Tell Me More About Hollywood, FL

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by crisp444

What's wrong with South Broward and Hollywood Hills high schools? Looking at the socioeconomic demographics and ratings/comments on greatschools.net, they look fine. I thought that Hills had the reputation of being one of the better public schools in the area, actually. Don't mind, me, however... I'm just writing all of this and asking out of curiousity. Much of my Hollywood school knowledge comes from the opinions of the "Jewban" family I knew that lived on a really nice street of Hollywood Hills and put their kids through the school system in the 1990's through early 2000's. It just surprises me to hear that people specifically move to west Broward for the schools when there are good schools in east Broward, too.

Hollywood Hills High went downhill in the past 10 years and is now considered one of the worst schools in the area. McArthur, South Plantation (covers east Davie) and Miramar to the west are all considered better now, and for that matter so is South Broward. I would consider all of those schools slightly below average. Better high schools by reputation are Flanagan, Cooper City, Western, Cypress Bay, Everglades, etc, all out west and some of which didn't exist in the 90s. Granted, any of these high schools are what you make of them, and some might even argue that they all suck. I'm just going by reputations.

[Marlin331]

Interesting. Why do people say that Hills has gone downhill? I think we were talking about the Hollywood Hills area several months ago and you said that the demographics really had not changed much, so what do you think caused the change in the quality of the students at the school? Busing from "bad" areas?

South Plantation and Miramar considered better than Hills? The times they are a-changin, I guess. One of my best friends (we didn't meet until college) went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas and said it was a very "preppy" school. I'd be surprised if that has allegedly gone downhill, too, given its location. I should stop now. I'm just babbling about Broward schools now, and as most people know, my reliable school knowledge generally doesn't go further north than the Dade/Broward line.

[compelled to reply]

I'm talking about schools, not the respective neighborhood. Busing from bad areas definitely has something to do with it, just to fill the empty seats at the schools. Also, while Hollywood/Emerald Hills are still nice, some other areas nearby like Driftwood declined significantly with a mostly "white trash" element left. Basically the whole State Road 7 corridor went down in the 1990s all the way out to University Dr. Also, South Plantation was always considered an average/decent school, but the same thing happened there: emptying seats had to be filled, so they started busing kids from some iffier areas. Miramar High is mostly black like the neighborhood it's in, but it has an IB magnet and pulls in middle class blacks from the central part of the city as well as poorer black students from the east side by State Road 7 and Sherman Circle, so socioeconomically it's the same mixed bag as any of these other schools and performs as such. Basically, most of the families with children moved into the SW area for the "better schools" and now those schools are bursting at the seams, meanwhile, formerly "decent" schools like Hollywood Hills and South Plantation were declining as the seats emptied. I think they started bringing kids from east Davie to Stranahan, though, as well as Hollywood Hills.

[Marlin331]

You should write a book about the socioeconomic demographics - and evolution thereof - of Broward County. I would say that we should do a collaborative effort and do the book on South Florida, but I think we would clash on sprawl, Spanish, and what areas are "nice." Overall, you are a very valuable resource to the Broward forum.

[hknox222]

How is living at Hollywood beach along Ocean Blvd?

[carlent]

We lilved east of US1 and it is not bad but anywhere around the circle is terrible and crime ridden. Even now, parts of east and south lakes which were terrific about 6 years ago is now getting pretty rough. If you can afford to live at the beach, there are now some nice bargins on condo's. the area is not bad but there is not even a good grocery over there unless you are right on top of Hallandale Blvd and then you have a Publix and a Winn Dixie over the bridge in Hallandale. I would live in Hallandale before I lived in Hollywood. However, there are some interesting restaurants in Hollywood to go to......OPA on the beach is one as is Georgio's at the beach and Suishi Blue's downtown for good food and great live music.
Hope this helps.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by carlent

I would live in Hallandale before I lived in Hollywood.

I'm not one to criticize something subjective, but seeing what you like and don't like, you are absolutely out of your mind. You sound like you are just now becoming familiar with Hollywood and don't know Hallandale west of the intercoastal all. Hallandale has a whole bunch of crappy apartments all the way to the river along Atlantic Shores Blvd, where in Hollywood it never extends more than two blocks east of US1. Also, you may have not known this 6 years ago, but there were always a lot of burglaries in Hollywood Lakes, coming and going in waves.

Btw, there is a VERY nice Publix right on Sheridan St across the river, much less congested than Hallandale (not to mention closer!) and nicer store.

Also, there is an insane amount of oddballs around the Young Circle area, but there aren't many of them that would confront anybody but some character that they are hallucinating. Plus if it were so "horrible", places like Sushi Blues (which you mentioned) probably would go locate in Aventura or something. US1 has a lot of prostitution, but the real crime epicenters are west of US1, up Pembroke Rd in Hallandale and Sheridan St in particular.

[wavehunter007]

So what is the best overall area right along Hollywood Beach (A1A)?

[topaz915]

Originally Posted by TrafficTime

I'm interested in moving to East(ish) Hollywood. While I really like Hollywood East of I-95 through the North and South Lake Area, it is just a little too sketchy for me.

SO, I'm curious about the 33021 area code - from I-95 West to 56th Ave and from about Jackson Street (S. of Hollywood Blvd) North to around Simms Street (N. of Sheridan Street).

It looks like a charming well-groomed area, but I want to know more.

Is there much crime in the area? Robberies common? Does the I-95 element spill over? Safe to walk around, go to the park? What is traffic like in and around the neighborhood? Strong neighborhood association? Obnoxious neighborhood association? Basically, what's it like to live there?

PS I'm from S. Fla, and have lived in Plantation, Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale, & Kendall (even Hollywood, but I was really young and that was a long while ago :-), so give the deets like you're talking to a native :-) And it would be really helpful to hear from folks with first hand knowledge/experience.

i was wondering aboutthe safety of highrises in hallandale and hollywwod oceanfront people tell me they are very safe and a lot of seniors live there any input on the tides?

[topaz915]

is sunny isles safe area? high rises i remember from 30 uears ago rascal house and hallandale and hollywod were safe high jewish poulation is it about the same there was crime as there is everywhere