ideally located in southwest Florida, just minutes from the sugar sand beaches of the Gold Coast, northwest of Fort Lauderdale, between West Palm Beach and Miami, Coral Springs is right in the heart of an exciting metropolitan area yet far enough away from it all that locals like to refer to it as the, "city in the country."
Just over forty years ago, Coral Springs was only a glimmer in the imagination of local developer James Hunt who had the goal of building a new city with old Southern charm. His dream of a planned community in the country featuring brick Colonial style buildings, wide boulevards planted with flowers and a covered bridge as its centerpiece became not only a reality, but also one of the most desirable and fastest growing cities in glittering South Florida.
From its famed covered bridge, the only structure of its kind on public land in the state, to City Hall, based on Jefferson's renowned design for the University of Virginia to forty parks, a performing arts center and museum, Coral Springs has so much to offer it's no wonder the city has experienced such explosive growth in the last two decades. Despite that growth into a city of more than 125,000 residents, Coral Springs has retained its friendly, small town, rural feel with safe and secure streets plus excellent schools even though it sits at the very center of one of the nation's most popular tourist destinations with all its world class amenities.
Enjoy upscale shopping at the Coral Square Mall, more than 200 restaurants, many serving up the freshest, most delicious seafood imaginable as well as the 180-acre Sportsplex, a city-owned, professional level aquatics/tennis/ice skating complex that is also home to major community festivals like the yearly Fourth of July celebration.
Just a thirty-minute drive from the Atlantic Ocean and some of the cleanest, most ravishing beaches in the world acclaimed for their soft sugar sand, recreational pursuits like swimming, fishing and boating are beyond compare. There's a reason that people come from around the world to rest and refresh on the Gold Coast beaches and when you make you home in Coral Springs they're your own backyard.
You can golf and play tennis year round in some of the finest facilities ever developed, take in a Florida Panthers hockey practice at the Incredible Ice Rink or a Baltimore Orioles spring training game at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. The PGA tour Honda Classic brings some of the best golfers to local greens and there are 732 acres of local parkland for hiking, biking, picnicking and reflection.
Delight in wonderful residential neighborhoods ideal for growing families, retirees and busy professionals who appreciate the easy commute to Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton or even Miami. Discover lovely residences in every style and price range, from value priced condos and townhomes to detached villas and single-family homes to luxury estates worthy of the most distinctive buyers. Prices offer some of the best value for your money in this extremely sought after area and wise planning keeps Coral Springs expanding with new homes and developments while preserving the essential quaint and attractive qualities that make it so desirable.
Coral Springs is governed by a commission, administered by a City Manager and actively encourages citizen involvement in the community. Residents are encouraged to participate on citizen advisory commissions and to volunteer in the community. There are 11 houses of worship for a diversity of faiths, local medical care of the highest caliber as well as a wide variety of civic organizations and social clubs to share interests with other locals. The city also sponsors activities for all ages, from teens to seniors. Come home to Coral Springs and start really living!
LOCATION
Coral Springs has a prime location in southeast Florida's Broward County, approximately 20 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale and 10 miles southwest of Boca Raton. Considered part of the Metro Fort Lauderdale area, Coral Springs is situated just west of the I-95 and US-441 with the Atlantic Ocean and sugar sand beaches of the Gold Coast about a thirty-minute drive east.
Surrounding cities and towns include Coconut Creek with its famed Butterfly World attraction just 5 miles south as well as the fabulous seaside communities of Pompano Beach, 8 miles east, Deerfield Beach, 10 miles northeast and Boca Raton, 12 miles northeast. Exclusive Palm Beach is 45 miles north, exciting Miami is 45 miles south and the state capital at Tallahassee is 475 miles northwest.
TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS
Sitting at the heart of one of the most dynamic and expanding regions of the country, Coral Springs location in booming South Florida means that it is surrounded by well maintained highways, roads and bridges offering easy access to airports, train stations, there's even a nearby cruise port. Convenient local routes include I-95, I-75, US-441, US-27, US-1 and State Route-869.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is just a thirty-minute drive where 29 airlines offer nonstop flights to more than 40 domestic and international destinations. Other airport options include Miami International, 40 miles south and Palm Beach International, 40 miles north, both an easy hour's drive.
Coral Springs benefits from an excellent public transportation system provided by Broward County Transit that covers 410 of Broward County's 1,200 square miles. Ride buses that traverse the city and connect to surrounding communities for an adult fare of $1.00 with .50 youth and senior fares while children under forty inches ride for free. The City of Coral Springs also provides a free community transit service that offers an easy and convenient way to get around town for seniors and the disabled.
Rail service includes the regional Tri Rail system operated by the South Florida Regional Transportation Service. It connects various points throughout South Florida with multiple stops across Broward and Miami/Dade Counties. There are stations in Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Pompano Beach plus it connects to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport.
Amtrak trains stop in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Deerfield Beach including the Silver Service/Palmetto Line connecting New York City and Miami featuring sleeping and dining cars, business class level travel, even movies and wine tastings in the evenings. Greyhound also has a full service station in Fort Lauderdale where buses depart to all areas of the state and nation.
HISTORY
Just over forty years ago, Coral Springs was only a glimmer in the imagination of local developer James Hunt who had the goal of building a new city with old Southern charm. His dream of a planned community in the country featuring brick Colonial style buildings, wide boulevards planted with flowers and a covered bridge as its centerpiece became not only a reality, but also one of the most desirable and fastest growing cities in glittering South Florida.
Incorporated on July 10, 1963, the City of Coral Springs was a very different place back then. Born out of the South's largest bean fields and pastureland, it became a product of planning, imagination and sheer guts.Coral Ridge Properties (CRP), which had begun developing large tracts of land in the Fort Lauderdale area in the 1960s, was running out of property when a 3,860-acre parcel in the northwest end of the county became available. Although it was mostly swampland, CRP President James S. Hunt handed over a $1 million check to the Lyons family in 1961 launching an amazing transformation.
With a vision and a master plan, CRP leveraged the power of advertising and celebrity endorsement to generate an unprecedented land rush to the "City in the Country." It was still possible then to unearth archeological finds left by the Tequesta Indians who had inhabited the area as long ago as 1500 BC. In what is now Mullins Park, a dig yielded bones of ancient mammoths, some dating back 10,000 years.
The first residents were four members of Coral Ridge Properties who lived in three small wooden houses that were towed to what is today Wiles Road, then the only entry into Coral Springs. They were recruited in order to have enough residents to qualify as an incorporated municipality. The new city was almost named "Quartermore", because if a buyer purchased three acres of land, another acre, or a "quarter more," was thrown in with the deal.
The Covered Bridge was the first structure built in the City of Coral Springs because. Hunt wanted to convey a sense of the Old South on the otherwise barren landscape. He contacted the American Snuff Company in Winston-Salem, NC for chewing tobacco designs to make the bridge appear more seasoned. They supplied two designs plus an artist to paint the murals that adorn the bridge. The Bull of the Woods logo on the east side of the bridge was first used in 1876. The Peach Snuff logo on the west side was created in 1950 to appeal to ladies. It includes a historic marker for the State of Florida in recognition of its architecture and historical significance to the state.
In 1965 a "Land Rush" sale and BBQ was held with Johnny Carson as the MC. Ten thousand people showed up, ate three tons of barbecue and two miles worth of hot dogs with eleven hundred lots sold, totaling three hundred acres, for $5 million. Coral Springs hasn't stopped growing since.
In 1966 the first post office was established and that same year City Hall was opened. With a design based on Jefferson's University of Virginia, a gorgeous, three-wing brick building with white columns was constructed tying the city visually to the Old South of Hunt's dreams. The building even includes bricks from pre-Civil War buildings in Atlanta and the black spots on some them is said to be damage from the burning of city by General Sherman.
By 1968, one new home was being built per day and by 1970 the population had reached 3,750. Over the next decade the new city grew rapidly and by 1983 the city counted its 50,000th resident. Just over 20 years later, Coral Springs now has a population over 125,000 with 38 schools, 40 parks, as well as a fine arts center and a museum to serve the community's cultural life. There is an active Chamber of Commerce and the city government makes every effort to address the needs of a diverse and growing population.
Originally conceived as a retirement community, the city quickly moved in the other direction and has become one of the most popular family communities with a strong emphasis on youth, education, parks and recreation. Coral Springs short history has seen it grow into one of the premier cities in Florida to live, work and raise a family.
EDUCATION
Coral Springs is part of the Broward County Public School system with 38 local primary and secondary schools. A community that cares about education featuring strong parental involvement, students routinely score above the average for Broward County on state tests. Public schools serve 30,000 students at 21 elementary schools, 12 middle schools and 5 high schools. There is also one charter school as well as 7 private schools both religious and secular, offering instruction to children at all grade levels.
There are plenty of higher education opportunities at area community colleges and universities whether you're a recent high school graduate, mid career professional or a senior searching for intellectual enrichment. Universities and colleges serving the area include Keiser College, Broward Community College, Nova Southeastern University, and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, all located in nearby Fort Lauderdale plus Florida-Atlantic University located in Boca Raton. Renowned University of Miami at Coral Gables is about 40 miles south, approximately an hour's drive.
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