Anglin’s Square: A beachy buzz
There’s a good chance you know it as Commercial and A1A.
You say that and every South Floridian and a good number of snowbirds will know you’re talking about the enclave of restaurants and shops clustered around that ocean-side intersection.
Some people might even know the hub that is Lauderdale-by-the-Sea’s downtown has a name that speaks to the seaside village’s history: Anglin’s Square.
What even newcomers know is that this is a cool place to enjoy ocean breezes while dining and drinking. There are 20 or so restaurants tucked in with the plazas that run down the middle of the square and on the side street of El Mar Drive, so the place has a beachy buzzy vibe that is only punched up by the bands frequently performing on weekends.
This is a hot place for cool people to chill out during the steamy summer. Even the two webcams (one in the square, the other on the pier) were named among the Top 25 “Most Interesting” webcams in the world.
To watch the webcams, go to Discoverlbts.com/live-beach-webcam. To see upcoming special events and live entertainment, go to Discoverlbts.com.
Where the name comes from
Melvin I. Anglin served as Lauder-dale-by-the-Sea’s first mayor (and constable) in the 1920s.
And while no one remembers when downtown L-B-T-S was first called Anglin’s Square, but the pier — which juts out behind the Beach Cafe and is called Anglin’s Pier — was built in 1941.
What’s going on now
In December 2012, remodeling of Anglin’s Square was completed to the tune of $6 million.
Now there is a common area with Adirondack chairs and umbrellas called “Dunes Plaza.” Beyond that is the “Connie Hoffmann Ocean Plaza,” which is just in front of the Pavilion and has games for families such as Jenga and cornhole.
The 20 or so restaurants include anchors such as Aruba Beach Cafe, 101 Ocean, Taco Craft Taqueria, Station 44 Bar-BQ Beachside Grill, Vinnie’s and Mulligan’s Beach House as well as dessert sweet spots such as Coco Yogurt, 4D Gelateria and Kilwin’s Ice Cream.