Davie

Located within the town of Davie, the Traditional ranch-style homes and condos that comprise Arrowhead are arranged neatly around small lakes, often overlooking nearby golf courses. “It’s close to all the major highways, Downtown Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood,” says Dana Barkett, local real estate agent at the Keyes Company with over a decade of experience. “The neighbors come up and talk to you. Everyone’s very friendly.” The neighborhood’s proximity to Nova Southeastern University, a mile away, makes it popular with students and faculty at the institution, as well as parents looking to enroll their child in NSU School, a private college preparatory academy located on campus. Several restaurants and shopping plazas are within walking distance, as well as the Bamford Sports Complex, where family-friendly events are held throughout the year. Having been built mainly in the ‘70s and ‘80s, homes in Arrowhead occupy uniform grassy quarter-acre lots along winding streets and short cul-de-sacs, shaded by the occasional cluster of palm trees. Minimal Traditional ranch-style properties with stucco exteriors and shingle-tile roofs are differentiated by small, colorful details like brightly colored shutters or decorative wood paneling. Three-bedroom investment properties needing minor renovations can sell for around $500,000, while recently painted four-bedroom homes with an updated kitchen can sell for around $650,000. Homes with inground pools or private docks with lake access can sell for over $800,000. About half of the homes in Arrowhead are condos, with one-bedroom units in mid-rise complexes from the ‘70s selling for around $200,000 and two-bedroom units from the ‘80s with lakeside patios selling for $300,000. Local kids may attend Silver Ridge Elementary School or Indian Ridge Middle, both rated B-plus by Niche. “The neighborhood is in a good school zone, which makes it very desirable for families,” Barkett says. The A-minus-rated Western High offers after-school tutoring sessions in addition to other after-school activities like Film, Roundtable Writing and Chess Clubs. Those interested in a private option may consider the A-plus-rated Nova Southeastern University School, a college preparatory academy serving grades PK-12. Located a mile away on the campus of its namesake university, the school features award-winning Robotics and Chinese programs, as well as one of the top-ranked Speech and Debate programs in the country. Local golfers can take advantage of nearby courses, including the Davie Golf Club on the north and Grande Oaks Golf Club on the south. Both courses feature 18-hole layouts across rolling hills full of native palm and oak trees, populated by birds, iguanas and other wildlife. More local wildlife can be spotted at the Pine Island Ridge Natural Area, which offers unpaved hiking trails through weeping willows and cacti. Local athletes can enjoy the facilities at Bamford Sports Complex, with its fitness center, tennis courts, skate park and shaded playgrounds. Several shopping plazas line Arrowhead’s eastern border, including the Shoppes at Arrowhead, housing regional chains like Laspada’s Original Hoagies or local shops like Jade Tea House, which serves bubble tea and fresh baked goods. Just across the street, Tower Shops include major retailers like Old Navy and Ross, as well as Poke Ramen Asian Soul Kitchen, a local restaurant serving authentic ramen with fresh house-made broth. For groceries, Trader Joe’s, Costco and Whole Foods all sit within a mile of Arrowhead. Boward County Transportation’s Line 2 bus stops along the neighborhood’s east side and can take passengers north to Parkland or south to the Hard Rock Stadium and Calder Casino. The Line 12 bus runs 14 miles east to Downtown Hollywood and its nearby beaches. Interstate 595 can take locals 13 miles into Downtown Fort Lauderdale or to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Bamford Sports Complex, just down the street from Arrowhead, hosts many community events for the town of Davie, including an annual Egg Hunt, Holiday Lighting of the Greens Festival, and Sounds of the Town concert series. The Orange Blossom Festival, Parade & Rodeo is the biggest community event in town, with three days of live music, local vendors, and kids' activities.

The outstretched branches of decades-old banyan trees line the entrance to Forest Ridge, escorting visitors into the sprawling suburban community. Short cul-de-sac streets jut into a central lake, providing most homeowners with water views. “Forest Ridge isn’t gated, but you still get that sense of privacy from the scenic drive in,” a Realtor with Cardinal Realty Group LLC. South Florida’s Pine Island Ridge nature preserve hugs the community’s west side, filled with more of the native trees dripping with ferns and moss. “It’s calming,” Supraski says. “The greenery just washes over you.” Forest Ridge is full of highly sought-after single-family abodes. Most were built in the 1980s and 1990s in the Mediterranean style, with barrel-tiled roofs and stucco walls in warm palettes. Attached garages come standard here, and it’s common to see hand-laid driveways, private pools and manicured yards throughout. Many homes face the lakefront, where residents can boat, canoe and kayak right from their backyards. Only a handful of homes are available at any one time, starting around $500,000 and reaching over $1 million. Modest properties that might need a cosmetic refresh sell at the low end of the market, while spacious spots with updated interiors and outdoor living spaces can go for almost three times more. When they’re not floating in their private pools, Forest Ridge homeowners hit the tennis and pickleball courts or head for the trails at the nature preserves and parks next door. Each outdoor getaway seamlessly runs into the next, keeping creature comforts like playgrounds and picnic areas close to every doorstep. Westridge Park is to the north, with wide open fields, paved pathways and an owl habitat. To the south, the lush landscapes spill into the marshlands at Tree Tops Park, hosting visitors for horseback riding and fishing. The Bamford Sports Complex is the go-to for indoor activities at the aquatic and fitness centers. Golfing is big in this South Florida area, with courses surrounding the neighborhood on all sides. Grande Oaks Golf Club is steps away, a private facility that famously set the stage for the 1979 flick Caddyshack. So, it's got that going for it -- which is nice. “It’s a neighborhood where kids still ride their bikes on the street, and neighbors say hello to each other,” Supraski says. The Forest Ridge community comes together for seasonal events at its many walkable green spaces throughout the year. Food trucks, live music and fireworks draw crowds to Fun on the 4th, and the Haunt opens up each October, hosting family-friendly activities during the day and gorier gatherings after the sun sets. Casual get-togethers, like birthday parties, take place outdoors year-round. “It really is a charming place to live,” Supraski says. “Families move here specifically for the schools,” Supraski says. Kids living in Forest Ridge can start at the walkable Silver Ridge Elementary and continue to Indian Ridge Middle before earning their diplomas at Western High, known for consistently high enrollment numbers in advanced placement courses. Each neighborhood school carries a B-plus score or higher from Niche and is within a 15-minute drive for most Forest Ridge families. Buyers interested in education alternatives will also find a wide selection of private and charter options nearby. With so many green assets, it’s important not to lose sight that Forest Ridge is also convenient for shopping, dining and everyday conveniences. A whole host of commercial hot spots like The Fountains and Broward Mall are within a 5-mile ride away, lining the busy South University Drive. A little closer to home, locals can shop at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco at the busy Tower Shops retail strip. Publix is even closer, neighboring a set of movie theaters and more restaurant choices, including neighborhood favorite, Zabb Thai and Sushi. Bankers Healthcare Group and Bristol West Insurance Group are among Davie’s top employers, and both are less than 10 miles from home. HCA Florida University Hospital is also 2 miles east. Interstate 595 runs across the north side of town, routing drivers toward Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale for work and play. Most Forest Ridge residents are drivers, but Broward County Transit (BCT) buses make stops along South University Drive for those who prefer public transportation. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is roughly 10 miles east for long-distance travel. As is common in many Florida regions, Broward County residents experience occasional flooding with heavy rainfall and high tides. With recent FEMA flood map updates, many homeowners here are required to obtain flood insurance to protect against potential damages due to hurricanes and tropical storms.

Tucked between the rural stretches of Southwest Ranches and the master-planned city of Weston, Hawke's Bluff is a quiet suburb in Davie that gets the best of three worlds. <br><br>"I lived there 22 years, and it's a great community," says Lisa Alvarez, a local Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty. "During holidays, they have fun community competitions for things like the best-lighted and best-decorated houses. It's huge for trick-or-treating; lots of people do haunted houses. I still go back and spend the night at my friend's house just for Halloween."<br><br>Lakes and ponds snake through the lush landscape of Hawke's Bluff, giving many properties water-facing backyards and front-row seats to South Florida's unique flora and fauna. "People are outside all the time, walking or jogging," says Alvarez. "The houses are beautiful, and everything is well maintained." The community's winding, tree-lined roads are quiet and full of stunning examples of Spanish- and Mission-inspired architecture. Many of these homes were initially built in the late 1980s and early '90s, but most have seen gorgeous renovations since, with some homeowners introducing more Minimal or New Traditional designs. Market prices for single-family homes here range from the high $500,000s to just over $1 million. Hawke's Bluff is managed by an HOA. "I'd say the HOA fee is comparably low," Alvarez says. "Especially for the town houses." Taxes are equally reasonable, she says. "You get Weston benefits without Weston taxes." While the community is predominantly home to single-family properties, town houses sit on the north side in the Les Chateau Village Homes subdivision, which is part of the overarching Hawke's Bluff development. You can expect to pay around $450,000 for a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom town house built in 1992. <br><br>Aside from gorgeous homes and friendly neighbors, there are two more noteworthy draws to Hawke's Bluff: location and schools. You'll find this community at the elbow of main east-west thoroughfare Griffin Road and the major highway Interstate 75. "We moved there because my husband was a police officer," Alvarez says. "He could hop on 75 in 2 minutes and boom — be anywhere." Proximity to these major roads is ideal for commuting and comes with the bonus of nearby shopping and dining options. Just across Griffin Road are a couple of shopping centers, including Weston Commons. Less than a mile from Hawke's Bluff, residents can run errands and dine out at these commercial hubs, which feature retailers, a Publix supermarket and local restaurants like Weston Diner, which has served classic American cuisine for over 20 years.<br><br>Hawkes Bluff Elementary, rated with an A-minus on Niche, is nestled in the neighborhood's southwest corner, so students can begin their K-12 journey less than a mile from home. From there, they can attend Silver Trail Middle, also rated with an A-minus on Niche, before graduating from West Broward High, which boasts an A rating on Niche. Students at this high school can apply to the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education program, in which they'll undertake an accelerated curriculum that allows them to be awarded up to 45 hours of college credit at all public universities and colleges in Florida.<br><br>Last but certainly not least, plenty of green spaces surround Hawke's Bluff. Calusa Corners and Southwest Meadows Sanctuary are nearby parks owned by the town of Southwest Ranches for natural land conservation and restoration purposes. There's also Weston's 5-acre Emerald Estates Park, with basketball and tennis courts, a covered playground and even a bike repair station. <br><br>With everything you could want from a suburb, plus the benefit of not one, not two, but three municipalities just minutes away, Hawke's Bluff is a community that is more than worth considering when moving to sunny South Florida.

Residents of the exclusive Flamingo Groves neighborhood are only 16 miles from Fort Lauderdale, yet life here has a private, rural feel. Flamingo Groves is a place where people “ride horses, raise chickens and hens and raise fruit trees,” says Mark Gaudino, broker and realtor with Homes4Sale Realty. Gaudino has 40 years of local real estate experience. The neighborhood comprises a series of gated communities, each with luxury amenities such as fitness facilities and upscale venue rentals. With access to highly rated schools and equestrian parks, Guardino says that Flamingo Groves attracts “city people who want more of a farm or ranch-like area.” Flamingo Groves has a “private rural feel with a mixture of older and newer homes,” Gaudino says. Smaller investment homes built in the 1970s and 80s can fetch around $600,000, though anything in the area under $900,000 is a rare find. Most homes fall between $1.2 and $1.8 million and accompany nearly an acre of land, which residents populate with chicken pens, gardens and extravagant in-ground pools. Though many builds date back to the past 30 years, new construction continues to pop up, selling for more than $2 million. The ornate custom homes of Flamingo Groves are often adorned with vaulted ceilings and terracotta roofs, typically with four or more bedrooms. The gated communities here offer extensive amenities such as fitness centers, playgrounds, tennis courts and party facilities with on-site catering. Each community in Flamingo Groves is dotted with private lakes and mature magnolias, meaning residents are always steps away from a peaceful walk in nature. When locals do decide to venture beyond their cul-de-sacs, they have easy access to acres of diverse recreation space. Oakhill Equestrian Park caters to the large community of riders in the neighborhood. Horses are welcome on walking trails, and the park has related amenities such as a round pen and arena with wash racks and water troughs. The park is family-friendly, too, with an updated playground and covered picnic areas. As part of the larger Davie community, Florida Groves residents can access year-round events hosted by the township. For more than 80 years, the Orange Blossom Festival has brought neighbors together to commemorate the start of the citrus bloom season. The February event is family-friendly, with a themed parade, three days of live music and a rodeo. Despite its private feel, Flamingo Groves is close to a plethora of local and chain restaurants. Within the neighborhood, residents can visit Mazzola’s Italian Restaurant, a cozy, family-owned establishment serving authentic southern Italian favorites. Locals meet daily needs at multiple strip malls just outside the neighborhood, each with big-box stores and diverse dining options. The closest grocery stores are the Publix Super Market and the Winn-Dixie along I-595. For further shopping and recreation, residents can head into Weston 5 miles away, which has an AMC movie theatre and a bustling town center with monthly artisan markets. Flamingo Groves is zoned for highly rated public and private schools. Students can start at Country Isles Elementary, which has a brand-new media center, then continue to Indian Ridge Middle School 5 miles east of the neighborhood. Both schools receive a B-plus rating from Niche. Western High is an A-minus school near Flamingo Groves offering dual enrollment opportunities with Florida International University and the University of Florida. Residents are 3 miles from the Broward campus of American Heritage Schools, which Niche ranks as the number one private school in Florida. The K-12 boasts a consistent 100 percent 4-year college acceptance rate for its graduating seniors. Though many residents can be found on horseback, getting around generally requires a car. Residents have quick access to I-595, which they can use to reach Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood, each less than 20 miles away. The neighborhood is home to Flamingo Gardens, a popular botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary featuring rare tropical plants and native animals injured in the wild. The gardens host 15 champion trees, which are the largest of the species in the state, and extensive collections of orchids and cycads. Visitors can embark on guided tram tours or facilitated wildlife encounters.

Enjoy a rustic, equestrian lifestyle in the heart of Davie, just a stone's throw away from Fort Lauderdale. While residents of Martha Bright Farms enjoy quiet living off the beaten path, surrounded by tropical greenery as well as glittering lakes and canals, the beaten path, in actuality, isn't too far away. <br><br>Interstate 595 and the Port Everglades Expressway are just a couple miles due north of the community, about a 5-minute drive away. Aside from providing easy connections to major highways like Interstate 75, Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95, and to the shopping meccas of Fort Lauderdale and Weston, the proximity to these main thoroughfares also brings proximity to the commercial areas that line them. These plazas for casual shopping have convenient stores like Publix, Lowe's and Winn-Dixie. Additionally, there are many fast-food joints and local, family-owned eateries like CJ Blacks Restaurant and Bar, which boasts a rather eclectic menu mainly comprising American fare but also featuring flatbreads and sushi. <br><br>All that said, Martha Bright Farms is shrouded in vibrant flora, buffered from main roads by other rural-leaning communities, so it can maintain peace and quiet, masking how centrally located the community truly is. For the most part, you'll find sprawling ranch-style houses along these narrow, forest-lined streets. However, don't be surprised by the odd multi- or split-level estate. The area is architecturally diverse, displaying Minimal Traditional, Mediterranean, Spanish-Mission, Key West and even more designs throughout custom-built residences. With that in mind, there's little consistency regarding the age of many of these homes; a 2023 new construction property can be found next door to a home built in 1972. Most properties in Martha Bright Farms are tied to low-commitment HOAs, such as that of the Davie West subdivision on the neighborhood's north side; overall, the HOA fees are relatively low. As for market prices, you can expect to pay between the high $700,000s and $2.89 million for a home in Martha Bright Farms. For $1.4 million, you can land a six-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom, 3,435-square-foot ranch-style house on a 41,125-square-foot lot. And for the equestrian folk, the majority of these properties allow a maximum of two horses.<br><br>Davie is a town known for its luxuriant green landscape and abundant opportunities for fun under the sun. So it's no wonder there are plenty of green spaces near Martha Bright Farms. There's Math Igler Citrus Park right across Hiatus Road, a perfect pocket park for playdates. And for more recreational options, there's Tree Tops Park farther down the road, with a plethora of amenities. This densely forested park is popular for fishing, nature observation and saddling up for the equestrian trails. Lastly, it would be a disservice not to mention the crown jewel of Davie's parks: C. B. Smith Park. Amenities galore, this recreational hub's lush 296-acre stretches wind around large lakes with paved walkways. It's home to Paradise Cove Waterpark as well as several sporting facilities.<br><br>Students living in Martha Bright Farms can embark on their K-12 journey less than 5 miles from home at Fox Trail Elementary, rated with a B-plus on Niche, before going to Indian Ridge Middle, rated with an A-minus, and graduating from Western High. This high school is rated with an A and ranked as the 15th best public high school in Broward County by Niche. Students here can apply to the Cambridge AICE (Advance International Certificate of Education) and complete its rigorous curriculum to graduate with a Cambridge AICE diploma and preparedness for postsecondary education.<br><br>Close to schools, parks and major roads, Martha Bright Farms bolsters a rural-suburban atmosphere ideal for quiet and private living.