Wilton Manors, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilton Manors is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,697 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 12,844. Wilton Manors is part of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida metropolitan area. Wilton Manors was the second city in the United States to elect a majority gay city council (After West Hollywood, California). Wilton Manors is one of the nation's premiere gay friendly destinations.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is Wilton Manors's congresswoman.
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[edit] History and Culture
Wilton Manors, the "Island City", was incorporated in 1947. It is bordered on the north by the North Fork of the Middle River and the City of Oakland Park; to the south, the boundaries include the South Fork of the Middle River and the City of Fort Lauderdale; the eastern terminus of the city limits extend to near Federal Highway (US 1); and the western most boundary reaches Interstate 95.
Over recent years, Wilton Manors has experienced tremendous economic revitalization. Both commercial and residential property values continue to increase giving proof to the Island City's economic rejuvenation.
Along Wilton Drive, the City's "Arts and Entertainment" District features an array of shops, restaurants and other entertainment venues situated along a pedestrian friendly corridor.
In 2003, construction was completed on a 4,000 square foot (370 m²) library expansion. This increased the facility's size to 6500 square feet and was a welcome improvement to the City's library services. The library, now called the Richard C. Sullivan Public Library of Wilton Manors, is not a part of the Broward County Library system. It is one of only five municipal libraries in the county, the others being Oakland Park Library, Lighthouse Point Library, Helen B. Hoffman Plantation Library, and Parkland Public Library.
Wilton Manors is home to several recreational facilities, including Colohatchee Nature Park, 9.3 acre (38,000 m²) recreational facility complete with a boardwalk for nature observation, and a boat ramp for watercraft entry. The park was severely damaged during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and has been closed since. Prior to its closing, the park had become a popular "cruising" spot for gay men and this may have bearing on the city's apparent reluctance to swiftly reopen the park, although the adjacent boat ramp across the street remains open.
Areas throughout the City continue to gentrify and revitalize, making Wilton Manors one of South Florida's most attractive communities in which to live and work.
Wilton Manors is known as a gay village, although its population is extremely diverse. The former mayor of Wilton Manors, Jim Stork, is openly gay. [1] The city even has a 'Gay Mart', an apparel store with a play on the name 'Wal-Mart'.
Wilton Manors ranks 3rd in the U.S. for most gays per capita. The Ft. Lauderdale area ranks 4th in metro areas (per capita). 33305 (Oakland Park, Ft. Lauderdale) is America's 6th gayest zip code (per capita). Wilton Manors has approximately 1270% more gay men per capita than the national average. [2]
[edit] Geography
Wilton Manors is located at (26.158712, -80.139516)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.0 km² (1.9 mi²), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 12,697 people, 5,876 households, and 2,467 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,527.0/km² (6,535.3/mi²). There were 6,321 housing units at an average density of 1,258.0/km² (3,253.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.22% White, 13.18% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 3.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.67% of the population.
There were 5,876 households out of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.0% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 123.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,366, and the median income for a family was $43,346. Males had a median income of $31,857 versus $26,522 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,770. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] External links
- City of Wilton Manors official site
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
