Hey guys. I just got back from a few days in Miami. We are thinking of moving there in a year or two and went to check out the area. I wanted to get your viewpoint on the area and places to live. We checked out (a little bit-we were just there 2 days) Hollywood, Hialeah, Pembrook Pines, West Palm, Miami Beach, Plantation, and probably some place else! What are your views on those areas and any recs on other places to think about? We are wanting to know about the schools in the area, churches, job situation there, feel of the area, etc... We will probably rent a home/condo/apt instead of buying. Oh, I forgot to mention I'm a teacher and I know they've had a lot of layoffs in the school districts. We have 2 kids (9 and 7).
Thanks for your help!
I love Florida too. I don't know anything about Miami but our church has a church there Fellowship Church Miami ya'll should check it out.
I grew up in Miami and loved it there! my home church was UBC (University Baptist Church) a wonderful active church there! it is in Coral Gables which is a great place to live and good schools, U of Miami is there also. Hialeah is very colorful and fun but may not be where you want to be unless you are fluent in spanish, and the cuban culture. Depending on your life style preferences different areas are better than others, It has been a while since I've lived there so I would recommend working with a good realtor to help you find a place that will be good for your family. I could probably get you a recommendation there if you need one. We also liked the north Dade county south Broward area as well, but I don't know any specifics of those neighborhoods/schools it has grown so much.
Good luck, and enjoy some good Cuban food for me!
I lived in Florida for 2 years. I lived in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Both are great and I really miss it. They are both pretty centrally located, an hour from Miami and 30 mins from West Palm Beach. I know Deerfield Beach is also nice. I probably wouldn't do Hialeah. From what I remember its a pretty rough town.
Generally in Broward and Miami Dade counties, the further west you move from the beach, the better the schools get. However there are a few exceptions to that rule - pockets of exclusive neighborhoods and center around a very desirable school. The further west you move, the more you are going to have to drive for work. And the roads can get very crowded. I'd suggest letting where you'll be working be the deciding factor for where to live. If you work in Ft. Lauderdale, Plantation or Davie might be an acceptable commute. Plantation is great because of the hockey arena and the mall and good schools. Davie is known for it's larger lots and country-feel. If you are going to be in the Miami work area, you're going to have to move further south - no more north than Pembroke or Hollywood. As far as rec & entertainment, there is a ton going on all over the entire S. Florida area. I can't name one place that is better than the other - you'll have to drive regardless. I did find living in East Davie for 11 years that we had a nice advantage of being very close to a turnpike entrance & 595 that could put us it the Miami Metro zoo in 25 minutes or the beach in 15 minutes or the hockey or football areana in 15 minutes. That said, when our kids got to the ages of 7 & 4 we split from S. Florida to raise them in a more rural environment. Less crime, traffic, and the kids don't 'grow up' as fast. Good luck!
My sister in law has lived in Weston and it is gorgeous and very clean. Hollywood is older and sketchy parts. Pembroke Pines is nice too.
I would seriously check out Weston.
I lived there ages ago in Coral Springs, north of Miami, and I liked that area a lot. It's been a while, but it's probably worth checking out.
