Golden Beach
Surrounded by a forest of condominium towers, Golden Beach has only 370 single-family homes. With no commercial development, no multi-family housing and practically no crime, the 900-plus residents have the advantages of small-town living within easy reach of big-city conveniences.
Surrounded by a forest of condominium towers, Golden Beach has only 370 single-family homes.
With no commercial development, no multi-family housing and practically no crime, the 900-plus residents have the advantages of small-town living within easy reach of big-city conveniences.
That special character of Golden Beach, incorporated in 1929, has been preserved because of a provision in the town charter forbidding commercial or high-rise development. That makes Golden Beach one of the few of its kind on Florida’s East Coast.
With the Intercostal Waterway as the western boundary and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Golden Beach is the last stop heading north on Route A1A before crossing into Broward County. Most of the town is fenced off from the rest of the world and accessible only by driving past a guardhouse manned by the town’s police force.
Behind the gates lies an impressive group of houses. At least one-third of the properties are valued at more than $1 million. Many homes overlook the Intercoastal or the dunes of the town’s 1.1-mile private beach. The residents cherish the town’s quiet, homogeneous atmosphere.
For many years, the community was mostly made up of retirees and winter snowbirds, but recently more families with children have moved to Golden Beach. With more than 300 children in the town, the tight security in Golden Beach makes the streets a great place for kids on bikes and skateboards. Several annual events for children, including a Halloween party and a rodeo, are organized by the town’s recreation committee. There is also a fully equipped playground that is popular with the local kids.
There are no schools in Golden Beach, but students can attend three public ones across the Intercoastal on the mainland: Highland Oaks Elementary and Middle schools and Krop Senior High.
Residents of all ages love to take advantage of the town’s well-maintained recreation facilities. Reservations are usually a must for the two tennis courts and basketball court at John Tweedle Park. Tennis clinics, free for residents only, are also popular. The town also has the smaller North and South parks.
Perhaps the community’s greatest asset is its own beach. The Pavilion, at the Strand and Ocean Boulevard, has bathroom facilities and parking is available for town residents only. A lifeguard is on duty 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
The town government includes a mayor and four council members. With annual expenditures of $3.8 million, the town provides police, sanitation and building department services. Fire protection comes from the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.
Residents can make a short drive to neighboring Sunny Isles Beach or Hallandale in Broward to shop for groceries and other household goods. For bigger-ticket items, the Aventura Mall and the Shoppes of Bal Harbour are little farther away. For dining and entertainment, South Beach is about 20-30 minutes away.
Incorporated in 1929, Golden Beach is actually one of the area’s older municipalities. Founded five years earlier as a place to devote to family life, much work had to be done to prepare for development. Islands were dredged, mangrove swamps were drained, and bridges, waterlines and electricity were added. The town survived the 1926 hurricane, but homes did not begin to pop up until 1928. Steel barons from Pittsburgh were some of its early residents. Even First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was attracted to the tranquility of Golden Beach and often rented a villa there in the 1940s. Gambling tried to get a foothold in the area, but law enforcement and citizen opposition soon put an end to that. Today, after putting a strangle hold on gambling and commercial activity of any kind, Golden Beach remains the same idyllic sanctuary it was since its incorporation. Yet, progress has exploded around both Golden Beach and Sunny Isles Beach. Both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport are a mere 20 minutes away.