Moving To Lauderdale Area (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: apartment, crime, home)

[mikenepa1985]

I have been doing tons of research on city data and other websites upon relocating to ft lauderdale from nepa (northeast pennsylvania). With my current job i would have no problem transferring from the 2 states while getting a nice little cost of living raise. I live on my own now 28years old and would be sharing an apartment with roommate atleast for a little while. The place i would is located of 10ne ave right off sunrise blvd.

For me i see some of the pros as:

-Very active and like to be outdoors
-No more winters! (of course thats a "snowbird" state of mind lol)
-Love the fact i would be 2 miles from the beach
-Huge sports fan . Dolphins, Heat, Marlins are all within a short drive
-Meeting new people (single 28 male!)
-It cannot get much worse then where i live now! (very opinionated but very true from what i read!)
https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...zelton-pa.html

Some of the cons as i read were:

-Traffic is horrible
-It gets to hot (personally i dont think this would bother me at all , I really enjoy warm weather)
-People are rude
-Crime in the Ft lauderdale area (i saw on another fourm a google map of my apartment area and it was colored in yellow, which ment the living conditions were not that great =( )

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=...e91c0ce9b49c06

Overall im just looking for honest opinions based on your experiences, please dont bash to much without good reasoning! I know that the lifestyle is faster paced and expensive for living . I lived Philadelphia for 3 years and compared the 2 cities, it seems virtually the same financially. Thanks for reading!

[Mr. Lee]

I am originally from up north and have lived in Florida many years now and am very happy here. I went back up north for a visit 10 years ago and said to myself "why the heck would anyone who knows about Florida wish to live there."

[ralanprod]

Like any place, S. Florida has its good and bad parts.

For a good part of the year weather is great, although we have had a ton of rain this year - it usually balances out. I can't remember the last time I actually needed to wear a jacket.

If you like the beach, there are plenty of nice ones - along with parks, the Everglades, etc. From November to April or so, you really can't beat the outdoor activities. The temperatures aren't too bad, and the summer afternoon showers haven't made their yearly visit.

Yes, the traffic sucks at times. You learn to deal with it, or ways to avoid it. Careful planning of where to live vs. where you work is key if you don't want a long commute.

The neighborhood you mentioned is kind of sketchy. It borders some pretty bad areas. At the same time though it is close to a lot of new development, restaurants, and attractions. I think the neighborhood will eventually improve, as much of the area just south of there has - but it will probably take time.

[Papillons2]

Most of your observations are on target and this should be a good move for you -- especially if you'd be moving here with a job in hand and you have some degree of financial security. Definitely more going on here for someone in his or her late 20s than in northeastern PA.

Yes, the area of Fort Lauderdale you'd be moving to is rough around the edges and you'll need to keep your guard up, but there's a lot of new construction going on there and you'll be within minutes of the beaches and outstanding restaurants and nightlife.

If you move here a month from now, you would arrive just in time for the start of the dry season, when the heat and humidity drop. Typical "winter" day/night: Mostly clear, high 75-80, low 60-65. Not bad ...

Traffic is typical of any large metro area, although I do advise driving defensively because of the number of bad drivers and knuckleheads on the roads.

As far as rude people, I find it helps to treat people as you'd like to be treated.

Also good to know that a fellow sports fan may be moving here. It's sort of feast or famine with South Florida teams. I've been part of a group with Heat season tickets (we each get about five games apiece) for 12 years now. Thanks to LeBron James and the NBA titles, the place is packed every night and the scene inside and around the arena is incomparable -- though that will change once the Big 3 break up. The Dolphins and 'Canes are finally on the rise after years of mediocrity. The Panthers have been a poorly-run loser for years, but they will soon be under new ownership and their arena (one of the nicest I've ever visited) is less than 30 minutes due west of Fort Lauderdale and easily accessible. As for the Marlins, the best I can say about them is that plenty of good seats are available even in a beautiful new ballpark (the owner is arguably the worst in pro sports and has misled and ripped off the public). In fact, aside from the Heat, you won't have trouble getting a ticket for any team here and games are attended by many fans who still maintain allegiances to teams in the Northeast and Midwest -- certainly a big change from Philly.

[Tulippsy]

Your list of pros and cons is pretty accurate. We are a major metropolitan area, and with that comes crime, more traffic and yes, more rudeness than a town like Hazelton. However, there are plenty of good people here and your attitude will determine whether you choose to focus on the positives or the negatives. I think you will love Fort Lauderdale. There are so many things to do, and if you want to do nothing, what better place than a beach?

Just be ready for the annual influx of friends and family who will want to come and visit in February when they are sick of the snow.

Good luck!

[matt5951]

I moved from western PA a little over 3 years ago, and I think you'll like it. The biggest difference I noticed and it was #1 by far, was the amount of spanish you'll hear. It's a culture shock to be sure, but you get used to it after a while. The beaches and nightlife are fun, and there are a lot of hot chicks here, so you've got that to look forward to as well.

The traffic doesn't bother me too much, but the people who drive DO. You're in for real treat when you see some of the manuevers people pull on the roads down here. Good luck!

[Nolefan34]

Traffic isn't that bad locally in Fort Lauderdale on the surface streets most of the time. Where it gets bad is when you need to commute away from Fort lauderdale to other areas during peak times. If you commute between Fort Lauderdale and Miami during rush hours it is brutal. The traffic generally gets much much worse the further south you go towards Miami. On a typical weekday, if I'm not already out and about, I avoid driving more than a few blocks from home between the hours of 4PM and 7PM. Other than a trip to the grocery store or the gym, its just not worth getting behind the wheel and driving across South FL at those times.

In most of Fort Lauderdale the roads here are very wide and modern compared to Northeastern cities. The volume of traffic isn't as bad as NYC. The biggest problem here is the drivers. You will see the worst drivers you've ever seen in your life here. You will encounter drivers who run you off of the road and cut you off inches from your bumper. Most people here drive very aggressively and have no patience. As soon as a light turns from red to green, if you don't already have your foot on the gas you'll get honked.

The beaches are great here. You'll love the lifestyle of being able to go to the beach on your lunch breaks, or all day long on the weekends. The girls here are 2nd to nowhere in America (at least in looks, not personality). Plenty of eye candy on the beaches.

When you get down here, you may as well box up your winter coats, sweaters, and jackets because you won't use them here. Its too hot most of the year to wear anything long sleeve. A couple of months in the winter it cools off significantly and sometimes dips down into the low 50's at night. Occasionally, we get a rare "freeze" usually in January where it goes into the 40's. It usually only lasts 1-2 nights and warms up again. You can easily get by with a light jacket. Most of the year you'll wear shorts and t-shirts during the day. At night, people dress a little nicer here than other parts of FL for going out. Men usually wear nice jeans, shoes, and button up shirts or polos.

[ruski]

I honk. And flash. Put down your damn phone and start driving.

[mikenepa1985]

Thanks for all the info folks! Much appreciated. My company wants to transfer me to a store in the pembroke pines plaza.how is the area around there?

[Tulippsy]

Do you mean the Pembroke Lakes Mall or Pembroke Gardens? I'm not familiar with a plaza. Nothing wrong with Pembroke Pines; but if I were in my 20's it wouldn't be my first choice. It's fairly congested and very suburban. And safe, if that's what you were asking.