In 1920,Joseph Young arrived inSouth Florida to create his own "Dream City in Florida". His vision included the beaches of theAtlantic Ocean stretching westward with man-made lakes, infrastructure, roads, and theIntracoastal Waterway. He wanted to include large parks, schools, churches, and golf courses, all industries and activities that were very important to him. After Young spent millions of dollars constructing the city, he was elected its first mayor in 1925. The town quickly became home to northerners known as "snowbirds", who fled the north during the winter and then escaped the south during the summer. By 1960, Hollywood had more than 2,400 hotel units and 12,170 single-family homes.[7] Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920, and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real-estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York.
During the early days of development here, 1,500 trucks and tractors were engaged in clearing land and grading streets; two yacht basins, designed by GeneralGeorge Washington Goethals, chief engineer in the construction of thePanama Canal, were dredged and connected with the Intracoastal Waterway. A large power plant was installed, and when the city lights went on for the first time, ships at sea reported that Miami was on fire, and their radio alarms and the red glow in the sky brought people to the rescue from miles around.[8]
— Federal Writers' Project, "Part III: The Florida Loop",Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State (1947)
Prospective purchasers of land were enticed by free hotel accommodation and entertainment, and "were driven about the city-to-be on trails blazed through palmetto thickets; so desolate and forlorn were some stretches that many women became hysterical, it is said, and a few fainted."[8] Young had a vision of lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel (Hollywood Beach Hotel, now Hollywood Beach Resort), country clubs, and a main street, Hollywood Boulevard.[9] Hollywood was severely damaged by the1926 Miami hurricane; local newspapers reported that it was second only to Miami in losses from the storm.[7] After Young's death in 1934, the city encountered other destructive hurricanes, and the stock market crashed, causing personal financial misfortunes.[9]
Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017, causing damage and power outages in Hollywood. 12 residents of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills died of heat exposure. Four nursing-home staff were charged with negligence and manslaughter.[10] Charges were dropped against the 3 nurses[11] and the nursing home chief was acquitted.[12]
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity created Rebuild Florida, an initiative to provide aid to citizens affected by Irma. Its initial focus was its Housing Repair Program, which offered assistance in rebuilding families' homes. The program prioritized low-income vulnerable residents, such as the disabled, the elderly, and families with children under five.[13] The program had varied results across the state, with hundreds of citizens claiming they were left without help.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 30.8 square miles (80 km2), of which 3.46 square miles (9 km2) are covered by water (11.23%).[33]
Hollywood is in southeastern Broward County, and includes about 5 to 6 miles (8.0 to 9.7 km) of Atlantic Ocean beach, interrupted briefly by a portion deeded to Dania Beach.
As of 2000, Hollywood had the 75th-highest percentage ofCuban residents in the U.S., at 4.23% of its population,[66] and the 65th-highest percentage ofColombian residents in the US, at 2.26% (tied with both the town and village ofMount Kisco, New York.)[67] It also had the 57th-highest percentage ofPeruvian residents in the US, at 1.05% (tied withLocust Valley, New York),[68] and the 20th-highest percentage ofRomanian residents in the US, at 1.1% (tied with several other areas).[69]
Aerospace and electronics parts manufacturerHEICO is headquartered in Hollywood.[71]
Since 1991, theInvicta Watch Group, a manufacturer and marketer of timepieces and writing instruments, has been headquartered in Hollywood, where it also operates its customer-service call center.
Guided tours along the Intracoastal Waterway are common in Hollywood. The waterway, parallel to the ocean, allows people to explore nature and observe their surroundings.
Young Circle, named after the city's founder,[73] is surrounded by shops, restaurants, and bars. A Food-Truck Takeover occurs every Monday, during which dozens of local food trucks offer a variety of cuisines, including Cuban, Venezuelan, Mediterranean, Mexican, Jamaican, and Peruvian, in addition to barbecue, burgers, gourmet grilled cheese, and desserts.[74]
Hollywood has about 60 parks, seven golf courses, and sandy beaches.
Hollywood Beach has a broadwalk that extends about 2.5 miles along the ocean.[75] Parking is available on side streets or in garages for a fee, and public trolleys run through the day. Restaurants and hotels line the broadwalk, along with a theatre, children's playground, and other attractions, including bicycle-rental shops, ice-cream parlors, souvenir shops, and a farmer's market. The broadwalk is used for walking and jogging, and has abike lane for bicyclists and rollerbladers.
The public middle schools include Apollo Middle School,[84] Attucks Middle School, Driftwood Middle School, McNicol Middle School, Olsen Middle School, and Beachside Montessori Village.[85]
The television game showHollywood Squares taped a week of shows at the historic Diplomat Hotel in 1987 and featured aerial footage shot over Hollywood, Florida.[88]
Episode 15 of season six of theHBO crime dramaThe Sopranos featured scenes shot in the vicinity of the Hollywood Beach Marriott along Carolina Street.[89]
The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood is the exterior of the police substation in the TV showThe Glades.
^Language spoken at home among residents at least five years old; only languages (or language groups) which at least 2% of residents have spoken at any time since 1980 are mentioned
^"Census Counts: 1890-2020".Florida Municipal Population Census Counts: 1890 to 2020. Office of Economic and Demographic Research, The Florida Legislature. 2023.Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. RetrievedJune 15, 2023.
^"Hollywood gears for change as new mayor takes reins".Sun Sentinel. November 18, 2016. RetrievedJune 16, 2024.Levy will take over the reins from Peter Bober, who spent 16 years on the commission —including the past eight as mayor — and endorsed Levy after deciding not to run for reelection.
