How a conversation between friends gave a Florida city its distinctive name
In short: Lauderhill was almost named Sunnydale, a title rejected for sounding too much like a Brooklyn neighborhood. The name it eventually adopted was born from a witty retort about the lack of hills in the area, proving that even municipal identities can be shaped by casual, clever banter between acquaintances.
The origins of Lauderhill, Florida, are rooted in a development project led by Herbert Sadkin of All-State Properties. Seeking a name for his new venture, Sadkin consulted his friend William Safire. When Safire suggested Sunnydale, Sadkin dismissed it, noting the absence of hills in the landscape. Safire countered with a joke about the lack of dales in the nearby city of Fort Lauderdale, and the name Lauderhill was coined.
This development was unique for its reliance on pre-designed architectural plans. The homes were created by Andrew Geller and had previously been displayed as typical American housing at an exhibition in Moscow. After a successful initial rollout of roughly 200 units in Montauk, New York, during 1963 and 1964, the developer brought the same model to Florida. These homes were sold as complete packages, including appliances and household essentials, for approximately $13,000 to $17,000.
Over the decades, the city has undergone significant demographic shifts. Until the late 1980s and early 1990s, it functioned primarily as a retirement destination for Jewish residents and seasonal visitors. Today, it hosts a diverse population with strong ties to the West Indies, particularly Jamaica and Haiti. The city also gained international sporting prominence in 2010, when it became the first site in the United States to host an international cricket match between two full members of the International Cricket Council.
Lauderhill occupies 8.6 square miles in Broward County and features a tropical monsoon climate. While the city is entirely urban, it maintains a connection to its past through the Inverrary neighborhood, which once hosted the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic on the PGA Tour. Today, the city continues to evolve, balancing its history as a planned community with its current status as a vibrant, multicultural hub in the Miami metropolitan area.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Lauderhill, Florida
- Also: Wikidata — Lauderhill · CC0
- Also: www.lauderhill-fl.gov — City of Lauderhill | Home
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