A New Chapter on Florida’s Most Nostalgic Beachfront
Hollywood Beach has always had its own personality — a quieter, quirkier alternative to Miami Beach, rooted in mid-century motels, neon signs, and the hum of the 2.5-mile Broadwalk. But over the last few years, another force has been gently reshaping the shoreline: short-term rentals.
Today, renovated motel courts, small condo buildings, and beachside duplexes sit alongside long-loved cafés and surf shops. You’ll spot keypad locks on pastel façades, rolling suitcases on side streets, and remote workers tapping away at outdoor tables. Hollywood Beach hasn’t lost its spirit — it’s evolving into a blend of Old Florida nostalgia and a new, guest-forward era.
Here’s what that transformation looks like on the ground.
Hollywood Beach Right Now: A Street-Level Snapshot
The Broadwalk remains the neighborhood’s heartbeat: joggers at sunrise, beachgoers by midday, then live music from the outdoor Hollywood Beach Theatre most evenings. Five nights a week, a crowd gathers at Johnson Street — couples dancing, families eating ice cream, kids running barefoot — a ritual that naturally pulls both locals and visitors together.
Above shops and along narrow side streets, a growing mix of STRs fills in the gaps between traditional hotels and retro motels. Some are cleverly restored Art Moderne buildings; others are compact duplexes steps from the sand. Hollywood’s walkability, central location, and relaxed beachscape make it one of South Florida’s most appealing “live here for a week” destinations.

How the Housing Stock Has Shifted
Hollywood Beach’s architectural DNA hasn’t changed — but its purpose has.
What used to be mom-and-pop motels and seasonal apartment courts have increasingly been refreshed into STR-friendly spaces:
- Updated façades using the City’s curated paint palette
- Modernized rooms and shared courtyards
- Outdoor showers, bike racks, and surfboard storage
- Keypad entries replacing old metal keys

The bones are the same. The vibe is recognizably Hollywood. But the hospitality experience feels more contemporary and curated than ever before.
How STRs Show Up in Everyday Life on the Broadwalk
You can feel the STR presence in small but noticeable ways:
- More rolling luggage on quieter streets during weekend check-ins.
- Delivery vans and ride-shares stopping briefly on side streets not originally designed for hotel turnover.
- Families and remote workers settling into morning café routines, stretching demand beyond the typical tourist peaks.
- Mobility rules becoming more relevant: scooters remain prohibited on the Broadwalk; bikes must stay in the designated lane.

The Sun Shuttle by Circuit — the little electric carts linking the beach and Downtown — has also become a favorite among STR guests, adding a convenient, car-free way to move around.
Local Businesses: Who’s Feeling the Lift
The STR boom hasn’t just filled beds — it’s shifted the rhythm of the small business community:
- Restaurants & cafés see a more consistent year-round flow, especially on weekday mornings.
- Bike, surrey, and beach gear rentals benefit from guests staying longer than a single afternoon.
- Laundromats, yoga studios, corner markets, and nail salons have subtly adapted hours to serve late arrivals and mid-week guests.

It’s a gentle but steady economic pulse that helps sustain the Broadwalk’s mom-and-pop charm.
Neighbors, Community, and the Beachside “Feel”
Hollywood Beach is a true mix: lifelong residents, snowbirds, traveling professionals, families on school breaks, and month-long “slomads” all sharing the same compact, low-rise neighborhood.
In 4–12-unit buildings, it’s common to see visitors and residents mingling at shared grills, around small pools, or waiting for washers to free up. STRs bring vibrancy — but also challenges:
- Parking tension on narrow streets
- Midnight suitcase noise on staircases
- Trash day mix-ups

To keep peace, neighbors often rely on WhatsApp groups, clear quiet-hour norms, and — in licensed STRs — discreet noise-monitor devices and a 24/7 responsible contact.
City Planning: What Visitors Actually Feel
Hollywood’s rules aim for balance without overwhelming guests with “legalese.” Most visitors notice:
- Quiet hours and no-party signage inside units
- Noise-monitor expectations (no recording, just decibel alerts)
- Pre-pay parking in City garages and lots
- The Sun Shuttle as a fun and easy car-free link to Downtown

Behind the scenes, Hollywood is preparing for major resilience and streetscape upgrades. FDOT’s A1A resilience project (2025–2028), paired with CRA improvements, will bring better drainage, undergrounded utilities, stronger seawalls, and safer crosswalks — all changes that visitors will appreciate without knowing the engineering behind them.
Micro-Neighborhoods: Three Faces of Hollywood Beach
Hollywood Beach isn’t one monolith — each stretch has its own personality.
Johnson Street & the Broadwalk Core
The liveliest zone: nightly music, bustling cafés, and a high concentration of updated STR units.

North Beach (around Sheridan Street)
Calmer, greener, shaped by dune landscapes and parks. Fewer STRs, quieter streets, and more wildlife-dune interface.

South End (near Hallandale Beach)
Closer to large resorts and condo-hotel towers like The Diplomat, with more vertical development and faster-paced A1A traffic.

These micro-neighborhoods give visitors options: energetic, peaceful, or resort-adjacent.
Housing Pressure: A Light but Real Dynamic
The STR conversation across Florida is complex. Some older beachside buildings converting to full-time vacation rentals can reduce available workforce housing near the sand. At the same time, STR revenue often makes long-overdue safety or structural renovations finally possible.
Hollywood Beach sits right in the middle of these realities. The transformation is visible, but the neighborhood still retains its lived-in character — for now, balance is the goal.

“Old Florida” Character vs. the New STR Aesthetic
Hollywood’s charm lies in its architecture: mid-century motels, quirky courtyards, art moderne signage, and breezy two-story buildings.
The best STR conversions embrace that history — refreshing interiors while keeping the vintage silhouettes, neon glow, and tropical palettes intact. The City’s paint palette program reinforces this effort, encouraging owners to maintain a cohesive, beachy identity rather than adopting generic, national-hotel styling.
The hope among locals: avoid becoming “Miami Beach 2.0” while still welcoming travelers.

Beach, Environment, and Visitor Footprint
Hollywood Beach enforces simple but essential rules that visitors may not realize support the ecosystem:
- Turtle-friendly lighting (important March–October)
- Stay off dunes to protect nesting habitat
- No styrofoam containers on the beach or Broadwalk
- No balloon releases
- No glass, no smoking, no scooters on the Broadwalk

These protections keep the shoreline safe for both wildlife and people — and they’re easy wins for any guest wanting to be respectful.
Visitor-Friendly Sidebar: How to Be a Good Neighbor in an STR
- Keep noise low after posted quiet hours.
- Respect shared spaces (pools, grills, laundry).
- Follow building trash and recycling days — it helps more than you’d think.
- Use the bike lane on the Broadwalk; no scooters.
- Support independent cafés and shops.

If there’s an issue, use the 24/7 contact number posted in your unit — it goes to the operator, not the neighbor next door.
Simple habits, big impact.
What Hollywood Beach Might Look Like in 5–10 Years
A more resilient shoreline, cleaner streets, upgraded drainage, and a Broadwalk that keeps its iconic identity while welcoming refreshed motels, boutique hotels, and well-run STRs.
The hope: a livable, walkable beach community that preserves “Old Florida” charm and continues to thrive from thoughtful hospitality — not overwhelm from unplanned growth.

Hollywood Beach is in the midst of a quiet evolution — one shaped block by block, keypad by keypad, coffee line by coffee line. STRs bring energy, investment, and extended seasons for local businesses, while also challenging the neighborhood to protect its character, community, and coastline.
Done thoughtfully, the future of Hollywood Beach can be the best of both worlds: a beach where travelers feel instantly welcome, and where locals still recognize the place they’ve loved for decades.
























































































































































































































































