Job offer in North Bay Village (Miami, Hollywood: condos, crime, house)

[ElScorcho138]

Me, my wife, and two kids(ages 6 and 2) are most likely moving to Miami. I have a job offer in North Bay Village, so we would like to move somewhere nearby, but it seems like all of the good neighborhoods are too far away as far as traffic is concerned. I have looked up google maps directions and estimated times during morning and 5pm traffic. Is Kendall too far away? Are any other decent areas within a decent commute to North Bay Village? We're looking for something below 2k per month.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by ElScorcho138

Me, my wife, and two kids(ages 6 and 2) are most likely moving to Miami. I have a job offer in North Bay Village, so we would like to move somewhere nearby, but it seems like all of the good neighborhoods are too far away as far as traffic is concerned. I have looked up google maps directions and estimated times during morning and 5pm traffic. Is Kendall too far away? Are any other decent areas within a decent commute to North Bay Village? We're looking for something below 2k per month.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

For $2k, you'll get a 2 bedroom condo in Most of Miami Beach & North Bay Village. You can get a house in North Miami Beach for that price, just check the crime stats of the area of the house.

Kendall is way too far. You could also get a condo in Sunny Isles Beach or Bay Harbor Islands and send your 6 year old to the K-8 Centers there, they are both A-Rated schools.

$2500 can get you into a house East of i-95 in a decent/nice area.

[logybogy]

North Bay Village is actually one of the better values as far as bang for your buck. Terrific water front views from many of the condo buildings and close to the beaches with easy access to Miami across the 79th street causeway.

I think the school district is for Miami Beach which is one of the better ones as far as public schools in Miami-Dade go.

Also check out Bay Harbor Islands and the North Beach area of Miami Beach north of 63rd street.

[ruski]

I am surprised you are looking to find a place to live elsewhere, while there are good choices right where you will be working.

[ElScorcho138]

Well,

We are currently in the midwest, and sort of hesitant to give up our 3 bed/1 bath house with finished basement(for <$900/mo) for a 2 bd/2 ba condo in a building(for 2k/mo), especially with a dog. But with commutes in Miami seeming to be so bad, as well as schools in cheaper areas being so poorly rated, I am starting to see that there might not be a choice. Unless I want to just deal with a commute(will have a company vehicle so fuel costs won't matter).

I have read up a lot about Bay Harbor Islands/Sunny Isles Beach and that is what I am leaning towards, especially because of the school, location near North Bay Village, and the proximity to the beach and things to do.

Are there any cons to living in an area of North Miami beach like Bay Harbor Islands or Sunny Isles Beach?

[logybogy]

The only con is that it is such a great location that it can be expensive and you are probably limited to condos on your budget. Single family homes go from $500k to the millions.

I don't think you'll be missing much living in a condo. Ideally, you'll be out and about with the kids a lot to the beach and taking advantage of all Miami has to offer. If you are a homebody and have to have a single family home, then you might as well stay in the midwest.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by ElScorcho138

Well,

We are currently in the midwest, and sort of hesitant to give up our 3 bed/1 bath house with finished basement(for <$900/mo) for a 2 bd/2 ba condo in a building(for 2k/mo), especially with a dog. But with commutes in Miami seeming to be so bad, as well as schools in cheaper areas being so poorly rated, I am starting to see that there might not be a choice. Unless I want to just deal with a commute(will have a company vehicle so fuel costs won't matter).

I have read up a lot about Bay Harbor Islands/Sunny Isles Beach and that is what I am leaning towards, especially because of the school, location near North Bay Village, and the proximity to the beach and things to do.

Are there any cons to living in an area of North Miami beach like Bay Harbor Islands or Sunny Isles Beach?

A con - the glamorous Russians have driven up the prices in Sunny Isles. Even gas is a lot more expensive there.

Another possible con - traffic. There are only two bridges that connect Sunny Isles to the mainland. If there is a problem with one of them, be prepared to sit in traffic.

[joeymags]

North Bay Village is a great place to live and I think offers some of the best value in Miami Beach. You can go to public school in this area, so perhaps you can stretch the housing budget a bit further. I live further south on the beach, and the 2br/2bath are closer to the $3k range vs. $2k

Welcome to the neighborhood. It gets a bad rap on here but I absolutely love living here. I have a six month daughter and am very excited to raise her here.

[bk2000]

Condo life has a lot of positives:
- Parking is usually covered so no more getting wet in the rain
- Amenities. Your living area might be smaller but most condos have a pool, gym, and sometimes a children's play room. All of this can be usually be accessed without going outside (OK - Except the pool).
- Far less maintenance. Someone else takes care of the yard, exterior maintenance, etc giving you more time to spend with the family.
- In the areas you are considering you'll also typically have nice views and easy access to the beach.

It's a different way of living but it isn't a bad way to live......

[hurricaneMan1992]

Another alternative to consider is Bay Harbor Islands. It is all condos in your price range, but then again it is basically crime free and has it's own reputable schools. And it's MUCH quieter than NBV.

You really do NOT want a cross town commute around here. But if you *really* insist on it, I'd actually recommend looking into Miami Lakes, Pembroke Pines, Southwest Ranches, and parts of Miramar and perhaps parts of Hollywood or Davie, more so than west Kendall. Unfortunately, safety-perceived or otherwise-is a huge factor in where people live in South Florida.