Is Fort Lauderdale the Next Miami Beach?

Is Fort Lauderdale the next Miami Beach? The answer isn’t quite yes—yet—but this fun-in-the-sun city is certainly heating up. With more than $1.57 billion in new residential and resort construction underway (or just completed) along its beachfront, the city that once celebrated Spring Break with the less-than-sophisticated Where the Boys Are is now attracting investors, second-home owners, and discerning travelers from around the world.

A decade-long effort to elevate the oceanfront strip along N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. is finally hitting full stride, offering a laidback—but no less luxurious—alternative to the gridlock and grind that has taken over much of Miami Beach. Here, we take a look at the posh projects that are bringing a new polish to the Magic City’s once-sleepy neighbor to the north.