Fort Lauderdale Adds Free Shuttle Service To Gay Village

Fort Lauderdale is an LGBT community in two worlds.  The gay guesthouses sit clustered a few blocks from the beach; but the bars, restaurants and shops that are the center of the ‘hood are in Wilton Manors, approximately 4 miles northwest. It’s certainly not an insurmountable journey, but with the parking woes along Wilton Drive and the obvious undesirable outcomes of driving while drunk…and cabs in these smaller cities can be so overpriced…sometimes going out is such a hassle, and it’s just easier to stay in bed and troll on Grindr.

The Sterling Hopper
The Sterling Hopper

Businesses in Wilton Manors are taking a pro-active approach to getting people in their doors. Two free shuttle services (actually that “free” issue needs some clarification, so we’ll get back to that later) now buzz around town, picking up partiers and depositing them at their venues of choice.

The Sterling Hopper (check Facebook page for the route map) is a six-seat vehicle, basically a street-legal golf cart, that makes designated stops at businesses that sponsor the service. Riders call to request a pickup, and the ride is free–although the driver “works for tips only,” so it’s understood that riders need to hand over a little bit of cash. The good news is, perhaps a generous tip will get you dropped off at someplace off the route, if you so desire. Hint hint.

Note: There was once a shuttle called “The Green Hopper,” but that has hopped away to Sarasota.

FAB2GO
FAB2GO

There is also a complimentary shuttle that runs between Wilton Manors and the hotels/gay guesthouses on the beach, operated by FAB2Go.   This is more of a scheduled shuttle service: wait for it to come by between 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and take it across town.  It’s certainly worth the wait–this shuttle is more upscale, a Mercedes-Benz van with fancy-pants leather upholstery, to make the longer beach-to-bar journey a more delightful experience.  Drinking alcohol en route is allowed, if you bring it yourself.  Unlike the Sterling Hopper, this driver is paid as part of the service, but tips are also welcomed, apparently. (For details on stops, read the press release.)

These shuttles are paid for by businesses, who shell out hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to be included as stops on the routes.  Will they be worth the money?  For the Fort Lauderdale area, these shuttles have been a long time coming, especially the FAB2GO route connecting the gay guesthouses on the beach to the bars and restaurants in Wilton Manors.  Despite the annoying “work for tips” issue (is it free? is it not free?), the shuttles are an excellent value.  Any step forward to support LGBT livelihood is welcome, so hopefully visitors (and residents) will embrace these services and the businesses that support them.

 

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