Windsor Palms

Winsor Palms was developed more than 20 years ago in western Miramar to serve a growing number of businesses and families drawn to its lower taxes and luxury amenities. “Like other master-planned communities, Winsor Palms was designed for people who want easy access to commerce, as well as restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls,” says Eli Williams, a real estate broker with Royal International Realty. “Winsor Palms is at the center of it all — and it’s located right off I-75.”

Divided by Miramar Parkway, Winsor Palms is composed of a commercial district to the north and the Windsor Palms gated community to the south. Companies, such as Royal Caribbean, have a facility here, as do several colleges and trade schools, such as the Ross University School of Medicine. Homes in Winsor Palms are just as upscale as the business climate, with 2,500- to 3,500-square-foot single-family residences that feature four to five bedrooms and two- or three-car garages. Properties here range from $750,000 to $1 million depending on their amenities, which often include granite countertops, custom walk-in closets, backyard pools and lakefront views. “The subdivision has a Mediterranean quality too, with tan stucco and red-clay roofs,” Williams says. “But it doesn’t have the kind of strict HOA rules you find in other communities, which makes it more relaxed.”

Three public schools and one charter serve the Windsor Palms community, and all four are above average to outstanding. Coral Cove Elementary is the closest, located off SW 148th Avenue. While Coral Cove didn’t receive the highest academic scores, 75% of its students achieved math proficiency and 66% achieved reading proficiency on state exams — not bad. Glades Middle and Everglades High School are farther away on the west side of I-75, and charter school Somerset Academy Elementary (Miramar Campus) is east of the Ronald Reagan Turnpike. Somerset students, by the way, scored higher than any other student body in the community — with 81% or higher math and reading proficiencies.

While Windsor Palms has no city parks in either of its commercial or residential sectors, Miramar Regional Park is only 2 miles west on Miramar Parkway. This 173-acre park is the largest in the city. Here, you’ll find children’s playgrounds, athletic fields, picnic areas and lakeside walking trails. Within the park complex, there’s also an aquatic center, which has a large swimming pool and kid’s water play area; an amphitheater, which hosts live concerts and other performances throughout the year; a 5,000-square-foot skatepark that can accommodate up to 30 rollerbladers, skateboarders or scooters simultaneously; and a dog park that requires registration to access its gated entrance.

While you’re on Miramar Parkway, you’ll notice several conveniences, such as Target and Winn-Dixie. In fact, there’s a Home Depot before you hit I-75, and you’ll see chain restaurants, discount stores, pharmacies and banks as you make your way back to Windsor Palms. If you’re hungry and in the mood for entertainment, check out Blue Ginger Seafood Steakhouse. Food is theater there, and it’s cooked at your table so you can admire (or chuckle at) your chef’s antics. If you want something lighter, stop at Pronto Salads, several doors over, for its wide assortment of crisp veggies, hot paninis and savory gyros. There’s also a Publix right there in case you need to pick up groceries. Or drive 2 miles up I-75 to The Shops at Pembroke Gardens, an open-air mall with more than 75 upscale retailers and restaurants.

“Windsor Palms is a neighborhood designed for quality living and easy access,” Williams says. Indeed, families who buy in the neighborhood enjoy 24-hour security, luxury homes, a not-so-strict HOA, highly-rated schools and plenty of shopping choices — a place where you can design your life just the way you want it.