The development of Hollywood Beach was shaped by the clear vision of its founder and trials of 20th-century history. In less than 100 years, uninhabited marshland became a popular tourist destination with what the Hollywood Beach Business Association calls "the most unique beachfront in Florida."
Hollywood, Florida, including the district of Hollywood Beach, was designed in 1921 by developer Joseph W. Young. His vision was inspired by modern theories on urban planning, and he initially intended the population to settle around 30,000. Originally swampland and thick forests, Hollywood is now known for its tree-lined boulevards, Spanish architecture, parks and beach. The boundaries of the original city plan included Hollywood Beach at the far east, and construction of Hollywood Boulevard created a deliberate sight-line to the beach.
Hollywood Beach's famous 2.5-mile Broadwalk was built in the 1920s. This 30-foot-wide walkway was constructed from concrete and modeled after the boardwalk at Atlantic City, New Jersey. Also during the 1920s, Hollywood Beach became home to Florida's largest bathing pavilion, a $250,000 casino and the seven-storey, $3,000,000 Hollywood Beach Hotel. According to Hollywood's Records and Archives Division, "the hotel quickly became the winter home of many northern industrialists, visiting celebrities, and the site of several of Hollywood's fanciest social affairs."
Hollywood Beach faced a variety of challenges as it grew. On Sept. 18, 1926, a hurricane devastated coastal property and killed dozens of Hollywood citizens. The setback caused a decline in population and property values throughout Hollywood and prompted a revolt by remaining taxpayers. During World War II, the Hollywood Beach Hotel was used as the U.S. Naval Indoctrination and Training School.
After the war, the Hollywood Beach Hotel was renovated under new management and was soon home to "the largest swimming pool and cabana club in the United States," according to the City of Hollywood Records and Archives Division. In 1958 the Diplomat Hotel opened on Hollywood Beach, quickly becoming a new draw for celebrities. The remainder of the city's expansion during the post-war period happened on its inland borders, where space was needed for a population that surpassed 125,000 by the year 1975.
Today, Hollywood Beach offers many hotels, cafes, shops and restaurants, public shower and bathroom facilities, lifeguard and first-aid stations, lighted pathways for nighttime walking, and a full schedule of festivals, concerts, theatre and tournaments. The Broadwalk, which now includes a separate bike lane, was listed in a 2005 USA Today article titled, "10 great places to have some fun on a boardwalk." The article reported that, "the whole scene is reminiscent of a small town that happens to sit on a palm-studded beach, complete with locals who stake out their favorite shady spots."
