Boca Raton X Fort Lauderdale: where should we move? (Sunrise: environment, real estate)

[NSX1990]

Hi Sun & Sea, welcome to Florida.

I lived in the Palm Beach County and Broward County areas for 18 years. Both areas have their advantages- since I am younger I like Ft. Lauderdale. However, since you are looking to raise a family, I would recommend Boca Raton.

Boca Raton is pricey, but it has very good suburban living. I hate the suburbs, personally, but they are great for families with young children. Boca works like this: the closer you are to the Intercoastal Waterway, the more expensive the houses are. Typically, the farther west you go, the cheaper the houses are (I'd say they average between $400,000 - $600,000 for 3Bed/2 bath in most communities), but the less stuff there is to do. West of I-95 is dead- only houses, medical centers, and Publix supermarkets. All of the culture is by the water in Delray and Boca.

There are many law firms in both Ft. Lauderdale and Boca, but the bigger ones are obviously in Lauderdale business districts.

Boca has a bunch of schools to choose from, mostly public. Eagles Landing is an excellent primary school, for example. However, almost all of the gifted and IB programs are in Delray, because of forced integration by the county between racial groups (Boca is almost all white). Boca also has Florida Atlanitc University, which is a great resource... not to mention an up and coming football team. GO OWLS!

As far as for crime, Palm Beach County as a whole is safer than Broward- just avoid Riveria Beach (up north) and certain areas of Delray Beach. In Boca the only common crimes are teenage vandalism, but that's nothing really.

A similar community in the county is Wellington, but they are way out west and its really boring over there.

Good luck with your move.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by NSX1990

As far as for crime, Palm Beach County as a whole is safer than Broward- just avoid Riveria Beach (up north) and certain areas of Delray Beach. In Boca the only common crimes are teenage vandalism, but that's nothing really.

Well, this is isn't true. Ranking Florida's 10 largest counties by crime rate, Broward ranks 8th. Palm Beach is 5th.

Palm Beach County- 4,953.3 crimes per 100,000
Florida average- 4,632.0
Broward County- 4,295.9

Broward has also never failed to report a lower number of homicides than Palm Beach County, despite having 400,000 or so more people. This year will be different though...

Originally Posted by Sun&Sea

Boca seems to be a little more like a CITY than Parkland and Weston. Am I wrong?

Thanks for replying and helping!

You are right. Boca would be my first choice, looking at what you want.

[Sunandsand]

I wouldn't say that west of 95 is "dead" in Boca like one poster did. It depends what you like. This is a married couple with a toddler. South County Regional Park, the Coconut Cove water park, Evert Tennis, the Mizner dog park, Mission Bay with its shopping and some nice restaurants, just to name a few.

There is a ton of stuff west of 95 for a young family in Boca.

[FLRelo]

Fort Lauderdale would be terrible for a family with young kids, and Parkland is too far from the beach, the further west you go the more humid and buggier it gets in the summer, plus West Boca has a lot of sprawl. You would want to be in EAST- Boca Raton, meaning East of I-95 which puts you inside the city limits and you'll be able to enjoy everything the city has to offer. My favorite area is the South Eastern part of town, a very nice established neighborhood called Palm Beach Farms. Large lush lots, Blue Ribbon schools, close to the beaches (which are all city parks and about 10 to 15 minutes drive) and close to downtown. Very family oriented neighborhood with a park in the middle, many of our neighbors have been there for many many years. With the current real estate market you should be able to find 3 to 4 bedroom house around $600,000. Houses are a little older but most have been completely updated. The city offers a lot of activities for kids (it has it's own rec. department with tons of activities for kids) excellent library, a green market in the winter etc etc. www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us
We moved here from Miami about 11 years ago when my husband was transferred and have enjoyed it. We'll be leaving the area in 2008 as my husband is transferring, so the house is going up in the beginning of the year, but the area has been great to us.

[Sunandsand]

Originally Posted by FLRelo

Fort Lauderdale would be terrible for a family with young kids, and Parkland is too far from the beach, the further west you go the more humid and buggier it gets in the summer, plus West Boca has a lot of sprawl. You would want to be in EAST- Boca Raton, meaning East of I-95 which puts you inside the city limits and you'll be able to enjoy everything the city has to offer. My favorite area is the South Eastern part of town, a very nice established neighborhood called Palm Beach Farms. Large lush lots, Blue Ribbon schools, close to the beaches (which are all city parks and about 10 to 15 minutes drive) and close to downtown. Very family oriented neighborhood with a park in the middle, many of our neighbors have been there for many many years. With the current real estate market you should be able to find 3 to 4 bedroom house around $600,000. Houses are a little older but most have been completely updated. The city offers a lot of activities for kids (it has it's own rec. department with tons of activities for kids) excellent library, a green market in the winter etc etc. www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us
We moved here from Miami about 11 years ago when my husband was transferred and have enjoyed it. We'll be leaving the area in 2008 as my husband is transferring, so the house is going up in the beginning of the year, but the area has been great to us.

I don't agree at all. West Boca is amazing for kids. The water park, dog park, South County Regional Park, Loggers Run Park, Patch reef Park, Evert tennis programs and lots of other things are west of 95. East of 95 has more traffic when you are just doing day to day errands with kids. You can buzz to a local shopping center to pick items up very easily in W. Boca.

It is not more humid and buggy because there are mosquito control programs out here. There are many days when it is very humid 2-3 miles from the beach and not nearly as humid in W. Boca and Parkland.

Palm Beach Farms has houses very close to 95. Noise and carbon monoxide, no fun. They are older house and still vastly overpriced. Several are for rent for $3000....so why would you pay $600,000, a 200 rent multiple? Once the bubble deflates fully, those houses will be in the $400,000s. Sounds like someone has a house to sell and is wishing on a star.

Parkland is not much farther from the beach because you don't hit the heavier traffic until you get past 95. It takes maybe 5-8 minutes longer. Also, Parkland has lots of new houses, tons of rentals in the $2500-3000 range. If you were going to pay $600,000 for a house...not that anyone should in this housing bubble, but if someone did they should go for a new one in Parkland. Parkland has a top notch youth soccer program, great schools, and Terramar Park offers a youth tennis program run by two former pro players. It is a great quality of life there. Parkland has its own shopping with much less hassle than negotiating around E. Boca.

[NSX1990]

Yeah, except in the dead of scorching summer when school's out, the last place you'll be taking your kids is the park.

West Boca is boring unless your life revolves around your children.

[FLRelo]

What a nasty remark! "Sounds like wishing on a star" Just trying to give some good info to the inquirer. I t boils down to what you prefer. Sure West Boca is great if you like urban sprawl, gated communities and endless stripmalls! Plus West Boca doesn't offer you any of the amenities you get by living within the "City limits". Parkland another "planned community" is inBroward County (Yuk!) and adjacent to the Sawgrass expressway, with its horsefarms that pollute the water supply. Mosquito control? bad for the environment plus you can't let your kids play outside after the mosquito planes/trucks have sprayed the area. I rather benefit from the breeze off the ocean which keeps the mosquito problem at a minimum. I had to travel to Parkland for several months last spring and it took at least 30 to 40 minutes from East Boca and then it's another 10 minutes to get to the beach with all the traffic. There are plenty of houses in Palm Beach Farms that are not near I-95 as long as you buy on the other side of 12th Avenue, neighboring the million dollar homes near the Hillsboro canal. There's a reason that the homes are all priced signicantly higher than West-Boca or Parkland, because the area is in demand. Besides the majority of the older homes have been redone. Even in the current real-estate climate homes are still selling better on average than in West Boca. People generally move West because they can't afford to live East or the schools are bad, in the case of East Boca the schools are exellent. There are only two places where you can enjoy good neigborhoods, closeness to the beach and enjoy good schools, East Boca Raton and Jupiter. Anywhere else in Eastern coastal South Florida this is not the case. Oh and BTW Top notch soccer programs sponsered by the City and an excellent youth tennis program at the city's tennis centers at less than the cost of Parkland plus a whole host of other excellent children's programs such as a swimming programs, youth programs, summer camps and much much more.

[compelled to reply]

FLRelo, just post your property you are trying to sell in the classified ads section. Also there are no blue ribbon schools in Boca Raton, so your posts are intentionally misleading. Not to mention the schools in central Boca are much more highly rated than east Boca (Spanish River High comes to mind). Also, the schools in Parkland are more well rated than those.

[FLRelo]

Thanks but I'm not trying to sell my property, we're all set already with a relo package.

[Sun&Sea]

Thank you ALL for your opinions!! It's great to read different points of view! We will make sure to check both East and West Boca.

Now, what about condos? Is there any neighborhood in Boca where we can get a 4 bedroom APARTMENT that is not a snow bird-only type of community? See, we would rather live in an apartment than in a house, if possible, much less work, we would feel safer, we just like it better...

THANKS AGAIN!