Moving to Fort Lauderdale/Miami Area (West Palm Beach, Delray Beach: commute, town, downtown)

[WoodyWW]

Originally Posted by JessieGirl84

I am a born and raised Floridian, born in Coral Springs, college in Orlando (UCF), and then back to Ft. Lauderdale. Having lived here my entire life, I honestly cannot say enough bad things about this God awful place. Horrible rude uneducated people, bugs the size of birds, unbearable heat and humidity...... Keep in mind I live walking distance to the beach and its over-run by homeless people and creepy guys in speedos. I am a 25 yr old college educated girl, and I have never been anywhere that compares to the amount of low-life men I’ve encountered here, its outrageous.

I've been all over the state of FL many times, working, & living. But I've only really lived in, or spent huge amounts of time in, Ft. Lauderdale, & the Tampa Bay area. I have to agree with you about "low-lifes", bugs, & heat, & just the general paucity of "evolved people". From Termite Inspectors who carry dead termites
around so they can "find" 2 or 3 when the homeowner/seller isn't looking, to snobby, well-off older people, who spend their time at Neiman Marcus, the golf course, & the Yacht Club, & everything in-between. And yes, I've seen even middle-class guys saying the most scummy things to women they didn't know, like to female bartenders-- & in very nice places no less, not dive-bars.

At any rate, I'd suggest to the OP to find a quieter, less expensive part of FL......you don't want to be on the bottom economic rung in S. FL--at least that's my thinking.

[JacobMAX]

Well, a person's experience will vary wildly based on the neighborhood (and if it's a house, or a good or a badly managed apt. complex/condos). If you're living in Parkland or Weston, it's one thing; if you're living near the US-1 in Dania Beach or Hollywood or in Pompano Beach (west of the US-1), it will be mostly a completely different experience.

[HotandHumid]

The downtown area of Fort Lauderdale is deadsville with lots of new high rise buildings but most people stay inside of them it seems because all sorts of businesses have closed down in the downtown area. You don't see the residents walking around in the area. The Riverwalk shopping complex downtown is a ghost town with lots of homeless people hanging out in the park areas to the north and south of it.

If you like trendy boutiques that sell upscale hooker looking fashions, super expensive restaurants and plastic people, then check things out in the Las Olas Boulevard area. You can sometimes find apartments in Victoria Park which is just a few blocks north of the shopping and restaurant section of Las Olas but they are expensive. Fort Lauderdale is not a walking town and I wouldn't recommend anyone move here if that's what you are looking for. EVERYONE drives here that can afford a car and the city is full of traffic almost all the time and there are lots of cases of hit and run drivers who drive off after either running you down while you are walking or after they smash into your car.

You can walk to things in Wilton Manors but it's the Gay neighborhood and as there's lots of older retired Gays who live there, there's a lot of dicey looking younger hustler looking types hanging out inside of and outside of the Gay bars on Wilton Drive. Wilton Drive is mostly lined with Gay bars with a few stores so it's not exactly the best area for straight people who want to live near a good mix of people. Lots of crime in that area also according to the police reports.

There is a section of Sunrise Boulevard where the indoor Galleria Mall is located where there are some shops and restaurants across from the mall with a supermarket and just down the street over the bridge by the Gateway movie theatre. Be careful in this area though if you like walking to places as the city of Fort Lauderdale refuses to do anything about making the area more pedestrian friendly where Federal Highway and Sunrise Boulevard intersect. Lots of fast racing cars coming and going in and out of the mall and people DO NOT watch out for pedestrians. People in South Florida do not relax when they drive and traffic accidents are the #1 cause of death of young men in South Florida. Good luck trying to find a place where you can cross the street safely at this very dangerous intersection as people do not stop to allow pedestrians to cross in South Florida.

Fort Lauderdale Beach has some apartments but they are expensive, there is a horrible parking situation and no grocery stores and you end up getting stuck coming or going from your apartment in traffic from people going to the beach. Most of the little apartment buildings have been torn down to build super expensive luxury hotels which has increased the traffic and parking problem in the beach area.

[vigo]

HotAndHumid,

It looks like you just joined this forum to write negative posts about Ft. Lauderdale and South Florida. If you hate it so much, why do you stay here? Why not move away? Surely there's something you like about this area.

I don't disagree that we have a lot of problem areas down here but it's not the hellhole you make it out to be. I'm pretty sure that the issues you have with the people down here stem from your negative attitude. You're a very unhappy person and it comes out in your posts. It's too bad.

[Papillons2]

Originally Posted by vigo

HotAndHumid,

It looks like you just joined this forum to write negative posts about Ft. Lauderdale and South Florida. If you hate it so much, why do you stay here? Why not move away? Surely there's something you like about this area.

I don't disagree that we have a lot of problem areas down here but it's not the hellhole you make it out to be. I'm pretty sure that the issues you have with the people down here stem from your negative attitude. You're a very unhappy person and it comes out in your posts. It's too bad.

Not only that, but he/she revived a thread that had been originated in 2006 and hadn't been active for more than a year -- a common trolling practice.

I've always thought that if the people who come on here and kvetch would shift their collective energy away from writing these screeds and into doing good works and getting involved in the community, it just might help make Fort Lauderdale/Broward a better place to live. Yes, we do have problems here -- that's undeniable -- but how do insults and generalizations provide solutions?

[kellyclan]

Have read this thread, which was dated 2006. 10 years later - any updates on safety?
We are a family relocating to Miami OR fort lauderdale next month.
We have a middle schooler (7th) and 3rd grader.

We have not visited, so looking from overseas - cannot apply to schools until we have a lease or title deed.

Looking for rental for 6mths-year, then purchase and need recommendations of good family neighborhoods with good PUBLIC schools. Approx Rental 3-5k/mth. Would prefer to be near to beach, although we are not city people - love parks and beaches more.

Any advice on safety and school recommendations would be welcomed.
Thanks.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by kellyclan

Have read this thread, which was dated 2006. 10 years later - any updates on safety?
We are a family relocating to Miami OR fort lauderdale next month.
We have a middle schooler (7th) and 3rd grader.

We have not visited, so looking from overseas - cannot apply to schools until we have a lease or title deed.

Looking for rental for 6mths-year, then purchase and need recommendations of good family neighborhoods with good PUBLIC schools. Approx Rental 3-5k/mth. Would prefer to be near to beach, although we are not city people - love parks and beaches more.

Any advice on safety and school recommendations would be welcomed.
Thanks.

Are you going to commute to work? Where?

Seeing how you have a middle schooler and a 3rd grader, I think you will need good schools.

Which means - Weston. Or Cooper City. Or Parkland.
The above places have excellent schools, and nice parks, but are not near the beach.

There are a couple of places closer to the beach with good elementary schools. But middle schools - not so much.

Also seeing how you are going to be moving from overseas, I think you will need a place like Weston to cuddle you. Much of the rest of South Florida is not very cuddly.

[AlexRodriguez]

Originally Posted by kellyclan

Have read this thread, which was dated 2006. 10 years later - any updates on safety?
We are a family relocating to Miami OR fort lauderdale next month.
We have a middle schooler (7th) and 3rd grader.

We have not visited, so looking from overseas - cannot apply to schools until we have a lease or title deed.

Looking for rental for 6mths-year, then purchase and need recommendations of good family neighborhoods with good PUBLIC schools. Approx Rental 3-5k/mth. Would prefer to be near to beach, although we are not city people - love parks and beaches more.

Any advice on safety and school recommendations would be welcomed.
Thanks.

I agree with Ruski, based on what you're looking for your choices will be: Weston; Cooper City; West Davie and Parkland.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by AlexRodriguez

I agree with Ruski, based on what you're looking for your choices will be: Weston; Cooper City; West Davie and Parkland.

But we still need to know where you will be working, then we can give you an even better answer

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by ruski

But we still need to know where you will be working, then we can give you an even better answer

Oh come on Ruski, you know you can commute anywhere in South Florida from Weston