Coral Springs real estate

Brought to you by: Sun-Sentinel

Coral Springs was once known as the "city in the country," but as this upscale community of 120,085 nears buildout, cow pastures and open space are a thing of the past.

This sprawling city is home to the PGA Tour's prestigious Honda Classic. The city is already known for its elaborate watersports complex and ice skating arena that draw athletes from around the country. Parks, shops, malls and other amenities make family living comfortable.

Coral Springs works hard to burnish its image as the place with the best of everything. It has long been run with corporate ideals in mind: Residents are "customers" here.

Politicians regularly survey residents to determine their level of satisfaction with local government. And city officials monitor their employees by making random phone calls to make sure they are answered within three rings.

The city's devotion to Total Quality Management earned the Governor's Sterling Award for Quality in 1997, the state's highest award for organizational excellence.

The focus on image in Coral Springs may be a legacy of its creation by a subsidiary of industrial giant Westinghouse, which founded the city in 1963 and went on to sell Coral Springs as the "city in the country."

As suburban communities go, the city is well planned. Parks were built near residences, and gasoline stations and shops are along major roadways. Traffic flows fairly easily, even though Coral Springs is one of the county's most populous cities.

But with growth comes change. As the city has aged, it has encountered the typical problems of blight and decay familiar to older places.

Code enforcement is strict, and some residents complain about the restrictions against non-approved paint schemes, outdoor clotheslines, billboards and garish business signs.

During the last decade, the Coral Springs population has become more diverse, with a rise in single-parent families. Of families with children, one in five was headed by a single mother, while single fathers accounted for 3.2 percent. The population of Puerto Ricans nearly doubled to 4,163, making up 3.5 percent of residents.

The city is governed by a five-member city commissioners elected citywide and a city manager who is appointed by the commision.