Westwood Community-South

“When 42 people newly married or about to have a baby come to your open house, it says something about the neighborhood,” recalls Lauren Ring, a sales manager with Pompano Beach Realty. She often sees people with strollers or biking at the nearby and newly renovated Tephford Park, part of Westwood Community-South. “The school district is good, too,” she says, “and the neighborhood is close to everything.”

Having completed over 50 real estate transactions in the past 12 months, many in or near Westwood, Ring knows what she’s talking about. She believes the current lower prices, as well as the local schools, parks and shopping, are attracting new families to the neighborhood more than ever. Two- and three-bedroom, single-family houses sell for between $400,000 and $600,000. Most are ranch-style homes built in the 1970s with geometric architectural touches or with Mediterranean stucco, tile roofs and arched doorways. Many are part of HOAs that provide access to clubhouses and pools. Town houses similar in size are priced under $400,000 and often include one-car garages. Two-bedroom villas are also available in the $350,000 range, many with vaulted ceilings, garages and amenities similar to other HOAs in the neighborhood.

The schools that serve Westwood Community-South all scored highly with Niche. Challenger Elementary, for example, received a B-plus; it offers special programs in music and the visual arts. Millenium 6-12 Collegiate Academy received an A-minus and features the accelerated Shining Stars Pathway for academically gifted students, who can earn high school credits in middle school and later a college associate degree along with a high school diploma. Students at J.P. Taravella High, a B school, can join traditional extracurricular clubs like art, chess and German, as well as clubs that inspire career paths, such as Future Florida Educators of America, Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders and Women of Tomorrow.

Tephford Park runs along the Stranahan River and is the go-to place for fresh air and exercise. It features a fitness court with outdoor workout stations; numerous pavilions with picnic tables and seating; an enclosed playground with climbing structures and rocking animals, including a purple dinosaur; a fishing pier, and walking paths that take you to different points of interest, such as the “Under the Shadow of the Big Tree” sculpture made of steel and stone that was dedicated to the fallen Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputy whom that park is named after. Tephord is long — burrowing owls nest there, and it’s essentially the beginning of the 16.5-mile Cypress Creek Greenway, a bike path that runs along the river from the Everglades to the Atlantic Ocean. Opposite the park on the other side of the Sawgrass Expressway is the Sawgrass Trailhead, the start of another greenway for walkers and bikers that extends north to Parkland, south to Markham Park and west into the Everglades — a favorite place for residents to gather and watch the sunset. The Tamarac Sports Complex is very close, too. It has everything that sports lovers in the family could want, including a hockey rink, a skate park, tennis and basketball courts, football and soccer fields, and two full-sized and one Little League-sized baseball fields.

For everyday needs, the closest supermarket is Publix at Tamarac Town Square. For more shopping options, Kings Point Plaza is directly south of the Tamarac Sports Complex and features eateries, shops and health-care offices. Head north on Coral Ridge Dive for about 2 miles, and you’ll hit the Lakeview Shopping Center, which features another Publix and several other stores and restaurants, including Rob’s Bageland, a family-owned and -operated restaurant for over 30 years. Rob’s serves breakfast and lunch and is the place to get fresh bagels and deli-style lunches, like a roast beef on rye, potato salad and soup for under $20. For a day of shopping, you can hop on the Sawgrass Expressway south for about 8 miles to Sawgrass Mills, one of the largest outlet and value store malls in the nation with over 350 retailers. Travel north for about 23 miles, and you’ll reach the Town Center at Boca Raton, an upscale shopping destination with more than 200 stores, which include luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

Whether you’re single, married, hoping to start a family or already have, Westwood Community-South is a neighborhood where you can stay active, send your children to quality schools and enjoy a variety of shopping options close to home.

Written By

Christopher Kopczynski

Photography Contributed By

Yanan Sun

Video By

Sara Warthen