The Citrus Isles are located on the South Fork of Ft. Lauderdale’s New River. Just north, also on the South Fork, is the Davie Bridge and River Reach. South are the boatyards: Riverbend, LMC, and formerly, Summerfields. The isles and corresponding canals lie on the eastside of the river. They go from Davie (SW 12th) until SW 20th Street off of SW 9th Avenue. The wider area eastward is known as Croissant Park. The Citrus Isles themselves are part of the River Oaks community. Boaters know the isles for their deep, safe, and inexpensive non-liveaboard dockage rates.
During the land boom of the 1920’s, Frank Croissant came to Ft. Lauderdale. Originally from Chicago, people knew Croissant as “America’s Greatest Salesman.” He promoted a land development, Croissant Park, between the South Fork and South Andrews Avenue. Croissant used the same tricks as today: scantily clad women and beautiful beaches to entice investors. But, the boom crashed with the hurricane of 1926 before reaching the banks of the South Fork.
Then, in 1947 Gill Construction Co. came to town. People told them they had missed the land boom. Ft. Lauderdale was already built. George and his son Bob disagreed. Soon, they embarked on development after development with a ravenous appetite for dredging. They sold over 3,000 new homes. One development lay on the South Fork west of Croissant Park. They called it River Oaks. Locals know the waterfront isles today as the Citrus Isles.
These waterfront isles, the Citrus Isles, are made up of private homes along 7 strips of land. Gill Construction Co. dredged the eight corresponding canals. The first and namesake, Citrus Isle, has a north canal which abuts the Davie Boulevard bridge. The isles that follow are Mango, Avocado, Guava, Mandarin, Tangelo, and Orange. Tangelo is uniquely inset off SW 9th with the bordering canals shorter and shallower than the other isles. All the canals taper eastward, going from 8 to 4 feet draft.
The docks themselves are in varying conditions. Being farther west, the neighborhood is not as gucci as Rio Vista or the Las Olas Isles. Check to make sure the dock is strong and maintained. Expect power and water. Monthly rates are the lowest in Ft. Lauderdale east of I-95.
Why is Tangelo Isle uniquely inset from 9th Avenue? A proveably correct answer wins a prize.
Because that’s where the equipment was parked while they dug the canals?