Pembroke Pines

Century Village is a nationally known 55+ community comprised of 7,700 late-20th century condos in 10 mid-rise buildings in Broward County. This gated community is 12 miles west of the beaches of Hollywood and 16 miles northwest of Miami. The community is known for its luxurious amenities and sun-kissed location. However, recent rises in insurance premiums and corresponding homeowners association fees have caused a mild scandal, as some unhappy owners have been forced to sell. But Denis Kersaint, a longtime award-winning Realtor with Signature Florida, explains, "It's based on the rising price of insurance throughout the state, not just Century Village. After the tragedy in Surfside, the state requirements for insurance and retrofitting became stricter." Still, there's much to recommend Century Village, and the community is as popular as ever. These condos come in an array of styles, from more recent builds of Monterey and Mediterranean styles to older postwar contemporary modern styles. All are between two and four stories high, and four of the 10 buildings have elevators. All units come with emergency buttons in the primary bedrooms, and most condos have a lake view or a view of the lush greens of the community golf club. Prices range from around $200,000 for 600-square-foot studios to $500,000 for 1,500-square-foot condominiums with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The main clubhouse features 135,000 square feet of recreational spaces. Residents participate in card clubs, book clubs and arts clubs, among other things. Automatic membership to the 18-hole golf course is included with a home purchase. There are tennis courts and, according to Kersaint, "27 pools" where water aerobics classes and Arthritis Aquacise classes occur weekly. There are movies and performers at the 1,030-seat community theater and themed parties in the 900-seat ballroom. Outdoor activities include sailing classes and catch-and-release fishing on the many lakes and canals. Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park and William B. Armstrong Dream Park are two sizeable green spaces outside the community. "There's a trolley system that picks residents up and takes them throughout the village and into the city of Pembroke Pines," says Kersaint. "And people like to venture out to Miami. Many people have cars, and it's by Interstate 75, so it's very convenient." The Flamingo Pines Shopping Center occupies the northeastern quadrant of the neighborhood. Walmart, Trader Joe's, a post office and several local restaurants, like Tijuana Flats, operate here. The Medical Pines Care Medical Center and South Florida Medical Center are nearby. On the west side of Century Village, The Shops at Pembroke Gardens is a more upscale mall with sit-down options for Cuban food and sushi and a Nike store. There are, of course, no schools inside Century Village, but just north in Pembroke Falls, there are three. Lakeside Elementary School received a B on the school rankings website Niche, and Walter C. Young Middle School received a B-plus. Charles W. Flanagan High School received a B-plus on Niche and benefits from a significant investment through Broward County's SMART Program, which allocated $800 million to upgrade technology and athletic and music departments in district schools.

Chapel Trail is a master-planned community on the west side of Pembroke Pines, surrounded by great schools and lush Floridian greenery. “I lived in Chapel Trail for a couple of years when my daughters were very young,” says Jenise Gato, a broker associate and Realtor with Peaceful Moves by LPT Realty. “It’s very popular for families since there are many A-rated schools. I loved the wide sidewalks, pretty lawns and gorgeous greenery. They made for wonderful jogs and bike rides. You wave to your neighbors as you go by.” Each subdivision has play areas for kids and palm-lined green spaces to walk four-legged friends to. The neighborhood also features public green spaces, including an expansive nature preserve. “It is very close to the Everglades,” Gato says. “I never saw alligators in my lake when I lived there, but we would hear peacocks walking on our roof. They’re super chill. They just like to stroll like everyone else.” The neighborhood has several subdivisions; some are gated, such as Chapel Trail Estates and Malibu Bay, while others are ungated, like Pasadena Estates. Each subdivision is a master-planned community originally built in the 1980s or ‘90s. HOAs are standard. Other standard features include driveways and two-car garages. Home designs vary but typically stick to the Spanish eclectic style — a Florida classic influenced by Mediterranean, Native American and Spanish architecture. Stucco and clay siding, arches and barrel roof tiles are staple features of this style. “There’s less turnover here,” Gato says. “It’s where families grow. Every house is a childhood home.” While Chapel Trail mostly has single-family homes, townhouses are in the neighborhood, too. List prices range from $417,000 — the cost of a three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse — to $1.1 million — the cost of a five-bedroom, four-bathroom estate. Manufactured homes can be found on the west side in Heritage City for less than $300,000. Students in the neighborhood are served by two school systems: Broward County Public Schools and the City of Pembroke Pines Charter School System. The latter is a lottery system. Accepted students can start school at the west K-8 campus, a school rated A-minus on Niche, before going to City of Pembroke Pines Charter High, which is rated A-plus and ranked No. 11 on Niche’s list of the best charter high schools in Florida. Outside of the charter system, schools remain strong. All students can get their academic start at Chapel Trail Elementary, rated B-plus. “There’s a dual language program there that’s really unique,” Gato says. “There’s an option for students to learn Spanish and English together. There aren’t many public schools that offer that.” Students can then attend Silver Trail Middle, rated A-minus, and graduate from West Broward High, rated A. West Broward High offers dual enrollment and advanced placement courses, as well as the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education program, which allows students to acquire up to 45 hours of college credit alongside their diploma. It also puts graduating students in the running for the highest level of the Florida Academic Scholarship. Chapel Trail’s subdivisions hedge the leafy edges of protected wetlands. Chapel Trail Nature Preserve is the community’s largest green space. Its 450 acres are home to more than 100 native fauna species, all also found throughout the greater Everglades system. Locals take in nature’s tranquility as they walk along the boardwalk. “A lot of people go bird-watching there,” Gato says. “There’s a bald eagle nest way up in the trees. You’ll see professional bird watchers with big equipment looking into the preserve. I’ve never seen the eagles — probably need binoculars to spot them — but it’s cool to know they live there.” For athletic recreation, Rose G. Park is the neighborhood’s go-to. This park features basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, paddleball and swimming facilities. Gato says swimming lessons are offered at the park’s pool. Free pool memberships are accessible to all Chapel Trail residents. There aren’t any dining destinations immediately around Chapel Trail, but Chapel Trail Plaza has some options for a morning pick-me-up or a sweet treat. Roasting Buddies has a full espresso bar and drip coffee, as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner items. A few stores down, Latin Café-Bakery has baked goods, coffee and Cuban sandwiches. Publix, Walmart Supercenter and Walgreens are in the area for day-to-day shopping. Chapel Trail may have plenty of sidewalks, but it is a car-dependant area. Conveniently, U.S. Highway 27 runs through the west side of the neighborhood. “U.S. 27 feeds into I-75,” Gato says. “It’s like a backway you can use to avoid a lot of traffic. You go down 27 and catch I-75 and then the [Florida] Turnpike. That’s the easiest way to get to metropolitan areas like Fort Lauderdale.”

Every day is a vacation at Hollywood Lakes Country Club, says 34-year resident Maria Quintana Batista, a broker and CEO of Capital Teamwork Real Estate Crop. "It's really nice to live on a golf course with all of the lakes and greenery," she says. "You know, you're out there in all this traffic and craziness, but once you go past the gates, there's all this greenery and the palms, and it's like you're on a resort," she says. The neighborhood is filled with subdivisions of condos, villas, townhomes and single-family houses, most of which were built in the 1990s around Grand Palms Resort and Golf Club. The 500-acre resort is a popular vacation destination, but residents can also utilize its clubhouse, luxury spa and three 9-hole championship golf courses. "You're gonna have people who like to play two, three times a week and have their own golf carts, and then there are the occasional players," Batista says. The neighborhood's location is also attractive for its proximity to major commuter highways like U.S. Interstate 75 and popular shopping centers. There are many housing options in Hollywood Lakes Country Club. Single-family homes are clustered in residential pockets, with some having beautiful lake views in their backyards. They often have cement siding and mostly follow modern Mediterranean and 1990s custom contemporary stylings. Options with three- to five-bedrooms can range from $500,000 to $1.1 million, while those with up to seven bedrooms max out around $1.5 million. There is also a robust market for townhomes, mostly built in the Spanish Mission style, featuring neutral-colored stucco facades and red clay roof tiles. Many are in HOA communities with clubhouses, community pools and activity centers. They commonly have between two and four bedrooms and range from $400,000 to $660,000. And then there are condos, which come in a mix of hotel-style units and villas. These options often have two or three bedrooms and range from $225,000 to $450,000. The neighborhood is zoned for Broward County Public Schools, which includes Silver Palms Elementary School, Walter C. Young Middle School and Charles W. Flanagan High School, all graded a B-plus on Niche. Flanagan High partners with several colleges and universities, including the University of Florida, to provide students with dual enrollment courses. All three schools are within a 15-minute drive north of the community. All three schools are within a 4-mile drive of the community. The neighborhood is also close to Franklin Academy, a public kindergarten through twelfth-grade charter school. It has a 95 percent graduation rate, and students earn higher-than-average SAT scores. Hollywood Lakes Country Club residents have plenty of shopping and dining options. Cobblestone Plaza is just outside the north entrance of the community and is home to a Whole Foods Market, a few boutique shops, medical offices, and several eateries. Nori Tori is a popular group dining spot specializing in buffet-style Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Residents also rave about Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria, a national franchise that started as a small family-owned pizza place in New Jersey. Its menu now has much more than just pizza, featuring dishes like chicken piccata and a truffle tortelloni. And Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen is the go-to for healthy, made-to-order bowls with fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Big-name chain eateries like Chick-fil-A and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen are across Pines Boulevard in Westfork Plaza and Paraiso Parc shopping mall. Also in the shopping centers are retailers like T.J. Maxx, Costco and Publix. And for even more shopping and dining options, The Shops at Pembroke Gardens is just across U.S. Interstate 75. This open-air shopping mall has over 50 retail stores and two dozen eateries. Popular brands in the mall include Barnes & Noble, lululemon and Nike. Grand Palms Resort and Golf Club offers golf, social and tennis memberships starting at $400 annually. "You will not find a more reasonably priced membership opportunity at any comparable Pembroke Pines Golf Course," Meyers-Archer says. Club members and their guests can access 27 holes of championship golf, a full-service resort, and luxury amenities like a wellness center and spa. But a membership is not required to golf. Other outdoor recreation options include a full gym, soccer field and tot lot, which sit just outside the guard gate. For a large public park, Silver Shores Park is just across the street from the community's south entrance. This 16-acre space was designed with sports in mind, featuring courts and fields for basketball, tennis, volleyball and football. It also has a small, covered playground for kids and shaded pavilions. The neighborhood is bordered by U.S. Interstate 75, which connects to U.S. Interstate 525 and leads to Fort Lauderdale, about 25 miles away. The highway runs along the residential section of the community, and while noise barriers help reduce traffic sounds, they do not eliminate them entirely. Pines Boulevard is another busy thoroughfare bordering the community. It's also where public Broward County Buses pick up. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the closest major airport, about 25 miles away.

After Hurricane Andrew created massive damage throughout Miami-Dade County in 1992, people started moving north to Broward County. That influx necessitated more housing, and neighborhoods like the Lakes of Western Pines were born. It’s an area where interlinking bodies of water provide a peaceful sanctuary for those living there. “This is one of the top neighborhoods in Pembroke Pines,” says Claudia Willard, an associate broker with the Willard Realty Team, with over 20 years of experience in the real estate business. “What puts this area over the top is the amenities you get within the gated community.” The Lakes of Western Pines is a gated community, and all the separate subdivisions are connected within the gates. The large Mediterranean-style new traditional homes rest among duplex-type townhouses along the winding paths. The bodies of water in the community mean there’s a good chance for a water view from the house. Single-family homes range from $400,000 to $900,000, while townhouses can be anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000. The median price is nearly $600,000 and over $300 per square foot. Homeowners can expect to pay anywhere from $350 to $400 monthly for association fees. The money goes to maintaining common areas, cable TV, ground maintenance and security. The amenities that people enjoy are a clubhouse with a gym, volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, pool, boat ramp and a fishing pier. The Broward County School District is the sixth largest in the country, and while it has over 250,000 students, its schools rank high in academic rigor and the amount of college preparation. “One of the selling points of this neighborhood is the schools,” Willard says. “That usually pushes this neighborhood over the top, combined with the amenities.” Panther Run Elementary has a low student-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1 and is ranked a B overall. Silver Trail Middle School students can take Peer Counseling as an elective class, where students can help other students try to resolve sticky situations. The school gets an A-minus overall grade. Everglades High School also receives an A-minus from Niche. The Lakes of Western Pines is close to the Silver Lakes North Park, which has two lighted basketball courts, two soccer fields, five small pavilions, four lighted tennis courts, a volleyball court and a paved walking or jogging trail. Nearby, residents also head to C.B. Smith Park, which can accommodate 22,000. The Paradise Cove waterpark features four 50-foot waterslides, a lazy river, a watery playground and a pool with two small slides. Other features of the park include a family golfing center, tennis complex and camping facilities. Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill has deep South Florida roots and has a location at the southern end of the neighborhood on Pines Boulevard. It is run by the three Flanigan Brothers, who are second-generation restaurant owners. The walls are decorated with family pictures of fishing trips, and regulars enjoy Mexican Mondays, Wing-It Wednesday themes and the laid-back atmosphere. Seafood is in the name, so there’s plenty of that, but they’re also known for their tangy baby back ribs. Sports fans will love that there’s likely a game on TV to watch while eating. Grocery trips are not very far, with Publix, Sedano’s, and Whole Foods Market within a 10-minute drive. Sheridan Road to the north and Pines Boulevard to the south have multiple stops for the Broward County Transit bus lines. Interstate 75 is a short drive east to get anywhere in the northern Miami suburbs. The Tri-Rail commuter train station at Sheridan Street is 14 miles to the east, which can take commuters into downtown Miami. Weston Hospital is the nearest medical facility, about 6 miles to the north.

The Pembroke Pines community of Lakeside South is a large neighborhood on the west side of Broward County. "Most of the homes in Pembroke Pines are in gated communities with newer amenities," says Denis Kersaint, 2023 winner of the Most Transactions for Signature Real Estate Companies. There are several condo complexes in the northeast section of Lakeside South, next to the North Perry Airport. Hollybrook Golf and Tennis Club is in the center of the neighborhood, with upscale townhomes and condos surrounding the grounds. The southwest section of the community is filled with mansions on ample landscaped lots. Homebuyers will find two-bedroom condos in late 20th-century stucco buildings, often painted in pastels, in developments with pools and gyms for under $200,000. Prices for the same size units rise to $300,000 around Hollybrook. Newer traditional, large Spanish and Mediterranean-style homes are generally situated on one of the neighborhood's many man-made lakes. While the housing types are similar, each has its own distinct features. These newer homes feature attached garages, large driveways and clay-tiled roofs and are listed for between $500,000 and $700,000 for three to four bedrooms. The postwar homes are in designs more traditional to South Florida – ranch or hacienda styles with bright colors surrounded by green shrubbery and trees – and listed for under $500,000. Vast Tanglewood Park in the northern part of the neighborhood features some of the wetland landscape so prevalent here – the Everglades are just 10 miles west – but it also has basketball, paddle ball and racquetball courts, as well as a large pavilion and shaded playground. Hollybrook Golf and Tennis Club has an 18-hole course that's open to the public, a pool and grass tennis courts. The City of Pembroke Pines Community Garden and the Studio 18 Art Complex, a maker space for local artists to work and show, are just east of Hollybrook. Cinnamon Place Park is a small green space with a playground and volleyball court on the community's southern border. The City of Pembroke Pines keeps a busy social calendar with events at municipal spaces such as The Charles F. Dodge City Center all year. The Taste of Pines, where local restaurants and food artisans showcase their creations for a voting public, is in its 14th year. The Pines Recreation Center hosts an Independence Day blowout with food trucks, fireworks and music. Referring to this lively community calendar, Kersaint says, "All the cities west of the Florida Turnpike are younger and were built to cater to Millennials." Pembroke Pines Shopping Center on the northeast corner of Lakeside South draws visitors from within and outside the neighborhood. Patrons will find a Lowe's home improvement store, a Publix, and a Broward County favorite, Broward Meat & Fish, location. Fast and slow food restaurants like Dairy Queen and Chuck E. Cheese also operate here. River Run shopping mall also has a Publix, but Plaza Diner is the real reason to go. Listed by Eater Magazine as one of 13 Classic Old-School Diners in South Florida, Plaza's Heart Attack Sandwich is infamous in these parts. There are charter schools in and around Lakeside South where children may attend if they apply and there is space. If there is insufficient space, they must enter a lottery in which only some children can obtain spots. The City of Pembroke Pines Charter School is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school that received an A-minus on the school rankings website Niche. Sea Castle Elementary School is a public elementary school with a B-minus on Niche. Somerset Preparatory Charter Middle School received a B, and Pines Middle School received a C-plus. Miramar High School is the nearest public high school. It received a B-minus on Niche and is a prestigious International Baccalaureate Program member. Miramar Park is equidistant from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It's roughly 20 miles to each, so depending on traffic, a commute could range from a half-hour to a bit more than an hour. Immediate access to Florida's Turnpike gives residents an easy connection to major highways. The Memorial Pembroke 24/7 Emergency Care Center is in the center of the Lakeside South neighborhood.

Luxury homes sit on meticulously manicured lots in Pembroke Falls, a gated community developed around nearly 200 acres of lakes between 1999 and 2003. Its picturesque setting, four guarded gates and residents-only amenities, like sports courts and a recreation center, have created a sense of privacy and self-sufficiency. "Once you're in Pembroke Falls, it's like you're in you're own little city," says Realtor Hernan Moscoso, with Keller Williams' Moscoso Group. And, while residents have access to countless amenities within the confines of the master-planned community, its convenient location next to major highways, shopping centers, and a public park cannot be overlooked. Three- to five-bedroom Mediterranean-style homes sit on modest lots hugged by curving lakes. They were built around the turn of the century, but many have been updated to have contemporary finishes like hardwood flooring and granite countertops. While residents have access to a junior Olympic-sized pool at the neighborhood clubhouse, private pools, sometimes enclosed, are also common. Depending on size, these dwellings range from $775,000 to $1.3 million. According to Moscoso, inventory in the neighborhood is "low." "When you go back before COVID, there were about 100 sales per year, but now there are about 60 to 70 homes being sold in total," he says. Despite inventory being low, the market is moving quickly, with well-priced homes selling within 10 days. More affordable are townhouses, which sit outside of the gated part of the community. They often have between three and four bedrooms and range from $580,000 to $725,000. Pembroke Falls is served by the Broward County Public School District, which includes Lakeside Elementary School, graded a B on Niche; Walter C. Young Middle School, graded a B-plus; and Charles W. Flanagan High School, also graded a B-plus. Charles W. Flanagan High offers a specialized international studies program called The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), which allows students to take classes on global perspectives, languages and humanities alongside standard academic courses. The program is through the University of Cambridge, allowing students to earn college credits. Most residents live within 2 miles of these schools, meaning bus services may be limited. Also nearby is NUC University or Florida Technical College, a private technical school offering diplomas and bachelor’s degrees in comitology, construction trades, healthcare, hospitalities and more. One of the many benefits of living in Pembroke Falls is the luxury, residents-only amenities, like the community clubhouse, which features a heated pool, hot tub, fitness center and aerobics studio. Residents also have access to eight tennis courts, three lakeside basketball courts, paved walking paths, and a small playground. Also in the neighborhood is C.B. Smith Park, which spans nearly 300 acres and includes the ocean-themed Paradise Cove Waterpark, complete with a lazy river and several 50-foot slides, an events space that holds up to 22,500 people, and an AllGolf facility with putting greens, a mini-golf course and batting cages. Other popular amenities in the park include picnic areas, a campsite and a variety of sports courts. Flamingo Falls shopping mall sits in the corner of the neighborhood, offering quick access to groceries at The Fresh Market and a variety of cuisines at restaurants like Buenos Aires Bakery & Café, an Argentinian spot, and RiceUp Asian Kitchen, an Asian fusion joint. Other grocery options like Walmart and Trader Joe’s sit just outside the neighborhood in the Flamingo Pines Square Shopping Center. Pembroke Falls’ location next to Interstate Highway 75 also makes it easy for residents to access The Shops at Pembroke Gardens, an open-air shopping mall with more than 50 familiar retail stores and two dozen eateries. Sirocco Mediterranean Restaurant & Lounge is one of the mall’s highest-rated spots, serving authentic Lebanese and Mediterranean dishes like lamb shank and sirocco grill. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant hosts live entertainers like bands and belly dancers. For a night out on the town, residents rave about Unit B Eatery + Spirits, a prohibition-themed bar known for its signature cocktails, like the lychee martini and the 21st Amendment, a scotch and citrus-based drink. Another central shopping and dining destination is the Pembroke Lakes Mall, about 3 miles away. It houses over 150 stores, restaurants and bodegas. The city of Pembroke Pines hosts a variety of recurring events throughout the year, including the Annual Honorable Mayor Frank C. Ortis Golf Tournament, a charity golf expo supporting the Pembroke Pines Charter School Foundation. It’s held each April at the Pembroke Lakes Golf Club. Also in April is Pines Day, a birthday celebration for the city. Residents are invited to the Charles F. Dodge City Center, a community event space, to play arcade games, sample cuisines from local food trucks, and snack on carnival favorites like cotton candy and popcorn. Pembroke Falls butts up against I-75, making it easy for residents to travel throughout South Florida. It also leads to Miami, about 28 miles away. Public Broward County Transit buses pick up along Pines Boulevard and Sheridan Street, on the edge of town. The neighborhood is central to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport, about 22 and 23 miles away, respectively. And emergency medical care is easily accessible, with the award-winning Memorial Hospital West sitting about 2 miles away. According to RiskFactor.com, Pembroke Falls is at high risk of experiencing hurricane force winds. Flood risks, however, are minimal, with the neighborhood scoring a 1/10 on RiskFactor.com.