Warming Up in Fort Lauderdale 🌞

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🗺 The Vibe

Good morning nomad! I’m Kevin from Nomad for Less and I’m writing to you from New York City.

Earlier this week we got a light dusting of snow to blanket the city landscape, and while it was pretty to look at I’m more of a warm-weather fellow. I was instantly reminiscing of how I spent January in Fort Lauderdale near the beach, so I figured I’d write a bit about what Fort Lauderdale has to offer for the nomads and remote workers that might also want to escape the cold.

Let me set the stage for you: You wake up in a one bedroom condo with views of A1A and the ocean. You sip some coffee as the sun rises and you start having your breakfast and getting ready for work. After working for a few hours it’s lunchtime and you sit outside for a meal in 80°F weather.

You then go for a walk on the beach with your travel companion (or solo if that’s your thing). It’s the middle of the afternoon but it’s totally normal and feels so right.

After working a few more hours you start to feel the Friday-night vibes come upon you with the music roaring from different high-end cars racing (sometimes a bit too fast) down A1A.

You head down to the strip of bars that are right across from the beach. Between the live music, dancing, and indoor-outdoor atmosphere, you have the night of your life and decide to head back around 2 AM.

Now that’s a day that doesn’t just warm up your body, but your soul too.

🙌 Travel quote of the week

🏝 The Destination

Fort Lauderdale is a sunny and vibrant destination for digital nomads and remote workers. The city offers a range of coworking spaces and cafes, as well as world-renowned beaches and outdoor activities like surfing, paddleboarding, and outdoor volleyball.

When you need a break from your work you can explore the art scene, see what events the city has going on, and eat at the delicious restaurants and bars. Plus, with its close proximity to Miami, you can easily take a day trip to explore the sights and sounds of the Magic City.

📝 Know before you go

• Where: Florida, United States

• Weather this week: high of 90°F, low of 63°F - Note that it can still get cool at night in the winter so bring a light sweatshirt

• Tipping: Customary, 15-25%

• Tap water: Safe to drink

• Internet Speed: 38+ Mbps

• Taxi app: Uber or Lyft

• Air quality today: Moderate, 77 US AQI

• Power: 120V 60Hz

• Cashless: Yes, cards accepted almost everywhere except for a few select bars (one of which I recommend later in this newsletter)

Hey fellow Nomad! 👋 If you’re enjoying the newsletter so far, I wanted to briefly remind you to share it (you can forward the email or share the below link) with your family, friends, or any travel partners that you think you might want to plan a trip with. It helps me out a ton since I’m a one-man-show right now and well, we all share a common dream of seeing the world so it’d be nice to help each other out :)

Link to share: https://blog.nomadforless.com/subscribe

✈️ To Fly

Ok now your next question, naturally, is when can I get there while it’s still cold up North while getting a good deal on a flight? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Firstly I must note, most of the flights I’m researching and writing about are for a trip duration of around one month. The reason for this is that many home sharing hosts, like those listing their properties on AirBnB start to offer steeper discounts for longer-term stays.

So there’s several cheap flights that I’ve found with the cheapest being from Asheville, Atlanta, and New Orleans. You can find your city here (maybe your lucky and it’ll be one of the cheapest) or check out some of the best deals I found for New York, Lost Angeles, and Atlanta below.

🛫 Links to lowest cost flights

• From New York, starting at $139

• From Los Angeles, starting at $198

• From Atlanta, starting at $98

🏡 To Stay

When I was down in Fort Lauderdale I was staying in a one bedroom Airbnb with a lot of space that was about a 10 minute walk from the the main strip of bars, restaurants, and hotels on A1A.

I’d recommend staying near those major hotels and condos on Central Beach or to the south of there at Harbor Beach if you’re looking to be close to the action.

Depending on the time of year, it’s a tossup between the small hotels/motels and Airbnbs that will get you the best deals. I’ve stayed in both and had enjoyable experiences in both.

🏘 Links to lowest cost stays

• Studio apartment for $2,360/month

• Studio apartment for $3,409/month

• Studio rental unit for $3,487/month

🐚 Make Me a Happy Clam

Hey! It’s me again :) If you’re interested in signing up for a Premium Membership to get the extended version of this newsletter (and to help support this growing community), then that would make me a very happy clam 🙂 You can click the link below, sign up, and then get access to the following:

• Nomad’s Corner - New tools and websites that I’ve discovered recently that are super helpful for digital nomads

• Flight Watch - A selection of the cheapest flights I could find to some popular remote work destinations for those of you looking to fly somewhere now

• Stay Watch - Some cheap stays that I’ve found on popular home-sharing sites that are underpriced or offering steep discounts for longer stays

• Remote Gigs - Jobs and side-gigs for anyone looking to change career paths while working remotely

🎟 To Do

There's a lot to do in Fort Lauderdale, both near the beach and in the main city.

Near the beach, you have tons of nightlife with bars and restaurants lining A1A across from the beach. Along the shoreline, you can also enjoy a range of water activities, including swimming, sunbathing, and surfing.

There's also a 2.5-mile promenade right next to the beach on A1A that's perfect for an early morning jog or sunset stroll. When I was there I didn’t have a car, so walking on this promenade was the main way I got around.

If you’re looking to explore the city, the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District offers a variety of cultural events, restaurants, and shopping. My favorite parts of the city were the Riverwalk, which is connected via a water taxi to Central Beach, and Himmarshee Village, which is a popular spot for nightlife.

🎢 Top Attractions

1. Water Taxi - has a bunch of stops near the beach and takes you to and from the city

2. Riverwalk - stroll along the water and walk past plenty of yachts and good restaurants

3. The Bonnet House - A historic house and gardens where you can learn about the history of Fort Lauderdale and see some beautiful gardens

🍽 To Eat & Drink

First up, let's talk about where to eat. For some delicious seafood right on the beach, Coconuts is a great choice. With an outdoor patio and views of the ocean, this spot is perfect for enjoying some fresh seafood while soaking up the Florida sunshine.

The Elbo Room, a beach bar that has been serving up drinks and pub grub for over 70 years, is one of my favorite spots. It’s the watering-hole of the entire area and a great place to hang out and listen to live music.

If you're looking for something a little more upscale, head over to Rooftop @ 1WLO. This rooftop bar has stunning views of the city skyline and offers an extensive cocktail menu. And don't miss The Wharf Fort Lauderdale, a unique waterfront bar and food hall that offers a variety of drinks and food options in a fun and casual atmosphere.

🎉 Where to dine, wine, and party

• Elbo Room - the bar your parents went to, and the one that your kids will still want to go to

• The Wharf - outdoor fun with ping-pong, drinks, and food carts

• Lona Cocina & Taquileria - incredible Mexican food

📊 Poll Time

If you’ve read this far, thank you! I’m always trying to improve this newsletter so I ask a new poll each week to gather feedback and make the content better!

For this week, I’d love to get some feedback about the length of the newsletter.

Well folks, that about wraps up the free section of the newsletter for this week. If you’d like to sign up for a Premium Membership to support the Nomad for Less community and gain access to special content (with more benefits coming soon), then click the link below!

Premium members, continue reading below and enjoy!

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