Introduction to Tamarac, Florida
The Florida city of Tamarac is located in Broward County, about 13 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale and 40 miles north of Miami. The city is bordered by Margate to the north and Sunrise and Lauderhill to the south. It is easily accessible from the Sawgrass Expressway and the Florida Turnpike and is also close to Interstate I-95.
Incorporated in 1963, Tamarac got its unique name from the original business of its developer; a young millionaire from the Midwest named Ken Behring. Having originally made his fortune with a chain of carwash centers called Car-A-Mat, Behring in the early 1960s bought land and built homes and communities in a region which was then little more than a fledgling senior retirement community. For a city name he chose Tamarac, which is "Car-A-Mat" spelled backwards. Although still predominantly a retirement community, Tamarac is attracting an increasing number of young families and commuters who live here and work in other neighboring cities.
Arts and Recreation in Tamarac
Tamarac boasts a number of parks which provide a variety of amenities and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. Veteran’s Park has a veteran’s memorial. Sunset Point Park features a walking trail, playground and a small amphitheater. Caporella Park offers picnic tables, grills, playground and a lake with a fishing pier. The Tamarac Sports Complex includes a hockey rink, tennis and basketball courts, fields for baseball, softball, football and soccer, as well as a gazebo, covered playground and picnic tables.
The Tamarac Theatre of Performing Arts is one of South Florida's finest venues for live stage entertainment. In existence for over 25 years, the theater features a regular schedule of stage plays and musicals, as well as a Children's Theater program that teaches all the performing arts, covering dancing, singing, acting and stagecraft. Tamarac's central location provides easy access to numerous attractions in nearby cities and towns. To name just a few, these include the Fort Lauderdale Historical Museum, the Anne Kolb Nature Center in Hollywood, the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, the Graves Museum of Archaeology & Natural History in Dania Beach, the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale and the City of Plantation Historical Museum.
Area sports can be found at a number of nearby places. The International Swimming Hall of Fame is one of the principal attractions in nearby Fort Lauderdale Beach. Fort Lauderdale is also the Spring Training home of baseball's Baltimore Orioles. The BankAtlantic Center in nearby Sunrise is the home arena of the NHL's Florida Panthers hockey team. The city of Miami, less than an hour away from Tamarac, is the home of three major-league professional franchises: the Dolphins (NFL football), the Heat (NBA basketball) and baseball's Florida Marlins.
