Hi Cloudship, nice to see you swinging around here! Remember that 744 trip
Anyway, in regards to your question,
As mentioned, you can go to Lauderdale by the Sea, which is actually where I live (Oriana Penthouses complex) and the pier is in my literal backyard. However,
-> Avoid the beach near my house-literally swamped during Spring Break.
-> Avoid any one-off motels or hotels--cheap, chain hotel rooms can be found in abundance here. One off, sketchy motels and hotels around here are often dirty and out of building code.
-> Regarding tip #1, there is a cafe attached to the pier's entrance, but the food is meh and overpriced (two fruit parfaits set my friend and I back $20). Mulligan's, 101 Ocean, and Village Grill / Pump have great food at decent prices. For a beach view, try Aruba Beach Cafe.
-> Avoid downtown Fort Lauderdale - very little to do in and around there and many sections are crawling with bums.
-> BurgerFi, while not on the beach, is a great burger joint with reasonable prices.
-> Avoid A1A and any drawbridges if possible--these are often clogged with tourists.
-> If you need any essentials, Publix is the best place to go.
Have fun,
-Colby