Ft Lauderdale's Arts District is probably 10 years old. FATVillage (Flager Arts & Technology Village). Parking spaces are hard to find but after you find one, its a good walk. There are murals on warehouse walls, artists have studios, they have small shops, restaurant.

I attended Art Walk on Saturday, 7/27. After spending 15 minutes driving around in circles looking for a parking spot we found a lot on 1st Ave. We looked for a PaybyPhone sign to pay for parking but couldn't find one. A bunch of other cars were parked there and people were walking towards Art Walk so we assumed we were ok. The neighborhood is still transitioning so it is not uncommon for parking lots to be unmarked. We parked our car around 9pm and returned around 10pm. As we were walking back to the lot we witnessed 4 tow trucks aggressively placing boots on cars and towing cars as fast as they could. Some people showed up as they were putting their cars on the tow and the truck drivers refused to remove them. I called the number listed on the side of the tow truck for All County Towing and could not get through to to even an answering machine. The call dropped every single time. Once we arrived at the tow location we had to wait over 30 minutes just to speak to someone. The person took my license and keys and asked where they could find my registration in my car. The guy came back with a folder from my glove compartment that contained my registration from 2018, not 2019, even though my current registration was sitting on top of this folder in the glove compartment. They offered to lookup my current registration for $10. When I handed them a $20 they informed me they couldn't make change, even though I had just witnessed them make change for the person in line in front of me. Once they found my registration in the system I went to pay for the car. The only card I had on me was an Amex which they DO NOT take. My husband went to pay with his CC and they wouldn't accept payment from him because the registration was in my name. Thankfully, he had an ATM card on him so we pulled the cash out from the ATM machine that was conveniently located within the building. I handed them $140 in cash (ATM only gives increments of $20) and they amazingly were able to make change now. They instructed me to go around the side of the building to wait for my car. Keep in mind it is now 10:45pm and the tow location is not in the best of neighborhoods. The guy pulls my car around and I use the flashlight on my phone and find two large scratches. One on the front of the car and the other on the back of the car. I show the guy and he takes pictures and tells me to pull the car back to the front where someone will come out and meet me. After waiting another 10 minutes no one arrives. Finally, I go back in and ask someone to take a look a my car. The person at the front desk tells me that no one is available to look at the car. She then proceeds to tell me that they took pictures of my car as it was being loaded onto the truck and they have no record of any damage. I asked to see the pictures and she said that was against policy. I know for a fact they did not take pictures of my car or anyone else's as I watched them load other cars onto trucks and there was no one taking pictures in the parking lot. This entire situation was a complete set-up. There were no signs on the lot where we parked indicating it was a tow away zone. There is clearly a relationship between the owner of the lot at NW 1st avenue and All County Towing. They easily made over $100k in a matter of two hours. Shame on you Art Walk and local legislators for encouraging the community to come together, provide zero parking and then encourage local owners and businesses to take advantage of the people who you have just encouraged to come down to the community. I would gladly have paid $10 to park in a lot to attend Art Walk. Instead I ended up with $150 and a two-hour trip All County Towing where I was lied to over and over again. I will never be coming to Art Walk again and I encourage anyone else who doesn't want to have their car towed and be lied to to avoid going as well.

Although the FATVillage Arts District has been in existence for over a decade now, it is just beginning to hit it's stride. Already one of the most exciting sections of Fort Lauderdale, the surrounding neighborhood is rapidly changing with the introduction of the Brightline Train Station connecting Miami with Orlando just a few blocks away, construction of a number of apartment buildings, hotels, and restaurants, and the nearby MASS District of bars, coffee shops and nightlife. If you haven't been to the monthly FATVillage Art Walk which takes place the evening of the last Saturday of each month, you need to catch up.

Funky area. Lots of colorful large murals on warehouse walls where artists and creative businesses have studios. Henry's Sandwich Station on corner of 1st is a small sit-down place on corner with craft food,sandwiches, pies, beer, wine, beverages and relevant city pricing. Sandwich is large. Some people watching. Other than murals, not much to see or do if it's not during the open house. Ok place if you like arts, want something to eat or drink and have a some time to kill. Literally next to train tracks.

Friday January 4 nice sunny day. At 330 pm took Uber here to walk around. Absolutely found nothing open to see and do.