Is Fort Lauderdale boring? (Miami, Miami Beach: appointed, living, restaurants)

[shell242]

Originally Posted by garfieldlover

I´ve been hearing that everywhere, that if you´re not in Las Olas Boulevard then it is very boring. How exciting is the Las Olas Boulevard? I´m from NYC, and I know that Miami Beach is more livelier, but will a NY´er be so culture shocked living in Fort Lauderdale?? If I lived in a townhome in East Lauderdale a mile from the beach will I be bored? I cant wait to go for the first time!

Downtown Ft. Lauderdale, downtown Miami, and South Beach are all very different. It really depends on what you are looking for.

If you are from NYC and head to Ft. Lauderdale, I would try to move pretty close to Las Olas (i.e. Victoria Park, Las Olas Isles, Tarpon River, Colee Hammock). Downtown Ft. Lauderdale has a decent bar scene with a few night clubs thrown in (especially around 2nd & Andrews up to the Broward Perf. Arts Center).

If you want South Beach living, you have to move to South Beach, but you will pay higher rent, and have more parking issues (which you may be used to if you're from NYC).

Downtown Miami has a decent club scene, but you would want to be a little ways away (at least several blocks) as it's not in a good area (referring to Space, Diskotekka etc).

Me personally I have lived in all 3. I love the beach scene on Ft. Lauderdale beach. More laid back and less pretentious people. Ft. Lauderdale used to have a great club scene years ago (Edge, Chili Pepper days) and the basics are still there.

Realistically people are lazy....all 3 areas are within 20 minutes of each other. I drive from Victoria Park to Key Biscayne (end of I95 South) for work...so it's a piece of cake for going out and having fun. I think the club scene here is better than NY anyway (at least since Tunnel closed). Better variety of music (there is no electro, breaks, or Miami Bass in NYC)!

[shell242]

Just one more addition....I lived in Chicago for 6 years and that town is boring and clubs/bars close between 2-4am. At least we are 24 hours in Miami!

[shell242]

Originally Posted by fauve

Wow...where'd they find room for the Target? I lived in midtown.

34th and N Miami Ave. They built a huge complex there (Target, Marshalls, Pet Co). They are still putting in many of the businesses (looks promising...too bad I just moved to Ft. Lauderdale)!

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

IMO South FL is for the following people:

1. Young people who A) love the beach, and B) love to party
2. Rich people
3. Northeasterners who aren't phased by the traffic and crime
4. people who like warm climates over cold weather

South FL is NOT for:
1. Middle-aged and middle-class people looking for a laid-back life, good job, and good schools.
2. old people
3. Mid-westerners and people from rural areas who aren't used to a faster-paced lifestyle, aggressive drivers, crime, and Hispanics
4. people who aren't into partying or going to the beach.
5. people who cannot tolerate heat and humidity.
6. people who are "cultured".

That's pretty good. I have to agree.

Whether FLL is boring or not, depends on the individual. If you like beach activities and wearing little then it won't be boring. If you like sitting in bars and watching other people walk fast then, no, FLL is not for you.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by shell242

Just one more addition....I lived in Chicago for 6 years and that town is boring and clubs/bars close between 2-4am. At least we are 24 hours in Miami!

Well there ya have it. Chicago is boring.

I would never measure a city's boringness by how late bars are open. No matter how old I was. This proves that you really have to define your terms when asking a question. Like define "boring".

[Nolefan34]

shell242>

What about Brickell? I have friends who live there, and I've gone out there a bunch of times. There are a bunch of good bars and lounges in Brickell. My friends who lived there pretty much stopped going to South Beach because of all the places in downtown/brickell. And you don't have the hassle of going to South Beach which costs a ton of $ with the cab ride tacked on. I know that Brickell may have been boring back in 2000, but its pretty built up now and its becoming vibrant with nightlife.

[max's mama]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

Fort Lauderdale doesn't come close to offering even a quarter of the amenities NYC has to offer. As I said, if you are from Staten Island and you never ever leave Staten Island, maybe then you will find Fort Lauderdale to be great. Anyone from a true city (NYC, Chicago, Boston etc.) who loves to do the things city life affords will not like Fort Lauderdale. I have tons of friends who have come down here and left in record time because they expected it to be like NYC in terms of amenties and mentalities.

Except New Yorkers work their asses off that they don't even get to enjoy all New York has to offer...that's unfortunate...

Well...the bottom line is, there is no place like New York and any New Yorker who plans on moving ANYWHERE in US, will not find the same amount of culture and amenities as in NY (perhaps SF will come close, but still not the same). So I don't think moving from NY for more excitement is the right move.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Fort Lauderdale is an OK place. Las Olas is like the "adult" version of South Beach and Fort Lauderdale has a pretty nice downtown area.

[Nolefan34]

BCreass>

I would describe Las Olas as being far more laid back, and far cheaper than South Beach. You cannot really compare the two. South Beach is the nightclub capital of the country and there is so much more there than Las Olas. Las Olas is more about the bar scene with a few clubs. There aren't really any South Beach style clubs in Las Olas. If anyone has ever attended FSU or UF and gone to the bars/clubs in Gainesville and Tallahassee, Las Olas is much more like those types of establishments than like South Beach. Both places are a lot of fun here and there for different reasons.

Personally, I dislike going to South Beach because its super expensive and I get very little enjoyment out of going out there. I hate waiting in line 30 minutes to have the privaledge of getting into a club and paying $20 cover, then having to purchase bottles and expensive drinks. You cannot meet anybody there, so its really more about showing off to other people than having fun. I feel like I can have a better time at Las Olas.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

BCreass>

I would describe Las Olas as being far more laid back, and far cheaper than South Beach. You cannot really compare the two. South Beach is the nightclub capital of the country and there is so much more there than Las Olas. Las Olas is more about the bar scene with a few clubs. There aren't really any South Beach style clubs in Las Olas. If anyone has ever attended FSU or UF and gone to the bars/clubs in Gainesville and Tallahassee, Las Olas is much more like those types of establishments than like South Beach. Both places are a lot of fun here and there for different reasons.

Personally, I dislike going to South Beach because its super expensive and I get very little enjoyment out of going out there. I hate waiting in line 30 minutes to have the privaledge of getting into a club and paying $20 cover, then having to purchase bottles and expensive drinks. You cannot meet anybody there, so its really more about showing off to other people than having fun. I feel like I can have a better time at Las Olas.

South Beach isn't my scene either, all for the same reasons you stated above. I refuse to pay crazy prices for beverages that I can drink at home for a fraction of the cost and as I'm into rock music, there isn't much of a rock scene in South Beach.

Las Olas is more adult and I'd have a far better time there. The music isn't so loud, it's not so expensive and it feels safer. Then again, my idea of a night out (when I do go out on occasion) is to shoot some pool, or perhaps go to a bar that plays rock music.