Hollywood, Florida


Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the third-largest city in Broward County.
WWW hollywoodfl.org

History

In 1920, Joseph Young arrived in South Florida to create his own "Dream City in Florida". His vision included the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean stretching westward with man-made lakes, infrastructure, roads, and the Intracoastal Waterway. He wanted to include large parks, schools, churches, and golf courses, all industries and activities that were very important to him. After Young spent millions of dollars constructing the city, he was elected its first mayor in 1925. The town quickly became home to northerners known as "snowbirds", who fled the north during the winter and then escaped the south during the summer. By 1960, Hollywood had more than 2,400 hotel units and 12,170 single-family homes. Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920, and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real-estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York.
The Florida guide, published by the Federal Writers' Project, describes the development of Hollywood, an early example of the planned communities that proliferated in Florida during the real-estate boom of the 1920s:
Prospective purchasers of land were enticed by free hotel accommodation and entertainment, and "were driven about the city-to-be on trails blazed through palmetto thickets; so desolate and forlorn were some stretches that many women became hysterical, it is said, and a few fainted." Young had a vision of lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel, country clubs, and a main street, Hollywood Boulevard. Hollywood was severely damaged by the 1926 Miami hurricane; local newspapers reported that it was second only to Miami in losses from the storm. After Young's death in 1934, the city encountered other destructive hurricanes, and the stock market crashed, causing personal financial misfortunes.
Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017, causing damage and power outages in Hollywood. 12 residents of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills died of heat exposure. Four nursing-home staff were charged with negligence and manslaughter. Charges were dropped against the 3 nurses and the nursing home chief was acquitted.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity created Rebuild Florida, an initiative to provide aid to citizens affected by Irma. Its initial focus was its Housing Repair Program, which offered assistance in rebuilding families' homes. The program prioritized low-income vulnerable residents, such as the disabled, the elderly, and families with children under five. The program had varied results across the state, with hundreds of citizens claiming they were left without help.

Timeline

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of, of which are covered by water.
Hollywood is in southeastern Broward County, and includes about of Atlantic Ocean beach, interrupted briefly by a portion deeded to Dania Beach.

Climate

Hollywood has a tropical rainforest climate, with long, hot, humid, and rainy summers and short, warm, and dry winters.

Demographics

Historical racial composition20202010200019901980
White 37.2%47.5%61.6%78.5%90.0%
Hispanic or Latino39.9%32.6%22.5%11.9%5.3%
Black or African American 16.5%15.4%11.5%8.1%4.0%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.6%2.4%2.0%1.2%0.8%
Native American 0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.8%
Some other race 0.9%0.4%0.3%0.1%0.8%
Two or more races 2.8%1.5%1.9%N/AN/A
Population153,067140,768139,357121,697121,323

Nativity20152010200019901980
% population native-born64.8%66.8%73.7%82.2%86.4%
... born in the United States61.0%63.2%70.2%79.5%85.1%
... born in Puerto Rico or Island Areas2.3%2.4%2.6%1.8%1.3%
... born to American parents abroad1.4%1.2%1.0%0.9%1.3%
% population foreign-born35.2%33.2%26.3%17.8%13.6%
... born in Cuba5.0%3.8%2.8%2.1%1.5%
... born in Colombia3.6%3.2%2.8%0.8%N/A
... born in Haiti2.5%2.4%1.1%0.4%N/A
... born in Jamaica2.2%2.3%2.0%0.8%0.3%
... born in Peru1.8%2.0%1.1%0.4%N/A
... born in the Dominican Republic1.7%1.4%0.9%0.4%0.1%
... born in Canada1.3%1.2%1.9%1.9%1.6%
... born in other countries17.1%16.9%13.7%11.0%10.1%

As of 2000, Hollywood had the 75th-highest percentage of Cuban residents in the U.S., at 4.23% of its population, and the 65th-highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.26% It also had the 57th-highest percentage of Peruvian residents in the US, at 1.05%, and the 20th-highest percentage of Romanian residents in the US, at 1.1%.

Economy

Before it dissolved, Commodore Cruise Line and its subsidiary Crown Cruise Line were headquartered in Hollywood.
Aerospace and electronics parts manufacturer HEICO is headquartered in Hollywood.
Since 1991, the Invicta Watch Group, a manufacturer and marketer of timepieces and writing instruments, has been headquartered in Hollywood, where it also operates its customer-service call center.

Top employers

According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, its top employers are:
#EmployerEmployees
1Memorial Healthcare System4,124
2City of Hollywood1,446
3Chewy1,200
4Publix Supermarkets1,098
5Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood960
6Memorial Regional Hospital South766
7Great Healthworks430
8BrandsMart USA351
9Toyota of Hollywood333
10HEICO320

Tourism

Guided tours along the Intracoastal Waterway are common in Hollywood. The waterway, parallel to the ocean, allows people to explore nature and observe their surroundings.
Young Circle, named after the city's founder, is surrounded by shops, restaurants, and bars. A Food-Truck Takeover occurs every Monday, during which dozens of local food trucks offer a variety of cuisines, including Cuban, Venezuelan, Mediterranean, Mexican, Jamaican, and Peruvian, in addition to barbecue, burgers, gourmet grilled cheese, and desserts.

Parks and recreation

Hollywood has about 60 parks, seven golf courses, and sandy beaches.
Hollywood Beach has a broadwalk that extends about 2.5 miles along the ocean. Parking is available on side streets or in garages for a fee, and public trolleys run through the day. Restaurants and hotels line the broadwalk, along with a theatre, children's playground, and other attractions, including bicycle-rental shops, ice-cream parlors, souvenir shops, and a farmer's market. The broadwalk is used for walking and jogging, and has a bike lane for bicyclists and rollerbladers.

Government

Mayor

  • Joseph Wesley Young Jr., circa 1925
  • Arthur W. Kellner, circa 1935
  • Lester Boggs, 1943–1947, 1949–1953
  • Alfred G. Ryll, 1954–1955
  • William G. Zinkil Sr., 1955–1957, 1959–1967
  • E. L. McMorrough, circa 1959
  • Maynard Abrams, 1966–1969
  • David Keating, 1971–1986
  • Mara Giulianti, 1986–2008
  • Peter Bober, 2008–2016
  • Josh Levy, 2016–present

Education

Hollywood has 32 public schools and 24 private schools. The public schools are operated by the Broward County Public Schools.

Public schools

Broward County operates 24 public schools, consisting of four high schools, six middle schools, and 14 elementary schools.
The public high schools in Hollywood are Hollywood Hills High School, McArthur High School, South Broward High School, and Sheridan Technical College and High School.
The public middle schools include Apollo Middle School, Attucks Middle School, Driftwood Middle School, McNicol Middle School, Olsen Middle School, and Beachside Montessori Village.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Hollywood is served by Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the nation's 22nd-busiest airport. Broward County Transit operates several bus routes that pass through the city, such as the 1 on US 1. It is also served by Tri-Rail stations near Sheridan Street and Hollywood Boulevard.

Police department

The Hollywood Police Department is an entity within the city government tasked with law enforcement in Hollywood.

Notable people

In popular culture

The television game show Hollywood Squares taped a week of shows at the historic Diplomat Hotel in 1987 and featured aerial footage shot over Hollywood, Florida.
Episode 15 of season six of the HBO crime drama The Sopranos featured scenes shot in the vicinity of the Hollywood Beach Marriott along Carolina Street.
The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood is the exterior of the police substation in the TV show The Glades.
The comedy series Big Time in Hollywood, FL is set in Hollywood.

Sister cities

Hollywood's sister cities are: