Silverlakes, a community of 5,500 homes in southwest Broward County, Florida, is a lovely place to live and raise a family. This planned community encompasses 39 different subdivisions, each with its own appeal. The neighborhood, which is in close proximity to major highways providing convenient travel in all directions, is also home to multiple parks and green spaces providing opportunity for a broad range of recreational activities. Additionally, all homes within the community are zoned for Broward Schools.
Welcome to SilverLakes
Located in Southwestern Broward County, SilverLakes is a residential, family community comprised of 39 subdivisions, some gated and some not, all of which enjoy the benefits of the entire community. With residents numbering more than 23,000, the community has grown considerably since its inception in 1990.
Along with the growth in number of homes came increased amenities including parks, pools and bicycle paths. Life in SilverLakes is, in one word lovely. Residents enjoy the beautiful Florida weather, send their children to high quality local schools, take advantage of the convenient location to major highways and, perhaps most importantly, enjoy their time at home with their family, friends and neighbors.
Board of Directors
A planned community, SilverLakes is overseen by a homeowners association that works in conjunction with a management company, Pines Property Management, one of the most prestigious property management companies in South Florida. This well-respected organization, with over 20 years of experience in homeowners association management, provides the community a broad range of services including assessment collection and vendor bidding, among others.
A master board of directors for the community meets quarterly. Each member of the board of directors is responsible for representing the needs and concerns of a group of subdivisions. This ensures that each community can be heard and served fairly. To learn which director position represents the community in which you live or are interested in living, click here.
Meetings, which are announced on their website, are open to all residents. Agendas are shared in advance and minutes are always posted after the meetings so residents can keep apprised of what is happening. The meetings are held in West Broward Hall in SilverLakes Community Park. Questions for the board can be emailed to slbod@silverlakes.net. In addition to its regular responsibilities, the board coordinates community events which are historically well-attended and fun for everyone. A community newsletter is also electronically published quarterly. For past issues, click here.
Historically, events have included family movie nights (complete with popcorn and a concession stand), community garage sales (what a great way to clean out your house and make some money) and holiday celebrations (like an Easter Egg Hunt). The opportunity to celebrate with so many so close to home is both convenient and special. Residents become more than neighbors, they become friends.
SilverLakes Parks
As you can imagine, parks in South Florida are abundant; there are many located both within the SilverLakes community and the surrounding area. What better way to appreciate the beautiful climate than by actively participating in outdoor activities.
A visit to The SilverLakes Community Park, located at 925 NW 178th Avenue in Pembroke Pines, is almost like taking a vacation. A beautiful pool is available for swimming and water play along with a sand beach, volleyball courts and a barbeque area. You can even reserve the park’s pavilion for your personal use (of course, this privilege is solely for community residents). Good news, new playground equipment will be installed at this park at the end of 2018 – the start of 2019. Keep your eyes open and check it out!
SilverLakes North Park, located at 2300 NW 172nd Avenue in Pembroke Pines, houses volleyball, tennis and basketball courts as well as a playground.
SilverLakes South Park, at 17601 SW 2nd Street, has a pool, baseball field, tennis courts and a playground.
The community also has the SilverLakes Tennis Center at the 3302 SW 176th Terrace.
There are additional local parks convenient to the community including Miramar Regional Park which provides 173 acres of amusement for your family including soccer fields, cricket fields, football fields, playgrounds, pavilions available for rent, volleyball courts, and basketball courts. There is also an amphitheater and aquatics facility which includes a large pool with diving boards, swimming lessons by appointment and a children’s water park.
The Pembroke Pines Recreation Center on Pines Boulevard also provides many opportunities. There are soccer, baseball, t-ball and football fields and paddleball and basketball courts. The park even has a hockey rink and a recreation center which hosts a broad range of activitites.
C.B. Smith Park (home to Paradise Cove Waterpark) offers visitors the opportunity to go boating and fishing, rent bicycles, fishing, camp in tents or recreational vehicles, practice in batting cages and play mini golf. This park also hosts many special events.
William B. Armstrong Dream Park (which has been known to host regularly scheduled jazz concerts) is currently closed to the public for renovations.
Brian Piccolo Park: With over 175 acres of athletic facilities (basketball courts, fields, and a skate park) this is a popular park in the community; many local sporting events take place here. Additionally, this park has a velodrome.
Pembroke Lakes Golf and Racquet Club: Located on Taft Street in Pembroke Pines, this golf and racquet club is a popular place to be. In addition to the 18 hole golf course, there is also a driving range and a practice putting green, chipping area and sand trap space. Golfers have the opportunity to play a round of golf or just stop by to improve specific aspects of their games. The tennis center offers 9 hard and 5 clay courts as well as a swimming pool, restaurant and lounge.
The parks discussed above are those closest to SilverLakes. There are countless other parks and recreation spaces throughout the county that offer an endless array of recreational opportunities; there are even a number of dog parks. Click here to visit the Broward County Parks home page. And, don’t forget, SilverLakes is dog friendly. In fact, 13 doggie waste stations are in the process of being installed throughout the community.
Local Schools
Public Schools
One of the advantages of living in SilverLakes is the opportunity to attend highly regarded public schools in Broward County. The Broward County School System is one of the largest in the country; as such it offers a broad range of services from elementary through high school, and even coordinates higher education opportunities with local and state colleges and universities.
The school district operates on a centralized calendar, meaning holidays and breaks are the same for all district schools. If you are new to the county you will need to visit your zoned school in order to enroll your children. Please call the school first to confirm the best time to visit. A list of the information you will need to bring is listed here.
Students living in SilverLakes are zoned for the following elementary, middle and high schools, depending upon their address: Silver Lakes Elementary School, Panther Run Elementary School, Silver Trail Middle School, Glades Middle School, Everglades High School and West Broward High School. Feeder patterns, which indicate the matriculation path (elementary to middle to high school), are available here.
Learn a bit more about the local schools below.
Silver Lakes Elementary School: Located in Miramar, Florida on 173rd Avenue, this highly rated elementary school serves approximately 500 students living in the area designated here. This neighborhood school serves children in kindergarten through 5th grade and is proud to share that it incudes Spanish instruction as well as technology in its curriculum. The school also offers an after school enrichment program providing working parents a convenient and quality child care option. Additionally, the school provides significant opportunities for parent involvement, including an active PTA, SAC and SAF organizations and even a Meet the Masters program which fosters art appreciation. Students who attend Silver Lakes Elementary will also attend Glades Middle School and either Everglades or West Broward High School, depending upon the location of their home. Click here for the zoning map for Everglades and here for West Broward. For more information on Silver Lakes Elementary, visit their website.
Panther Run Elementary School: With a student population of about 550 children, Panther Run is located in Pembroke Pines on 172nd Avenue. It serves students living within the zone indicated on this map. This school’s philosophy, PIF-WIAMAD “Pay It Forward & Who I Am Makes a Difference” provides students both direction and reinforcement in their education. The school is respected for its quality communication; they even publish a weekly newsletter to keep parents informed. Additionally, an extremely active PTA along with SAC and SAF committees are just a few of the ways parents can volunteer. The school also offers an after school program providing quality childcare services for those looking for additional care. Panther Run students will matriculate to Silver Trail Middle School and West Broward High School. Please visit their website for additional information.
Silver Trail Middle School: Located in Southwest Ranches, Silver Trail Middle School serves approximately 1,450 students. Click here for their zoning map. This school, which focuses heavily on family involvement in education, provides its students a broad range of quality academic and elective choices as well as clubs (everything from Art to STEM) and sports (soccer, track and field, flag football, volleyball, golf, cross country and basketball) opportunities. The school is also home to several membership organizations including NJHS, student council, and Future Educators of America. There is something for everyone. Additionally, Silver Trail Middle School offers both before and after school activities. Parents are encouraged to volunteer and their help is welcomed. Students from this school attend West Broward High School. Please click here for more information on Silver Trail Middle School.
Glades Middle School: Located on SW 48th Court in Miramar, Glades Middle School services approximately 1,300 students. With a mission statement of “Pride, Passion and Purpose” and a vision statement of “The Future is Bright at Glades Middle School” it is obvious that the school engages in an incredibly positive approach to education. Students can select from a broad range of both academic and elective classes and have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extra curricular activitites including clubs (chess, art, rocket, student council and more) and athletics. There are also a number of academic programs like debate, robotics and coding. Students have so many different ways to engage. Additionally, parent involvement is also welcomed through the SAC and SAF committees, Meet the Masters and an active PTA. Students who attend Glades Middle will matriculate to Everglades High School. For more information on Glades, visit their website.
Everglades High School
Located in the city of Miramar, Everglades High School serves a community of students numbering more than 2,400. It is proud to be an A rated school in the state of Florida. The school is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Daily classes operate on an A/B block schedule. This means that students are enrolled for seven academic classes and one “study hall”. Periods 1-4 meet on A days, while periods 5-8 meet on B days. The days alternate and each period lasts approximately 90 minutes. Among the broad range of classes offered are general education, honors and AP classes. Additionally the school is home to several specialized academies including Cambridge/AICE, Sports Medicine, Fire, and FBI Youth. Additionally, students can dual enroll.
With an active student body, extra curricular activities are an important component to the school’s “personality”. There are approximately 70 clubs, including honor societies. Students can engage in everything from creative writing to video games! Athletics are also popular at the school. Known as the Gators, student-athletes participate in over twelve sports and are supported enthusiastically by the student body.
Parent involvement is welcomed. The school has an extremely active PTSA, which sponsors a number of events and scholarship programs. Parents are also encouraged to become involved in the school’s SAC and SAF committees and participate in their Gator Chats.
Some students from Glades Middle School and a portion of New Renaissance Middle School feed into Everglades High School. Administration and staff at all three schools work closely to ensure that the transition to high school is a smooth one. For more information on Everglades, please visit their website.
West Broward High School
Located in the city of Pembroke Pines, West Broward High School serves a community of students numbering more than 2,600. It is proud to be an A rated school in the state of Florida. The school is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools.
Daily classes operate on an A/B block schedule. This means that students are enrolled for seven academic classes and one “study hall”. Periods 1-4 meet on A days, while periods 5-8 meet on B days. The days alternate and each period lasts approximately 90 minutes. Among the broad range of classes offered are 27 AP courses. The school is extremely proud of it’s 75% AP passing rate. Additionally, students can dual enroll.
With an active student body, extra curricular activities are an important component to the school’s “personality”. There are over 50 clubs, including seven honor societies. Students can engage in everything from anime to yearbook! Athletics are also popular at the school. Known as the Bobcats, student-athletes participate on over twenty teams and are supported enthusiastically by the student body.
Parent involvement is welcomed. The school has an extremely active PTSA, which sponsors a number of events and scholarship programs. Parents are also encouraged to become involved in the school’s SAC and SAF committees.
Silver Trail Middle School and a portion of Glades Middle School feed into West Broward High School. Administration and staff at all three schools work closely to ensure that the transition to high school is a smooth one. For more information on West Broward High School, please visit their website.
What is Nearby?
Situated west of Interstate 75, SilverLakes is ideally located for convenient shopping and dining. There are so many options locally, you will have to remind yourself to take advantage of the fact that you can venture out to Fort Lauderdale, Miami and even Palm Beach for a greater variety.
Lets Talk Shopping
The cities of Pembroke Pines and Miramar are home to countless places to shop First, we will take a look at grocery shopping. You have so many choices. Take a look!
Publix: Of course we are starting here. Publix is practically an institution in South Florida. If you are new to the area you will love the selection, the always friendly service and the free cookies for your children from the bakery department (chocolate chip or sprinkle should always be the most difficult decision of the day). There are several Publix stores located near SilverLakes. These include The Publix at the Shoppes of SilverLakes, located on Pines Boulevard. This center houses approximately 30 businesses including restaurants and other retail operations. Click here for a full list of stores. Of course there are several other stores nearby; visit their website to determine the most convenient location for you.
Pharmacies: When moving to a new house, locating a pharmacy that is both geographically convenient and has great hours of operation is important. Residents of SilverLakes have so many options from which to choose. CVS, Walgreens and Publix pharmacies all have multiple locations nearby.
Big Box Shopping: Lucky for new home owners, SilverLakes is located near many popular “big box” retailers. Target has locations in both Pembroke Pines (11253 Pines Boulevard) and Miramar (16901 Miramar Parkway). Walmart does as well (1800 South University Drive in Miramar and 151 SW 184th Drive in Pembroke Pines). Both Home Depot and Lowes also have stores nearby. Finally Bed Bath & Beyond, the household goods staple store, is convenient. In addition to coupons, their website also offers several moving lists and tips. Check them out here.
Shopping Center and Malls: Southwest Florida has so many places to shop! Particularly close to SilverLakes are the lovely Shops at Pembroke Gardens, an open-air center complete with shops and restaurants. The complex even hosts family holiday events for Easter, Halloweenand Christmas. If a more traditional shopping experience is what you desire, stop by the Pembroke Lakes Mall, an indoor shopping center featuring more than 150 shops and restaurants and home to the Pembroke Lakes Movie Theater. Less than half an hours drive and you can be at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise. This complex is home to over 350 retail stores, including 150 outlets and factory stores. Click herefor a full list!
Dining Out
Residents of SilverLakes are definitely challenged when planning to dine out; they have SO MANY choices!! Restaurants in the immediate area range from fast food options to family dining to “date night” alternatives. There are national and regional chain restaurants as well as some family owned gems! Go out for
brunch, dinner or coffee; take advantage of all the area has to offer. Check out Yelp for restaurant listings in both Pembroke Pines and Miramar.
