If Miami is New York City, Fort Lauderdale might be Hoboken or Jersey City. That isn’t to slander Fort Lauderdale. It’s a lovely city. And like Hoboken, it’s a destination for many.

After visiting Fort Lauderdale recently, however, it just seemed confused about what it was or what it wanted to be.

An international city with a nearby international airport? A more suburban Floridian beach community? A cheaper spring break beach destination compared to neighboring Miami?

We spent a long weekend there. As you’ll see from this video, it’s a beautiful place. But there were a few confusing aspects.

The restaurants we ate at seemed confused

For example, Takato, a Korean-Japanese fusion restaurant where almost nothing was truly fused together. Korean and Japanese dishes sat side-by-side on the menu, but there wasn’t much interplay or dare I say, fusion.

Worse, the breakfast was completely American.

I love waffles, pancakes, and eggs as much as anyone, but can we at least have Japanese or Korean options? Tamagoyaki, perhaps?

I’ve never had that experience in other international cities. Takato’s confusion seemed emblematic of Fort Lauderdale as a whole.

The patrons at some of the other restaurants we ate and drank at, including Lona and Casablanca Cafe, seemed like an odd mix of tourists and locals. As if a random group of people were placed inside.

In most places around the world, there are consistent trends or themes noticeable in a local population. In Fort Lauderdale it was a grab bag, similar to Hoboken.

Does Fort Lauderdale want to be Miami?

Its beachfront is pristine, but run down in many places. At times it seems like it’s trying to be Miami with the glitzy and glamorous hotels, yachts, and restaurants, but at other times it seems to rebel against the flashiness.

Almost nobody dresses up. Unlike Miami where many people take their appearance seriously, I didn’t get that impression in Fort Lauderdale. Sure, there are people who look put together, but the average person didn’t. But maybe I was going into one too many Publixs.

I don’t think Fort Lauderdale needs to be Miami. From the gorgeous canal waterways to its beautiful beachfront, Fort Lauderdale could have its own character, but its branding is off. It’s well-known for its boat show, but what else? It could be its own destination, separate and apart from Miami, but does it want to be?

More Floridians in Fort Lauderdale?

I don’t know the stats on this, but it seemed like there were more local Floridians in Fort Lauderdale than in Miami. It felt more suburban. Long strip malls, wide arterial streets, insane traffic jams.

Hoboken gives similar vibes.

Like Hoboken, the vibe in Fort Lauderdale was more local. Even along the beachfront and touristy areas, the international community we often find in Miami or New York City simply wasn’t as present in Fort Lauderdale.

Great hotel experience at the Conrad

Fort Lauderdale may not be Miami, but its luxury hotels still provided quality service and experiences. Here’s our review of the Conrad Hotel where we stayed.

It’s hard to beat the Conrad’s location on the beach and the hotel’s luxury amenities, particularly its rooftop pool. Had we not had a baby in tow, I probably would have enjoyed the rooftop bar as well.

Fort Lauderdale is a great place for a long weekend

Despite the city’s confusion, it’s a great place to spend a long weekend. Although it might get boring for any longer. There’s simply not as much to do in Fort Lauderdale as there is in Miami, but hopefully this video gives you some ideas (the Tiki Boat was amazing!).

If you’re from Fort Lauderdale or know the area well, tell me what I’m missing or if I’m on the right track here. What would you like to see (if anything) changed in the city? What more could it do to compete with Miami or stand on its own as an idyllic Florida destination?

Also, what would you recommend seeing next time?

We’ll definitely be back to visit. But we’ll probably be staying here in nearby Miami.