| Subject: Re: Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood area |
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JM
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Date Posted: 08:54:22 02/26/03 Wed
In reply to:
honeymoon in a thong
's message, "Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood area" on 13:59:01 06/11/02 Tue
Dont know if you have allready been or not but here is my standard guide to Thongs on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
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THE FOLLOWING IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF MY STANDARD BEACH REPORT & GUIDE THAT I HAVE POSTED BEFORE.
Fort Lauderdale thong very friendly. I wear a thong to the beach about three mornings a week. There are always girls in thongs and often, but not always guys. Most mornings I am the only male thonger out between 8 and 9 am. Other thongers tend to come out later in the morning for the sun.
If you come out to our beaches during a cold spell don’t expect to see a lot of locals in thongs. We are generally spoiled so if it’s the least bit nippy we are off the beach. During the Christmas and January you will mainly see overdressed tourists from up north. There will be a lot less locals in thongs if it is too cold, too hot, or the wether is not perfect: We locals are spoiled. This should not come as a surprise.
You can wear just about any thong on Fort Lauderdale beach. I am a straight man who runs 4 to 7 miles on the beach sand in a very small thong three mornings a week. From Las Olas Blvd to south to the port or north as far as Oakland Park Blvd. Very occasionally all the way north to the light house at Light House Point. Apart from the comments of the odd red-neck builder in a truck, the response has been mostly very positive.
The following is a detailed guide for anyone interested in wearing a thong on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Like all beaches, different people tend to gather at different places on the beach. If you want to layout in a small thong you may want to be aware of the invisible zones. After living here most of my life I can give you a rough guide to the main section of Fort Lauderdale Beach.
This guide works from the South to the North. A mile north of the port the road that started out as Se 17st street turns into a road that is variously called South Atlantic Blvd, or Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, other wise known as (A1A). As the road emerges from the buildings and rises up to the beach there is a large parking lot on the right. This is start of the main “beach”. The South parking lot is listed on some maps as South Beach Park and is across from Bahia Mar Marina. The beach in front of the parking lot has families barbecuing on weekends and often some young punks hanging out at the ball court. On weekends it’s a good idea to stay clear of this mob. Parking cost is flat rate all day.
To the south of the parking lot there is a mile of beach running south to the breakwater at the entrance to Port Everglades. There is no easy beach access for tourists unless you are staying at one of the hotels along the south stretch you will have to walk south from the south parking lot. Along this southern mile the beach is wide and once you have walked south of the lounge chairs of the first two hotels it is generally very underpopulated. No lifeguards and so much space nobody really cares what you do. Almost any swim suite is ok.
North of the parking lot the one way traffic starts and the north bound road runs right along the beach. At this point there is a very visible hobby cat launching area. From here the main beach starts with the famous wavy low white wall.
From here to Las Olas Blvd (about 1/3 of a mile) you will find mainly locals. The Zoo health club and the Swimming Hall of Fame are located across the street so in the mornings this zone attracts the athletic. This is my favorite part of the beach. A good section for straight thongers and thonging couples,. Probably several girls and one or two straight men in thongs, often with their girlfriends. There are several good coffee and lunch shops across the road. I like a local dive where the coffee is lethal and the food expensive but the breakfast company is locals and they don’t objects to thongs if I cover the cheeks with a long shirt.
Next is the Las Olas Blvd junction. Las Olas is the main road from the beach to down town Ft Lauderdale. There is a parking lot here on the land side of the beach road an another larger and cheaper one two blocks west, back underneath the bridge. Parking is metered by the hour. Watch it, they love writing parking tickets.
If you were to turn inland on Las Olas you would drive through the rich neighborhood for a mile; then a mile of cute shops and restraints. Beyond that is a canyon between several high rise buildings but you can find a delightful aria along the river called the River Walk. If you are staying on the beach, rent a bike one afternoon and take a tour inland up Las Olas. At the end of the shops, take a left on New River Drive and follow the River Walk foot path to Riverside and the Performing arts district.
I digress. North of Las Olas Blvd, in front of the shops and open air restaurants, the beach and sidewalk is more populated. (Mainly tourists on week days with the crowd swelled by younger locals on weekends.)
On the corner of Las Olas and A1A, right at the end of Las Olas is the Elbow Room bar.
This is always a good spot for girls in thongs but it also attracts the beer drinking jocks in the afternoon on weekends. This weekend crowd is often a little over lubricated and comes a little obnoxious as the day wares on.
The bars and restaurants come fast for about four blocks cumulating in Beach Place. Beach Place is a three story open air shopping center on beach. Complete with the required Gap, and Hooters. Sorry the Speedo store has moved out.
I would avoid the beach directly in front of the Elbow Room and the beach for a block or two north of it. The beach in front of Beach Place is mellow but used mainly by tourists as there is little parking for locals.
To the north of Beach Place is the Merywether hotel. Right across from it on the beach is about 200 yards populated by 90% gay men and some flattered women. This very sort section, between Castillo and Sebastian Streets, is the main gay section. The very famous gay hotel, the Marlin Beach Hotel, was demolished years ago but they still clam that 200 yards, it’s a tradition. Many young and good looking men but surprisingly very few thongs. I think they are trying to blend in !
North of the main strip ends and the traffic flows both ways. For the next half mile there are Hotels on the land side of the road. Here you find mainly tourists and on some mornings the European airline stewardesses. The stue’s are about the only girls you may see topless. (Rare and generally only between 8 am and 10 am, before they have to report for afternoon flights to Europe and before the Life Guards start work.) Not meany locals on this section because there is almost no parking. The beach along here is skinnier so you are rather closer to the road.
At about 2/10 of a mile south of Sunrise the hotels and buildings stop. (Between Vistamar and 9th Streets.) On the land side you will see a high iron railing and trees of the Bonnet House Estate. On the beach side you will find less people and possibly find a few men and women in thongs. No parking and no adjoining hotels make it a quieter section of the beach. Most mornings there are a couple of thongs out by 10 am. Another good area for straight and couple thonging. (A regular older thonging couple that has been there almost 6 years but now only comes on weekends.)
The famous white wavy wall ends at the next major junction, Sunrise Blvd. It is also a major East west road with a bridge over the intra-costal waterway. Here the white wavy wall is replaced by a straight low sand colored one.
(One block back from the sea, on Sunrise Blvd, is a store that has some very good women’s swimsuits.) It is painted purple and yellow, look for the words “Splish Splash” and a “buy 1 get 1 free sign”. It’s well worth the detour.
If you were to go inland over the Sunrise bridge you will find the upscale Galleria mall, Wild Oats supermarket, and the large boarders book store. Good if it rains.
Back to the beach! For a mile north of North of Sunrise Blvd the road still runs along the beach. This is the only area where you can park your car right beside the beach and the only FREE parking. You need to get there early for a parking space. There is a park behind the beach, (access from Sunrise Blvd), that provides more parking (low cost, $1 a head). The free or low cost parking attracts the older and cheaper beach regulars who are generally friendly and thong tolerant.
The first half mile is wide and there is plenty of space for everyone and new paintings of palm trees provide some shade on hot days. Lots of different people, from groups of elderly to families, couples and singles. During snow bird session there are lots of French Canadians on this section. They often cluster together and build camps of umbrellas and wind breakers. A very mixed section with lots of space and generally torrent crowd. Pitch your tent about 1/4 of a mile north of Sunrise.
The second half mile of beach has a different character. It was badly storm eroded and so the beach is narrower and there are no life guards. To help stop erosion they have planted more palm trees on the beach that do offer shade. Unfortunately the proximity to the road puts me off this stretch.
At the very north end, just before the hotels start on the beach side of the road, there are two or three low dunes. This tends to be a gay pickup area, as does the parking in this area. I would avoid spreading your towel there if you are straight because you will be hit on. The free parking at the north end is also being used by the laborers working construction on the monestrous towers being built to the north.
This is the North end of the main “beach”. The thin line of sand continues north behind the condos, hotels and private houses. Apart from the sections in front of hotels or high rise condos this stretch is almost deserted. What you wear will depend on who is around and what is overlooking you. You may get some disapproving comments or be completely undisturbed along here. This continues for two miles until it opens out near the pier at Commercial Boulevard where the beach widens out and things are again more “family” orientated.
FOOTNOTES:
The lifeguards are generally indifferent to the size of your suite so long as it is legal. They have never said any thing negative to me. The smallest I wear is the out in the Dore’s low cut. Please remember that they have to sit in the lifeguard tower, it is their job. So if you think your suite might make them uncomfortable sit between the towers. Several of the lifeguards are athletes and some give me a wave or a thumbs up when I run by. This encouragement is probably for the running, not for the thong.
As a straight man, out running in a small thong, I find the response you receive is a question of your own attitude. I ignore rude comments shouted from passing red neck’s in the plumbers vans. I try to smile and say a friendly “Good Morning” to all the people I pass. I am pleased when ladies return the greeting with a me a thumbs up or friendly waive.
I will run on the beach in a thong but would not walk along the side walk by the beach in a thong. To cross the road to the shops or walk along the sidewalk I put on a singlet type running shirt. (Tank Top) Yes you can still tell I’m wearing a thong but it covers my skinny chest and but cheeks so I’m less ‘out there’.
The general rule is: Don’t get in other peoples faces and stay clear of young punks who are out to make a point. If you are a women and swagger along the side walk in a thong you will get honked at. If you are a man and swagger along the side walk in a thong you will get comments, mostly negative. If you are lying on the beach or running on the sand you will be generally left alone or get positive comments.
In Fort Lauderdale a women you can parade down the road or stretch out right on top of the wall by the road in the smallest of G-Strings. Men need to be a little more sensitive to exactly where they are and who is around them. If you show a little intelligence you will have no trouble on Fort Lauderdale beach.
Please stay away from transparent thongs or ones that make an thongs an “issue”. Right now the City Commission has a ‘bee in its bonnet’ about making the beach “Posh”. Dogs are banned from all of the beach and adjoining sidewalk except one short stretch, with a permit. There is an ongoing fight about people under 21 from attending the Atlantis dance bar. Too meany teens sitting on the wall at night and getting into trouble. So use some intelligence and don’t swagger down the middle street in a transparent thong making lurid gestures. The last thing we need is a thong incident in the papers. Keep cool, show a little intelligence, and you will have lots of fun and no trouble on Fort Lauderdale beach.
Some people may be offended that I catagorize one section of beach as gay and the next as straight. Don’t flame me: This is only meant to be a guide to help people feel comfortable and it is important to some people to know what section of beach they are in. This is only a guide. As a general rule you cannot tell sexual orientation by looking. The main strip of Fort Lauderdale Beach is only 2.5 miles long so every thing is going to get mixed up a bit and that is good. The only prominent gay section is the stretch in front of the Merywether Hotel.
For guys, not getting hassled will depend on where you are and also on your age and fatness. Fat old guys in thongs get more grief than people in shape. Weekends there are more kids out with attitude. Single guys if not accompanied by a women might want to stay clear of the beach directly across from the Elbow Room bar and it's direct neighbors like Atlantis. (From Las Olas Blvd north two blocks to Cortez St)
Unless you are acting weird you wont be hassled by the life guards or police if you stay on the beach. I would probably take a long tank top or shorts to cover up a little when going across the road to the shops. My tops cover the cheeks but you can still tell I am wearing something very short underneath.
Topless women are rare and technically illegal but I know several women who always go topless and rarely have a problem. If asked to cover up they do, but normally they are left in peace. It is still not very common and you should not come to the beach expecting to see topless women, especially during tourist session.
I as a straight guy I would feel comfortable lying out on the beach in most places except the very north end (18th street) and the beach directly across from the Merriwether hotel (Castillo Street). Both tend to be gay pickup sections.
For less populated sections try the following sections:
A) Vista Mar to 9th,just south of Sunrise.
B) 1/4 of a mile north of sunrise.
C) Anything south of Harbor Beach Marriot. The last big hotel south of the south parking lot across from Bahia Mar.
To sum up: Men and women in thongs are ok on all the beach. Women can go topless but it is uncommon and they should be prepared to cover up if asked to by a life guard.
There are some areas that will be more comfortable and some less comfortable. Start with this guide and then just walk around and figure it out your self.
JM
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Other things to do:
Take the water buss and get an all day pass. For 5 to 7 dollars you can ride as many times as you want in a day. It runs up and down the river and intercostal and stops at waterfront attractions. Not very well explained, if you don’t ask you wont know where the different boats go.
Butterfly world, large thing that looks like an aviary but with butterflies instead of birds. You walk through and the butterflies will come and land on your skin. Walking trough the humming bird section is fun.
Rent a bike and explore Las Olas and the RiverWalk foot path up as far as the proforming arts center.
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