Las Olas Boulevard is a major east-west thoroughfare in

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

that runs from SW 1st Avenue in the Central Business District to

Florida State Road A1A State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road that runs along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West, Florida, Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, Florida, Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia ( ...

in Fort Lauderdale Beach. The name ''"Las Olas"'' means "The Waves" in Spanish. The road once carried the designations of State Road A1A Alt. and State Road 842. The easternmost section begins on a barrier island and crosses the intracoastal waterway. The road then enters the residential neighborhoods of Seven Isles and Hendricks and Venice Isles. West of SE 17th Avenue, the road enters a commercial shopping district, which is itself colloquially called "Las Olas". This portion of the road is lined with low and mid-rise bars,

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s, bridal stores, shops, boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. The road passes over the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel and enters the city's financial district. The westernmost part of the street is predominantly lined by high-rises.

History

The boulevard was constructed in 1917 by S.P. Snyder & Son Co., when Las Olas was just a dirt road that crossed the swampy wetlands to the barrier island at Fort Lauderdale Beach. The Las Olas Isles were dredged in the 1920s to create land for a waterfront residential district. The modern commercial segment of Las Olas Boulevard was constructed during the Post World War II era. The buildings surrounding the westernmost downtown segment underwent significant redevelopment since the 1970s. In the early 1980s, Las Olas went through a major renovation program to enhance property values. The land was worth much more than that of the standing homes. It was decided that anyone who wished to buy property on one of the isles would have to tear down the existing home and build a home of equal or greater value than the land. Professional tour companies provide tours that take people down the waterways to show off the celebrities homes and yachts. In 2020, the city completed construction on the $49 million Las Olas Oceanside Park project at the intersection of

and Las Olas Boulevard. This project provided a 650-space parking garage behind and a beachfront park and plaza. The park hosts a variety of events, including farmers markets, fitness and art events.

Notable buildings

* Elbo Room bar * Riverside Hotel * The Governor's Club Hotel (1936-1995, demolished) *

Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale The NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is an art museum in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Originating in 1958 as the ''Fort Lauderdale Art Center'', the museum is now located in an modernist building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. The current buildin ...

* Bank of America Plaza

Public Transportation

Las Olas Boulevard is served by Broward County Transit Route 11 along most of its length, between SE 3rd Avenue and Fort Lauderdale Beach. The street is also served by the Las Olas Link of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transportation Management Association's Sun Trolley Bus Service.

Notable residents

A few of the most notable (past and present) are: * Johnny Weissmuller, actor who played

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. *

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, CEO of

Waste Management, Inc Waste Management, Inc., doing business as WM, is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company operating in North America. Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in the Bank of America Tower in Houston, Texa ...

Blockbuster Video Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: * Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Blo ...

and

AutoNation AutoNation is an American automotive retailer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which provides new and pre-owned vehicles and associated services in the United States. The company was founded by Wayne Huizenga in 1996, starting with twelve Aut ...

. * David L Cook, Christian music star and entrepreneur. *

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...

, actress and movie star who was featured in the movie, Where the Boys Are which was filmed on Las Olas Blvd at the famed Elbo Room. * Dan Quayle, former

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

. * Lee Majors, actor who played

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and former husband to

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she playe ...

. * Sonny and Cher, singers and actors. *

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...

and Desi Arnaz, television and movie stars. Stars of

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

fame. *

Gloria Vanderbilt Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother ...

, designer and socialite. *Preston A. Wells, Jr, Owner of much of the Las Olas Blvd real estate, including the Riverside Hotel, and the owner of the development company, The Las Olas Company. *Frank and

Ivy Stranahan Ivy Julia Cromartie Stranahan (1881–1971) was an American philanthropist heavily involved with the Seminoles of Southern Florida. She trained as a teacher initially, but after marrying Frank Stranahan, she settled permanently in Fort Lauderdale. ...

, founding pioneers of Fort Lauderdale and the first residents of Las Olas Boulevard. Their trading post

Stranahan House Stranahan House is the home of Fort Lauderdale pioneers Frank and Ivy Stranahan. Built in 1901 as a trading post and converted into a residence for the Stranahans in 1906, the house is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County. It was pla ...

is located between the boulevard and New River. Ivy established the first public school in Ft. Lauderdale and later donated the land which would eventually become

Stranahan High School Stranahan High School, is located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was officially opened in 1953 as an elementary school. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools district. Originally for white students only, In 1963 Chester Seabury be ...

.Historic Stranahan House Museum.
Retrieved 21 June 2013.

References

External links

Museum of Art , Fort Lauderdale
One East Las Olas
Stranahan House
Historic home with daily tours {{coord, 26.11930, N, 80.13496, W, source:placeopedia, display=title Roads in Broward County, Florida Shopping districts and streets in the United States Economy of Fort Lauderdale, Florida Tourist attractions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1917 establishments in Florida