If you’re a father searching for sober living in Pembroke Pines, there’s a good chance the first thing on your mind isn’t the house. It’s your kids. Where will they see you? How long until they trust you again? Will your son still want to throw a ball with you? Will your daughter pick up the phone? I’ve spent years around men’s recovery housing in South Florida, and I can tell you that question sits underneath almost every intake call from a dad. This guide is written for that man.
It covers what Pembroke Pines is like as a place to rebuild, how a men’s sober living house fits into being a father again, the city’s ZIP codes, and where The Foundry’s two houses are. Let’s be honest from the start: The Foundry does not have a house in Pembroke Pines. Our Beachhouse is on the Intracoastal in Hollywood, roughly 20–30 minutes east depending on traffic, and our Lakehouse is in North Miami Beach, roughly 30–40 minutes southeast. For a lot of dads from the Pines, that is exactly the right distance: close enough for supervised visits once the time is right, far enough from the old routine to actually change it.
First, the hard truth about being Dad in early recovery
Most fathers arrive in sober living wanting to make it up to their kids right away. That instinct is good. The timing usually isn’t. Kids don’t need a grand gesture in week two. They need a father who is still sober in month six, who shows up when he says he will, and who doesn’t make promises he can’t keep.
So the order of operations, as I’ve seen it work, goes something like this:
- Get stable first. Meetings, a sponsor, a job or outpatient program, and the house rules. This is not selfish. It is the foundation everything else stands on.
- Make small, keepable commitments. A phone call at the same time every Sunday beats a big promise you’ll break.
- Let the other parent and the court, if there is one, set the pace. Pushing for more access early usually costs you time, not the other way around.
- Do the amends work with your sponsor before you do it with your kids. The steps exist for a reason, and a sponsor can help you see where an apology is about your guilt instead of their healing.
None of that is quick. But it’s the path that actually leads back to the ball field.
Sober living in Pembroke Pines: the city at a glance
Pembroke Pines is one of Broward County’s biggest cities, with 171,178 residents at the 2020 census. It began as farm country (dairy farms, mostly) and was incorporated as a village in 1960 and as a city in 1961. The name, by most accounts, came from its first mayor, Walter Kipnis, who suggested it for the pine trees growing near Pembroke Road. The city grew fast in the 1990s, especially after Hurricane Andrew pushed many South Miami-Dade families north.
What that adds up to today is a family city: planned neighborhoods, lakes, schools, shopping centers and a lot of parks. Pines Boulevard is the main east–west road, crossed by University Drive, Flamingo Road and others, with I-75 and Florida’s Turnpike on the western side. The city’s official site is ppines.com.
For a dad, that family character cuts two ways. It means plenty of good, sober places to spend time with your kids once visits start. It can also mean that every cul-de-sac reminds you of the life you’re trying to rebuild, and maybe of the house you’re not living in right now. That’s one reason some men choose a sober house a short drive away rather than in their own neighborhood.
Pembroke Pines ZIP codes
Pembroke Pines spreads across several ZIP codes, and most of them cross into neighboring cities. Postal names can also be confusing: the U.S. Postal Service often treats “Pembroke Pines” as an accepted name for ZIPs whose default city is Hollywood. The ZIPs below are listed for Pembroke Pines in both Wikipedia’s city article and the zip-codes.com city listing. If you’re sorting out a court address or a parenting-plan document, check the exact address with USPS rather than relying on a ZIP alone.
| ZIP | Area it covers | Note for a dad in recovery |
|---|---|---|
| 33023 | The city’s eastern edge; shared with Hollywood, Miramar, West Park and Pembroke Park | The easternmost of these ZIPs, and the shortest drive in this list to Foundry: Beachhouse in Hollywood. |
| 33024 | Eastern Pembroke Pines | Home to Broward College’s South Campus and its library on Pines Boulevard, a good quiet place to work on a resume. |
| 33025 | East-central area; shared with Miramar | BCT Route 2 runs north–south on University Drive through this part of south Broward. |
| 33026 | Central Pembroke Pines | Residential and close to the Pines Boulevard corridor for errands and entry-level jobs. |
| 33027 | West-central area; shared with Miramar | Planned neighborhoods and lakes; a car or ride helps out here. |
| 33028 | Northwestern Pembroke Pines | Residential and spread out; check bus routes before you count on transit. |
| 33029 | The far west near I-75; shared with Miramar | The quietest, most spread-out part of the city; transit options thin out. |
Wikipedia also lists 33330–33332 at the city’s far western edge, but those ZIPs carry Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Southwest Ranches and Weston as their postal names, so I’ve left them out of the table. For a fuller county picture, see our Broward County ZIP code guide.
What to look for in a men’s sober house when you’re a father
A good men’s sober living house serves every resident the same way. But dads tend to need a few things more than other men, so here is the checklist with a father’s eye.
Certification you can verify
Florida’s voluntary certification for recovery residences is set out in section 397.487 of the Florida Statutes, and the state’s credentialing body is the Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR). If you’re in a custody or dependency case, a family-law attorney or caseworker may ask where you’re living. Being able to say “a FARR-certified house” and show the certificate is a lot better than a shrug. Our post on FARR-accredited sober living explains what certification checks.
Rules that are written and enforced
No alcohol or drugs, randomized drug testing, a curfew, required meetings and chores. For a father, the testing matters for another reason: a documented record of clean tests is the kind of evidence that can help rebuild trust with the other parent. Read our explainer on drug testing in sober living.
A clear visiting policy
Ask how visits work. At The Foundry, new residents have an initial blackout period before visits begin. That can feel hard when you miss your kids. It exists so a man can settle in and get his footing before the emotional weight of family visits lands on him. After that, visits are part of life.
A house that will tell you the truth
Sober living is housing, not treatment. If you still need detox or clinical care, a good house says so. You can search licensed providers at FindTreatment.gov. At The Foundry, a relapse leads to an honest conversation about the right level of care, not a quiet cover-up.
Work, money and being able to say “I’m paying my share”
For many dads, nothing does more for self-respect than a paycheck, especially when child support is part of the picture. At The Foundry, residents are expected to be working, in school, volunteering or in an outpatient program (IOP counts) within their first couple of weeks, and we help with resumes and interview practice.
Around Pembroke Pines, entry-level work tends to cluster along Pines Boulevard and the retail centers, including Pembroke Lakes Mall, which sits on land that was once a dairy farm. CareerSource Broward offers free job-search help and has a South Center in Hollywood. If you’re thinking longer term, Broward College’s South Campus is in Pembroke Pines, and going back to school is one of the more powerful things a father can model for his kids.
Places to take your kids once visits start
When the time comes, the best visits are simple, outdoors and alcohol-free. Pembroke Pines is good at that.
- C.B. Smith Park. A 299-acre Broward County park with fishing, basketball, tennis, batting cages, mini golf, bike and jogging paths, and the seasonal Paradise Cove water park. Check current hours and fees with Broward County Parks before you go.
- The library. Broward County Library runs the Pembroke Pines/Walter C. Young Resource Center branch in the city, and the South Regional/Broward College Library is at 7200 Pines Boulevard. A library afternoon is free, calm and easy to keep short.
- Events at the Charles F. Dodge City Center. The city hosts community events at its City Center on City Center Way; check ppines.com for the calendar.
- The water. A rod, some bait and an hour at a lake does more for a father and son than most expensive outings.
One piece of advice I give every dad: keep the first visits short and end them on time. Leaving on a good note, when you said you would, is how trust gets rebuilt.
Meetings, sponsors and the fathers who went first
There is no shortage of AA and NA meetings in southwest Broward, and plenty of men in those rooms are fathers who have been where you are. Use AA’s meeting finder and NA’s meeting search for current listings. Our Hollywood AA meetings guide covers how to find a home group nearby. The Foundry’s program is built around the twelve steps: meetings, a sponsor and real step work. When a father asks me how to talk to his kids about what happened, my honest answer is usually: ask a man in the rooms who has done it.
Getting around Pembroke Pines without a license
Pembroke Pines is spread out and built around the car. If you’ve lost your license, plan carefully. Broward County Transit runs fixed routes through the city, including Route 2 along University Drive, which serves Pembroke Pines and Miramar. Plan trips with BCT’s online trip planner. Early on, Foundry residents get rides to meetings and appointments, and residents in good standing may have a car later.
For the mother of his kids, and the rest of the family
If you’re the co-parent or a grandparent reading this, you have every right to be cautious. You don’t owe anyone quick trust. What helps is information: where he lives, what the rules are, and whether the house will be straight with you. Our family page answers the common questions. For your own support, Al-Anon has meetings across Broward County.
The Foundry’s houses near Pembroke Pines
The Foundry runs two FARR-certified men’s sober living houses. Both are run by men in recovery who are active in the fellowship.
Foundry: Beachhouse is at 701 Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood, on the Intracoastal Waterway minutes from Hollywood Beach. From most of Pembroke Pines it’s a straight shot east, roughly 20–30 minutes depending on where you start and the traffic. It has a rooftop terrace, a pool, ping pong, kayaks and a billiards room looking out on the water. For a Pines dad, it’s close enough that supervised visits don’t mean a long trip for the kids.
Foundry: Lakehouse is at 871 NE 182nd Terrace in North Miami Beach, near Aventura and I-95, roughly 30–40 minutes from Pembroke Pines. It’s a lakeside home with eight bedrooms and five bathrooms, canoes and kayaks, a hammock, a tree swing and a fire pit. It suits a man who wants a little more distance from home.
Rooms are furnished, and utilities, linens, laundry and high-speed internet are included. Sober living is private pay, with scholarships for qualified men. We give rates on a call, and we don’t publish bed availability because it changes week to week. Most men stay three to twelve months. If you’re weighing the two, read Hollywood or North Miami Beach?
Nearby cities in this series
If your family is spread across south Broward, these neighboring guides may help: sober living in Miramar and sober living in Davie. For the bigger picture, start with our guide to sober living in Broward County.
One last word to the dads
Your kids don’t need a perfect father. They need a sober one who keeps showing up. Sober living near Pembroke Pines, FL, done right, buys you the time and structure to become that man. Call The Foundry at (954) 817-7143 or start on our admissions page. Ask us hard questions. Ask about visits. We’ll give you straight answers.
If you or anyone in your family is in crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.
Maps: Pembroke Pines to the Foundry houses
These routes start in Pembroke Pines; tap a button for live directions from your own address.
