@seechell oooh I know this area! So in Ft Lauderdale proper Wilton Manors is a fun place to go out, its known for gay bars and good nightlife. Idk if you like casinos but there's the iconic guitar-shaped Hard Rock. I don't even gamble but it's a fun fancy place to go and look around, there's also fine dining, shopping and a club inside. There are light shows on the exterior of the guitar building every night. As far as beaches you can't really go wrong with any of them but Hollywood has nice beaches with cheap parking (look for the dog beach) and a boardwalk you can bike or walk along. For a low-key non-touristy spot Funky Buddha brewery is nice and they do brewery tours certain times/days. If you plan to venture further south towards Miami I have even more recs haha but you'd have to travel a bit depending on where you are exactly
