Cooper City

Offering a combination of resort-styled and suburban living, Country Glen is a guard-gated community on the west end of Cooper City. “There’s so much to offer in Country Glen,” says Carol Williams, Realtor with United Realty Group and a Country Glen resident with almost 15 years of real estate experience. “It’s well maintained, family oriented and very secure. It’s centrally located, too. There’s easy access to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and it’s not far from the beach. We’re five minutes from Weston and five minutes from Pembroke Pines.” The town of Southwest Ranches is nearby, less than 5 miles from the neighborhood, with large stretches of green space and multiple parks. Mediterranean and Spanish Revival architecture line the streets of Country Glen, featuring barrel roof tiles, arches and stucco siding. These single-family homes were built in the late 1990s through the early to mid-2000s. “The homes are on plots at least a quarter acre,” Williams says. “Some homes have up to an acre or more.” All Country Glen residences have at least three bedrooms, and many have more than five. “On the low end of the price range, you’re looking at $900,000. On the high end, it will be $1.6 or $1.7 million,” Williams says. The middle ground price of $1.3 million will get a two-story house with five bedrooms and over 4,000 square feet. The monthly homeowners association fee is $250 and includes area maintenance, cable TV, and access to the features of the community park. Within the gated community of Country Glen is a neighborhood park featuring a playground, basketball court, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts and green space. The entrance is in the western part of the neighborhood, off Parkside Terrace. It’s a short 4-mile drive south on Flamingo Road to get to the 300-acre C.B. Smith Park, which includes Paradise Cove Water Park, open from March to October. There are two water playgrounds, a lazy river and the Paradise Pipeline, a 50-foot structure with four waterslide entrances. There are also campsites at the park, picnic areas, sand volleyball courts and a 10-court lighted tennis center. The AllGolf Center offers a driving range, a miniature golf course and even batting cages. Kids in Country Glen can be a part of the Broward County School District, including starting at Griffin Elementary School, where fourth and fifth graders can be a part of the ECO Patrol and pick up recycling around the school once a month. The school gets an A-minus Niche rating. The same A-minus grade is achieved by Silver Trail Middle School, which has over 1,300 students in sixth through eighth grade. Cooper City High gets a perfect A-plus Niche grade and has a 99% graduation rate. There are a couple of private schools close by. Archbishop McCarthy High School is a Roman Catholic coeducational school of the Archdiocese of Miami. Temple Beth Emet School is a top-rated school that teaches general and Judaic courses. For a bit of high class, there’s Vienna Café and Bistro on Flamingo Road, simulating the feel of a European Café. They allow reservations for their British High Tea service for large parties. There’s more than tea, as they serve soup, salad, and a three-tiered dish with tuna and cucumber sandwiches, pastries and fruit. The Southwest Ranches Farmers Market has been a community staple since 2009. At this open-air market, open Tuesday through Sunday, customers purchase raw dairy, organic produce and organic grass-fed meats from local vendors. Walmart Supercenter is another grocery destination near Flamingo and Griffin Roads. Pembroke Lakes Mall is 4 miles south on Flamingo Road, with over 120 stores. Sidewalks are within the gated community of Country Glen, but a car is needed outside the gates. Broward County Transit bus lines have stops on Stirling Road. It’s an 11-mile trek to the Sheridan Street Tri-Rail commuter train station. The Fort Lauderdale Brightline station, which provides rail service to Miami to the south and Orlando to the north, is 17 miles away. The beaches are 20 miles to the east.

Located on the western fringes of Cooper City near Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, the neighborhood of Flamingo Gardens is just south of the botanical garden that bears the same name. “This is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Cooper City, and it's mainly because of the schools," says Grayson Adler, a Realtor and managing broker with First Florida Realty. "I've seen a pattern of people living here for 20-25 years to get their kids through the school system." The Broward County School District is highly regarded, with some of the best-performing schools close to Flamingo Gardens. <br><br>Flamingo Gardens students can attend nearby Broward County Schools, which have the benefit of receiving A grades across the board, as reported by Niche. Griffin Elementary School has an excellent student-teacher ratio of 13-to-1, meaning there’s a good chance for individualized attention in the classroom. Pioneer Middle School students begin their elective classes with courses that range from robotics to woodshop. The school gets an A-minus Niche grade. Cooper City High School receives an A-plus grade on Niche, excelling academically and in getting students prepared for college. There are over 2,300 students, and the graduation rate is at 99%.<br><br>While most of the homes in the Flamingo Gardens neighborhood date to the 1980s, the botanical garden just to the north is much older. The Flamingo Gardens Botanical Garden was established in 1927 and is one of the oldest attractions in South Florida. It has over 3,000 species of rare and exotic native plants and trees. "It's a place that is a popular location for birthday parties," Adler adds. A wildlife sanctuary is home to non-releasable native species, including alligators, bobcats and flamingos. <br><br>There are many opportunities for outdoor recreation in Flamingo Gardens, including the 5 ½ acre Tamarind Park, which has a 1/3-mile walking and exercise path, an open play area, a sand volleyball court and a playground. There's no parking lot at this park, so most people park along the fence on 115th Avenue. The park is also close to a lake on the western side, where people have reported seeing interesting waterfowl. Flamingo Park is a bit smaller, at just over 3 acres, with a basketball and tennis court and a small playground. People usually park along 119th Avenue. Bill Lips Sports Complex, just outside Flamingo Gardens, has several soccer fields, batting cages, a football stadium and baseball diamonds. The community comes together for games and other local gatherings.<br><br>One of the things that is noticeable is the pristine way that people take care of their lawns in Flamingo Gardens. "People just have an increased sense of pride of ownership and their property," Adler says. "It's not a requirement, as there is no HOA. It's just something that caught on and it makes the area beautiful." The price per square foot for the houses in Flamingo Gardens is around $350, and the ranch-style homes from the 1980s that adorn this neighborhood are priced between $600,000 and $800,000. <br><br>Residents can access any essentials at the Walmart Supercenter or the nearby Publix at Countryside Shops, which also has a Ross Dress for Less at the corner of Stirling and Flamingo Roads. One of the most popular restaurants in the area is in the neighborhood. Vienna Café and Bistro is a unique casual European eatery that accepts reservations for its popular British High Tea service. Tea, sandwiches, soup and salad are served on a three-tier tower on an elegantly decorated table with fine Chinaware settings. Traditional European dishes, like French crepes, English roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, are on the menu. <br><br>Broward County Transit has multiple stops on Stirling Road if public transportation is required. Commuters have Interstate 75 to the west and Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 95 to the east. The closest Tri-Rail station is close to Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, about 9 miles to the east. Beaches are a 20-mile drive.

Molded around deep blue lakes, Rock Creek was developed with the conservation of its natural landscape in mind. Mature palms, live oaks and crepe myrtles shade its suburban streets from grassy road verges bordered by sidewalks. “I moved to Rock Creek as a teenager,” says Chuck Bonfiglio, the broker of AAA Realty Group. “I remember thinking it looked so peaceful with all the trees and nature. I fell in love instantly.” Nurturing the community’s leafy canopies and verdant scenery is as much a priority today as during its development in the 1970s. “We’re always looking at ways to add more trees,” says Carl Rosendorf, community manager of Rock Creek Inc. And with all this greenery comes plenty of green space. There are many places around the neighborhood to hang out with family, friends and neighbors, from waterfront backyards to parks, playgrounds and recreation centers. “I have many memories of just biking around with my friends,” says Bonfiglio. “It was never hard to make friends there since there were so many kids in the neighborhood.”<br><br>Cooper City is served by Broward County Public Schools. “Cooper City schools are small but mighty,” Bonfiglio says. “People buy and rent in neighborhoods like Rock Creek just to access the schools. I like to call Cooper City recession-proof because no matter what’s going on, our schools keep demand high.” Embassy Creek Elementary and Pioneer Middle are graded A-minus on Niche. Rated A-plus, Cooper City High has top marks. It offers a journalism program oriented around the school newspaper, so media-minded students can get a headstart on higher education and future careers. <br> <br>Rock Creek is Cooper City’s first master-planned neighborhood. Its oldest properties date back to the 1970s, and houses continued to be built until 2004. The neighborhood has 12 subdivisions, and, of course, no two are exactly the same. Some display midcentury modern ranch-style homes, while others feature two-story Spanish Revivals. Paseo Verde and Quay Point at Rock Creek are single-family subdivisions that are ungated and self-managed, which keeps monthly HOA fees below $100. On the other hand, monthly fees in gated sections like East Landing push toward $200. Some subdivisions have private playgrounds and pools, the maintenance of which also contributes to higher monthly payments. As a whole, Bonfiglio says that HOA fees in Rock Creek are “very, very inexpensive” compared to other areas in the city. List prices for single-family homes range from around $520,000 to $955,000. Townhouse subdivisions are in Rock Creek, too, with units costing between $390,000 to $460,000. <br><br>Cooper City is renowned for its ample parks, two of which are only a mile away. Residents on the north side are right by Flamingo West Park, which opened in 2019. The park is popular for youth and adult athletics thanks to its state-of-the-art amenities, including turf soccer fields with shaded bleachers. It also features a lake and fishing dock for local anglers. South-side residents are closer to Flamingo Park, a central hub for local baseball players. However, residents don’t have to leave Rock Creek at all to enjoy a day in the park. A large linear green space bisects the neighborhood with walkways, playgrounds and athletic facilities. Additionally, several subdivisions feature community clubhouses, pocket parks, swimming pools, exercise rooms, clubhouses and sports courts.<br><br>Shopping centers are right by Rock Creek, making for quick errand runs. Countryside Shops sits off Flamingo Road, along the community’s west side. The shopping plaza has Publix, Ross and a range of restaurants serving everything from classic Italian to authentic Mexican fare. Embassy Lakes Shopping Center is off North Hiatus Road, which borders the neighborhood’s east side. It has more convenient stores, businesses and restaurants, such as La Brochette Bistro where Aboud Kobaitri and his family have been sharing their smorgasbord of Middle Eastern, French, Scandinavian and Floridian-influenced dishes for 30 years. Pembroke Lakes Mall is close by, too. Residents are only 4 miles from their favorite retailers, including Dillard’s, Macy’s, JCPenney, Express and H&M. <br><br>Rock Creek is a car-dependent community 18 miles west of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Flamingo Road connects folks to Griffin Road and Sheridan Street, both of which are main roads with ramps onto Interstate 75, which is less than 5 miles from the neighborhood. As for frequent flyers, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is about a 14-mile drive away.

With beautiful homes and excellent schools, the Timberlake neighborhood of Cooper City, Florida offers a variety of reasons for residents to enjoy their community. From busy parks with loads of play equipment and sports accommodations to single-family homes with private pools, the Timberlake area is growing.<br><br>“It’s just a very quiet community,” says David Gutierrez, a Realtor with EXP Realty, LLC. “It’s a growing, quiet area. People are drawn to Timberlake because they can get to other busier places fairly easily, without living in a busy, robust community.” And with home prices slightly lower than neighboring communities, Guiterrez says he expects interest in Timberlake to continue to grow.<br><br>Whether you're looking for a cozy starter home or a luxurious waterfront estate, Timberlake offers that and more. The neighborhood is filled with cozy ranch-style homes, prairie-type homes with private pools, and Mid-Century homes with waterfront views. The price range of homes in Timberlake ranges from the mid $300,000s to nearly $2 million. Many of the homes feature spacious floor plans, open kitchens, and inviting living areas. A neighborhood with lush green lawns, swaying palm trees and stone facades – the Timberlake community welcomes newcomers joining their little slice of heaven.<br><br>The schools in Timberlake, Cooper City Elementary School, Pioneer Middle School and Cooper City High School, all received an A-minus grade from Niche. Cooper City Elementary School is known for its strong academic program, which focuses on STEM. Pioneer Middle School offers a variety of elective courses, including computer science, robotics, and foreign languages. Cooper City High School offers a variety of Advanced Placement and honors courses, as well as a variety of clubs and sports.<br><br>For recreation, Timberlake residents have access to several parks and recreation facilities, including Christie Schafale Park, which features a playground, a basketball court, a tennis court and a walking trail. Meanwhile, Ellie Kozak Park has a fishing pier and play equipment. Both parks are pet friendly. Timberlake is served by the Broward County Transit bus system. Buses run frequently throughout the neighborhood and provide connections to other parts of Broward County, including the nearest hospital to Timberlake, Cooper City Hospital.<br><br>For shopping for everyday essentials, or grabbing a bite to eat, Timberlake has or is close to places to satisfy most residents’ needs. Aroma Market and Catering is a popular market offering various fresh produce, meats and prepared foods. Stirling Shopping Center features a variety of stores and restaurants, including Publix and Walgreens and the Timberlake Shopping Center has a Winn-Dixie, CVS Pharmacy and Starbucks.<br><br>Timberlake is served by the Broward County Transit bus system. Buses run frequently throughout the neighborhood and provide connections to other parts of Broward County. The nearest hospital to Timberlake is Cooper City Hospital, which is located just a short drive away. Residents can catch public transportation or walk to nearby favorite spots to eat or drink. Goji Juicing and Kitchen provide healthy juices, smoothies and bowls. Tijuana Flats – with its colorful Mexican-inspired interior, is a casual Mexican restaurant known for its burritos, tacos and margaritas. The restaurant also has a large outdoor patio, perfect for dining on a warm day.