[The Floridian]

Hi Nice Lady ,

Try Plantation or Boca Raton? I really Deerfield Beach.... Why not take a Sunday drive this coming Sunday to Deerfield?


Best of luck

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by The Floridian

Hi Nice Lady ,

Try Plantation or Boca Raton? I really Deerfield Beach.... Why not take a Sunday drive this coming Sunday to Deerfield?


Best of luck

Oh no, Boca and Deerfield Beach are to far to commute everyday to downtown Miami. All are nice places to live, but to far from her husbands job.

[ac11]

Dont worry, moving out of Florida is not the solution. Not all areas of Miami are dangerous but unfortunately that area you moved into is known to be dangerous as it borders a small ghetto along Grand Ave.

Solution:

Miami has plenty of nice, peaceful and pleasant neighborhoods. I would suggest looking into Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Kendall or South Miami. All are within close distance to Downtown and are very nice suburbs with an urban feel to it as well.

How about COndos?

Brickell is a gorgeous area to live and work in. I would suggest looking at The IVY, 500 Brickell, One Miami, The Axis. All these are really nice high rise luxury condominiums, with pools, gyms, spa, sauna, tennis courts, parks etc... All are right on the water and provide amazing views. In your case this might be very beneficial move because you would no longer even need a car to get to work. Prices range depending on the size of the unit but units range between 2 and 3 bedrooms and are generally priced at 1800-3000 a month.

Another option that is really close to Brickell is Key Biscayne. Mostly houses in that area but there are beachfront apartments as well that are worth looking into. Houses might run a bit too much in this area though.

[dtohearn]

Although I see the benefits of a condo, especially for safety reasons, we really do not want to move into a condo. We have been in an apt. for years now and are really enjoying house life. I am done carting my groceries through a lobby in an elevator with my 2 kids! We also really need 4 bedrooms and it seems like there aren't many 4 bedroom places for rent in Coral Gables, Key Biscayne or even the condos in our price range-max. 2800. That's why it seems like we may have to move further away to get the other things we need in a house.

[kevinkagy]

Sorry to hear about that. Realistically, you can't look at places in Broward or Palm Beach unless you want a commute greater than an hour, and it's just not worth all that time in a car really. I really love Key Biscayne, and it's a great family environment. To be quite honest though, I'm really surprised to hear you got robbed in that area, it's so nice (unless I'm mistaken in where your homes at).

Either way, have you looked for homes in Coral Gables, Pinecrest, South Miami, Miami Shores, or Palmetto Bay (Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay have really good public schools)? Brickell is always a safe option, but that would mean high-rise living which I know you stated is something you don't want. I really hope you find the perfect place, as it saddens me to hear about your event. Maybe it was just a one-time thing, and it's just about installing an alarm system. I've lived in Miami all my life and I don't know anyone personally that's ever encountered any type of crime, so it comes of shock when I read these things online. Best of luck!

[matchpoint]

Originally Posted by The Floridian

If you want to live like Angels move to Idaho back country or Canadian Rockies.......

Idaho is for people who think the pioneer days of 1820 America was/is the highpoint of "civilization." Idaho might lead the nation in drunk drivers per capita and cigarette smokers per capita. It's nothing but trashy rednecks.

No thanks.

[matchpoint]

Petty crime like home burglaries, shoplifiting, etc. is on the rise nationwide. It's not a "miami thing" or a Florida thing.

This recession is making a whole of people resort to crime to satisfy an empty stomach.

[compelled to reply]

Believe it or not, you can get "robbed" (probably meant burglarized, because if you got robbed you would probably say "mugged" but I could be wrong) in Alpharetta, Raleigh, Aventura, Weston, and Pinecrest too. The best thing to do is to be vigilant and protect your home from burglars by locking doors, leaving blinds closed, trimming tall shrubs, etc, be aware of your surroundings, and don't flash valuables on the street. These rules apply in your neighborhood, Coral Gables, Weston, Paradise NC or wherever else you go, and be aware that thefts and burglaries are skyrocketing all over the country. Basically, you have always been vulnerable, but some people are just more paranoid than others, and a few unlucky people get burglarized or robbed.

Now, if your neighborhood is having a RASH of burglaries or robberies and you want to be in a better school zone, I think your rent could easily cover Pinecrest. Hollywood would probably be worse crime-wise and maybe school-wise, and Aventura (in my opinion) is nice, but not the best layout for kids. Weston is nice, but too far.

[dtohearn]

What about Miami shores?

[compelled to reply]

Miami Shores is very nice but isn't at all known for low property crime or great public schools, but there is a good charter school. Still, I wouldn't live there without burglar bars or a kick-ass alarm. I would just stick with Pinecrest, and in Broward I would add Cooper City, west Davie (west of University Dr), west Pembroke Pines (west of 75 for schools, but overall west of University Dr) and far west Miramar (west of Red Rd is a must, but the further west the better). Still, with your price range, I would DEFINITELY go with Pinecrest. I was just there today and there is a tasteful charm in the neighborhoods that can't be found anywhere in Broward. Little parks, GORGEOUS shade trees, two-lane roads, nice homes that look different from each other, etc and I can't find an area in Broward where that is executed as well.