Welcome to Dania Beach, the best little burg in all of Broward. All those other straight-laced towns up and down the coast, they have their "attractions," their "travel" "destinations," their "points" "of "interest." But over in Dania, they get down and dirty with a special twist.
This city was unique from the get-go, founded way back in 1860 by the survivors of a suicide cult that worshiped elm trees . . . Nah, actually it was founded by a bunch of Danish folks back in the early 1900s, hence the name. Fast forward to today, and Dania is still the best place to lay your head in the 954. Here's why.
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Jai Alai
This is an easy layup. The Dania Jai Alai is probably one of the top cultural institutions in South Florida. It's a great place to take your friends when they come to town, if only because there is no chance in hell they know what Jai Alai is. Also, it's great for solo shots. You can pop in basically on any afternoon, scoop up a cheap-ass beer and big soft pretzel, and watch the action. Sure, you'll have no idea what the hell is going on on the score board, but, damn, watch that ball bounce around.
The Dania Pier . . . Cam
Just about every town in South Florida with a strip of beach has a pier to go with it. But how many of those piers . . . have a web cam rolling 24/7? Only Dania, as far as we know. Why even go to the beach, when you can just click here and check out the action? Personally, here at New Times HQ, after hard day we like to dim the lights, pull up the web cam, and pour us a cold one.
The Dania Hurricane
You know when you snagged in traffic on I-95 North, and you look to the right and see that old wooden roller coster spidering across the section of Dania? Welcome to the Hurricane. You probably also noticed . . . that no one's riding the sucker. The 100 foot high structure is one of the few standing wooden coasters in the country. Standing, yes, but not running, at least not since 2011. But here's another plus: the Hurricane is reportedly for sale! So if you have a couple mil just lying around, why not get yourself your own wooden roller coaster?
See also: Coral Springs Is the Best Neighborhood in Broward, and Here's Why
Broward Table Tennis Club
Yes, this does exist. And yes, we don't know how the hell you didn't know about it, also. Located at SW 12th Avenue, the facility has 17 tables where South Florida's best and brightest pong jockeys work their game every day. The facility is one of only four "National Clubs of Excellence" in the entire country.
And finally . . .
Cheap Beer
First off, get yourself a copy of this week's dead tree edition of the New Times. Inside, you'll find a, if we may say so, riveting and insightful story on the search for the impossible: $1 beer in South Florida. Not to spoil it, but we found it in Dania Beach at the Wayside Inn, one of the best little bars in the entire region. From 4 to 7 every day they have $1.00 mugs. If that's not a reason to move to Dania, what is?
Send your story tips to the author, Kyle Swenson.
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